Look no further the best story of speed skating is a no-brainer, a no doubter, a sure thing and the only grass roots speed skating story about triple digit percentage growth in the number of skaters in one club. Humboldt may be number two as hockey town Canada but it is definitely number one as speed skating town Canada. Intact Inc. sponsors a yearly contest to find and publicize the best speed skating story in Canada each year. Even the French and Russian figure skating judges of years gone by would vote Humboldt as 2009's hands down winner.
Humboldt has rocketed from a low of five skaters to a total of more than 100 skaters in less than two years. The Humboldt Speed Skating Club has moved speed skating into elementary schools in the town of 5000. Three elementary schools now send their grade four and five classes to speed skating classes every year. Each one of these skaters becomes a member of the club and the provincial and national associations.
Humboldt has always had a very strong competitive program. The little club that could often won more medals at National Age Class Championships than some provinces. Several Humboldt skaters have been National Age Class champions and many have won medals at the National level. The club presently has one member on the National development team and another in the Calgary Oval program. But the club was barely surviving, volunteers were pressed to the limit, and no new skaters were joining the club despite all the success.
Looking back the answer was simple, get the schools involved and let the kids race. As a last ditch recruiting measure the Humoldt Speed Skating Club offered a speed skating camp to a local elementary school in 2006. Forty kids showed up and the only plan was to let them race and make sure they had fun. They did and they did. The kids loved it and the teachers were having fun too. They agreed to come back the next year.
The word spread and another school joined the program he next year. Another forty kids were exposed to speed skating and racing. They loved to go fast. No one was telling them to slow down and their laughter filled the rink.
By 2008 three schools were involved and the 'per-capita speed skating capital of Canada - Humboldt Saskatchewan' had two more families and six more competitive skaters. The club now had more than 80 members. The fund raisers had been abandoned in favour of the camps. No more bingoes; just skating.
Every year the Humboldt club introduces more than 100 ten, eleven, and twelve year olds to the sport. The club keeps winning medals at the local, provincial, and national level. But the real story is happening at the local hockey arena when each spring every elementary school in town sends their grade four class onto the ice to 'speed skate' for three one hour sessions.
Humboldt Club and Saskatchewan Provincial President Steve Krueger says " the school program saved our club. I hope every club in Canada copies our program. Next year we are expanding it to include schools from neighbouring towns and villages."
The best speed skating story in Canada? You bet it is. Brought to you from the Hockeyville Canada 2009 runner-up; the per capita speed skating capital of Canada, Humboldt Saskatchewan.
"Who knows," says coach Lloyd Bernhard, "next year we could have two hundred members. Then maybe we'll be the biggest club in Canada."
