Nantucket SC on Island All Its Own

By Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz, special to U.S. Figure Skating Online

When Kristin DeFrancisci first came to Nantucket, for a summer job back when she was in college, ice skating on the island did not exist.

"I met Belinda Yancy, a year-round resident," DeFrancisci said, "And we had a connection because we both grew up in figure skating, me as a synchronized skater, and Belinda as a singles skater. I shared with her at that time that I always wanted to coach synchronized skating."

The Island Waves perform in the club's annual ice show. (Kristin DeFrancisci)

Fast forward five years. The island now had a rink, The Christopher Nugent Bovers Community Rink, and Yancy was looking for someone to coach a club synchro team.

"Belinda decided that the club needed a team sport to stay afloat, so I started flying over from Cape Cod to teach synchronized skating to the skaters on Nantucket," DeFrancisci said.

{~pr1~}The first year wasn't easy, as DeFrancisci had anywhere from three to eight skaters whose skill levels and ages varied greatly.

However, the little club that could kept pushing. After year one, the two coaches decided to try competing.

"That was the year U.S. Figure Skating introduced the beginner level of synchronized skating to the mix. We called everyone we knew that could skate. Some families jumped right in, others were hesitant, but in 2005 the Island Waves were born," DeFrancisci said.

The team attended its first competition in Bourne, Ma., in the middle of a snowstorm that caused power outages.

"We skated unopposed, and we were hooked," DeFrancisci said. "We decided to pull together and compete again in Middletown, Connecticut, and this time had some competition. We placed first, and the synchro bug infested the Nantucket Skating Club."

In the past five years, the team has grown from 10 members to 34.

"We even added an adult team that I hope will compete this year," DeFrancisci said.

The club is nothing if not unique. It hosts a Nantucket Classic Competition for Basic Skills, and part of the fun for competitors is traveling to the rink by ferry or plane.

"Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their experience at the competition and their trip to the island," Nantucket SC Vice President Jo Sullivan said. "Some families came over during the day on the ferry and some came for the long weekend.

"Having a competition on island allows us to provide our young skaters with a competition experience without the expense of a trip off island."

The club often has to prepare for activities days ahead of time because of Mother Nature's wrath, such as its recent brush with Hurricane Earl. For synchro competitions, the girls often leave 24-48 hours ahead of time to make sure they can get off the island during predicted snow and rainstorms.

Another unique aspect is the skating schedule. Where most clubs host a majority of their activities during the fall and winter, Nantucket's busiest season is summer.

"The summer time on Nantucket is when the skating club takes flight," DeFrancisci said. "We are able to run classes for skaters who are on Nantucket all summer and weekly clinics for those who would like to visit."

Participants and instructors gather for a group shot at the Nantucket Edge Clinic. (Photo by Kristin DeFrancisci)

During the first week of August, the club ran a five-day clinic called "Nantucket Edge" with top-notch coaches, including World pairs medalist Randy Gardner, choreographer Nathan Birch and former professional champion Beth Ann Duxbury. Summer resident Dorothy Hamill (who holds her own adult skating camp at the facility in late August) also stopped by and skated with the participants.

"The week was so much fun that we are looking to expand to two-week-long clinics next year," DeFrancisci said.

Sullivan believes the club works because of the dedicated group of parent volunteers and professional coaches who work together to provide as much ice time and coaching for the skaters at the most affordable rate.

"The fact that Nantucket is an island means that we as a club have had to be creative about making sure our members are able to have individual instruction as well as synchro instruction," Sullivan said.

Fundraising subsidizes the classes the club offers, coaches' travel to the island and a significant amount of the synchro team's competition expenses.

The club also holds an annual skating show at the end of March or early April in which all of its members and Basic Skills skaters - along with special guest skaters - perform in solo or group numbers.

"The show is one of the island's winter highlights," Sullivan said.

DeFrancisci enjoys watching the club grow and change each year.

"We like to keep things fresh and exciting for our skaters so that they have positive experiences through skating," she said. "It's more than just ice and blades. It's a sense of accomplishment knowing that you gave it your all."