Self-made skaters offer everyone a place on the ice

With every spin, jump and lift, the MSU Figure Skating Club is carving out its unique path on the ice, creating a community as tight-knit as its routines.

The club was formed in 2022 and has nearly quadrupled since then. “Our team started two years ago with four people,” said club President Abby Skane. “Last year was my first year — there were eight of us — and then this year, there’s 14 of us.” 

According to Skane, the club performs during halftime at the Bozeman Icedogs and MSU men’s hockey home games and, more recently, at figure skating competitions. 

Skane coordinates with the University and the U.S. Figure Skating Organization — the national governing body for figure skating — to get the club to competitions. For the 2024-2025 season, the MSU Figure Skating Club has planned performances in Denver, Colorado, San Jose, California and Cody, Wyoming, Skane said. 

According to current Community Outreach Officer Mary Kondelik, the process of joining the club begins with tryouts. “We started doing tryouts this year,” she said. “We have [new members] come skate at a practice. It isn’t super crazy and it isn’t super hard, so we encourage a lot of people to come and try it out. We just want to see you skate and see how you are on the ice, and there's really no pressure at all.” 

In addition to tryouts, the club has different levels of competitiveness. “We have a group of girls that compete that are semi-competitive. And then we also have a performance group, which is where we go out and cheer for games,” Skane said.

Skane also spoke about the experience level required to perform at the hockey games. “We do have a level requirement that’s relatively accessible, but it does require some sort of prior [skating] background. But we also have a group where, if you can skate and you can stop — which we can teach you how to do — you’re welcome to participate.” 

Skane shared some unique challenges the club has faced due to its novelty. “We do not have a coach, but we all self-choreograph. We self-train and then we go out and compete on our own,” she said. 

Additionally, she spoke about the financial obstacles the club faces. “The biggest issue is figuring out ice time and being a club sport because it’s very expensive,” she said, explaining that the club receives a majority of its funding from sponsors. “We’re pretty much all fundraised. We have 12 to 15 sponsors across the country that help us, and we also have a GoFundMe which is always open.” 

Although the club has faced its fair share of challenges, it has also experienced many achievements. “We have definitely accomplished a lot this year, and I’m very excited to see us accomplish more. This year, we competed in Denver, Colorado. We incorporated new spins, flips and lifts into our programs, which we choreographed as a team,” said Kondelik. 

Club member Ginny Adams spoke about her experience with the group. “I’ve been skating for about six months,” she said. “I’m working on a competition program right now, and I’ll eventually perform at the hockey games. Until then, I’m working on my own skating skills and my own personal goals.” 

Adams, though new to skating, said her experience in past sports aided her transition into figure skating. “I was a competitive fighter for 12 years, so the muscle, balance and coordination from that has definitely helped a lot [with skating] because it’s just kind of second nature,” she said.

Freshman Abigail Beaver, a competitive member of the club, explained how it has helped her transition into college. “I came into college knowing I was going to be on a skating team. My sister — way in the Midwest — is on one, and I did it all throughout school. It’s kind of like having a built-in safety net. When classes are hard, you have teammates that are older than you and know what to do,” she said.

Beaver, who experienced her first competition this past November, noted one of her most memorable moments on the club so far. “In Denver, I was the first of our girls to compete. Getting on the ice and hearing representing MSU and hearing my name get called — that was such an aha moment.” 

Beaver encouraged anyone interested in joining the club to give it a shot. “Honestly, just take the risk and just do it,” she said. 

“You can always back out. You never have to go all in the first time, and really, we don’t bite,” she explained. “You can be at the lowest level. You can never have owned a pair of skates before or you could have been skating your whole life. We will take you.” 

For more information on how to join or support the club, visit www.montanastatefigureskating.comor @montanastatefigureskatingon Instagram.