Montana State Figure Skating Club looks to expand opportunities on the ice

The MSU Figure Skating Club is best known for its performances at the MSU Men’s Hockey Club and Bozeman Icedogs games. However, many don’t realize that each performance is choreographed by students in the club.

The group was started in 2022 and has since been performing at the hockey games. The club also began performing for the Icedogs in 2023, according to its website.

In addition to performing, members also compete individually against other collegiate figure skaters, according to club President Abby Skane.

“Performance is primarily what we do. That’s where we skate all together, that’s what we really practice for,” Skane said.

According to her, the team holds one off-ice practice at the Student Wellness Center and one practice at the rink each week.

“(Tuesday’s practice is) where we really block out our programs. We do a lot of the dance choreography off -ice as well,” Skane said. “Then Thursday mornings at 6 a.m., we practice at the Gallatin Ice Arena, all of us together on ice.”

According to Skane, the club is entirely student-run, meaning all performances and competition dances are created by its members. Competitors can choreograph their own routines or contract them from outside sources.

There are only two required practices before the competition date, meaning it is up to the skater to practice the routine as much as they want.

There are two levels in the club's performance section: A higher-tier blue team with 12 members and a lower-tier gold team with three. The tiers are based on skill level, so people of varying abilities can join.

“I’ve always wanted to do figure skating,” freshman and club member Alison Hoffman said. “Anybody can be in it because there are lots of different levels, so you can kind of fit it to what you want to do.”

Skane said she hopes the club will continue to grow its member base.

“We’d love to be able to extend our ability to welcome strictly recreational members,” she said.

Though the club’s main focus is performing, it does have two competitions a year: One in the fall and one in the spring. The last competition was held in November in Tempe, Arizona, according to the club’s website. They last competed Feb. 20 in Denver.

Three girls placed in the Arizona competition, including junior Kylee Calloway, who placed third in pre-preliminary free skate, sophomore Abigail Beaver, who placed second in pre-preliminary women’s plus and senior Savannah Kowal, who placed second in the juvenile women's division.

Because of the nature of the sport and the long practices, the club has a tight-knit feel, according to Skane.

“I really like the camaraderie and the time we get to spend together,” she said. “We do — during the season — spend a lot of time together, but it’s really fun to have a group off campus.”

To learn more about the MSU Figure Skating Club, visit https://www.montanastatefigureskating.com/home.