DC Open Youth Speeedskating Meet in Washington, DC

On Saturday, January 2, 2010, Washington DC-area’s finest youth speedskaters compete in the city’s only speedskating meet, hosted at Fort Dupont Ice Arena by DC-ICE, an urban skating program inspired by Olympic Speedskating Champion and World Record holder Shani Davis.

Washington, DC –DC-Inner City Excitement (DC-ICE) is welcoming local youth speedskaters to Fort Dupont Ice Arena (FDIA) in Washington, DC, on Saturday, December 19 for an afternoon of short-track speedskating racing from 2:00 to 4:30 pm.  Joining youth from the the DC-ICE Skating Club are speedskaters from Potomac Speedskating Club (Wheaton, MD), Washington Speedskating Club (MD/VA), Leading Edge Speedskating Club (Rockville, MD), and skaters from FDIA’s own Kids On Ice program. 

Experienced and novice skaters ages 5 to 15 will test their skills and endurance over several distances in the increasingly popular sport of short track speedskating, vying for personal best times and age-group awards. Meet registration opens at 1:00pm, with races on-going from 2:00 to 4:30 pm, followed by an awards ceremony. The event is free for the viewing public, and an open Public Skating session follows the meet.

Speedskating and DC-ICE came to DC in 2002 with the help of the non-profit Fort Dupont Ice Arena, which, added a Learn To Speedskate class as part of its Kids On Ice (KOI) program that delivers free and affordable skating classes to thousands of Washington-area youth. Many skaters competing on Saturday practice regularly in the KOI Speedskating and Hockey programs.  

DC-ICE was co-founded by three-time Olympic speedskater Nathaniel Mills and several determined parents living in the city’s Anacostia neighborhoods.  After seeing Shani Davis participate in the 2002 Winter Olympics, parents were inspired to bring the world-class sport of speedskating to their children  After recruiting Mills, and bouyed by several visits from Davis, including following his Gold Medal in the 2006 Olympics, DC-ICE has grown into a successful program that offers year-round programs and events that serve hundreds of youth annually.  According to Mills: “DC-ICE is excited to host another speedskating meet at FDIA.  We’re providing an invaluable opportunity for some of the city’s fastest young skaters to come together in the pursuit of excellence. Our program is also part of Shani Davis' living legacy and his unwavering commitment to young people."

For more information about DC-ICE and the DC Open Speedskating meet can be found at: www.InnerCityExcitement.com/speedskating-meet