July 25, 2016 at 2:39 p.m.
Rhinelander's Peitsch to compete in ISI figure skating competition
Rhinelander's Peitsch to compete in ISI figure skating competition
Shandi Peitsch is in Blaine, Minn. to take part in the Ice Skating Institute's (ISI) World Recreational Team Championships which take place at the massive Schwan Super Rink complex.
Peitsch will compete four events during the championships in the Freestyle 4 category, beginning with her long program Tuesday morning. She will skate artistic program Wednesday afternoon, light entertainment Thursday night and the theme program Friday morning.
"All the hard work and everything I've put into it, I'm definitely excited for it," Peitsch told the River News during a sit-down interview earlier this month.
For Peitsch, it all begin with a stroke of luck while in the Twin Cities in January to watch the Prudential Nationals figure skating competition.
"My mom and I had wanted to go down to one of the parks in the Twin Cities and just skate outside," she explained. "My mom got the times mixed up for mass and the skating so, when we got there, it was the very end and my mom was like, 'Well, I still want to get you lessons.' I'm trying to get my skates tied and hurry up and get out there as fast as I can and the lady's like, 'Well, there's another coach out there you can work with. His name is Timmy.' I got out there and we just kind of started talking and skating and his mom came over to my mom and just started talking.
Through that conversation, Peitsch was asked if she was interested in participating in this week's events, but there were several hurdles to clear along the way. The first of which was the sanctioning body. All of the Rhinelander Figure Skating Club's events, and the Northern Edge high school competitions were run though the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA).
According to Peitsch the nearest rink to Rhinelander that is ISI certified is the South Wood County Recreation Center in Wisconsin Rapids - and that facility doesn't have an ISI coach.
"It's been kind of crazy, but the (organizers) have been so helpful," Peitsch said.
Though not certified through ISI, coach Heidi Strosahl out of Minocqua has been working with Peitsch in the weeks leading up to the competition.
"She's been so helpful through all of this," Peitsch said. "We bought the old (ISI rule) book because the new one hasn't gone into effect yet. I brought the book to practice with me and she helped me figure out (the differences). With USFSA, you have different block and with ISI it's like, 'Oh, you're here (at this level), well we're going to take all the stuff from there and smash it into one of these levels.' It was really kind of difficult because some of the stuff I can do (in USFSA) is at a higher level (in ISI), and I can't do it (in competition). Then there's other stuff in this level that I've never done before and I've had to learn how to do."
Even then, as recently as a month ago, Peitsch's participation in the event was in doubt after she got in the middle of a catfight - literally.
While trying to break up an altercation June 27 between two felines in her home, Peitsch was bitten in the heel by one of the cats. That incident kept her off skates for more than a week and a half.
"I feel like I've lost a lot of time and now I'm scrambling to make up for it while trying to recouperate my foot," she said.
She was able to get on the ice at the Rhinelander Ice Arena a couple of weeks ago before the ice was removed for the summer and spent last week training with Strosahl in Minocqua.
"It's been going fairly well I'd say," Peitsch said of the preparation. "I had one program ready to go because I had already competed it. I've had since May to learn the other three and I've got them pretty down pat."
Peitsch said she's looking forward to each one of her pieces.
"I'm doing my long freestyle program and then I'm doing an artistic (program), which is 'Putting on the Ritz,' which I'm excited for," she said. "Then light entertainment is 'An evening with Mozart.' The artistic has more focus on the form and the edges, so it's like soft, pretty music. Then each ISI competition has a theme and this one is the 70s, so I have this rug I get to wear and these go-go boot things over my skates."
Peitsch added, despite her distain of 1970s disco, she found some music she could tolerate to accompany her theme program. She'll skate to "A Fifth of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band off the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
With everything that's gone on in the six months prior to competition, Peitsch said she's ready for it all to begin.
"Definitely the experience of skating, not only that many events in a foreign competition with seven rinks, but I'd say (I'm looking forward) to (meeting) more skating friends who are supportive and understanding of how much time and effort goes into planning all of this," she said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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