Peninsula Skating Club: Working Together Brings Success

The Peninsula Skating Club, in San Jose, Calif., is proud of their 2011-2012 skating season. Not only are current novice ladies and men's U.S. champions Karen Chen and Vincent Zhou club members, but the club's Theatre on Ice team, Redwood City Ice Theatre won the bronze medal at the National Ice Theatre Championships in Cape Cod in 2011.

"All of our members work together and do not try to outdo each other," one of the club's founders and U.S. Figure skating judge Joan Burns said. "We're always making any work enjoyable, even if at times it's hard work."

"There are numerous factors that have led to the success of the Peninsula Figure Skating Club," former U.S. Figure Skating President J. Ronald Hershberger said. Hershberger also helped with the club's merger along with Burns and current club treasurer Joyce Burden.

"There was the synergy created by the joining of the El Camino Figure Skating Club, Crystal Springs Figure Skating Club and the Silver Edge Figure Skating Club to form the Peninsula Skating Club," Hershberger said. "With that merger, the talents, skills and experience of those three clubs was centralized into one new energetic club. Those skills included experienced judges and individuals with business leadership and experience."

"For example, the Peninsula Skating Club initiated and led the process to bring the 1992 World Figure Skating Championships to the San Francisco Bay Area," Hershberger said. "That event was not only successful from the skating perspective, but it also brought significant financial rewards to U.S. Figure Skating and the Peninsula Skating Club. Similarly, the Peninsula Skating Club had the membership base and expertise to bring the 1996 U.S. Figure Skating Championships to San Jose, again because of experienced leadership and membership base that made that effort possible."

For coach Tracy Prussack, the club is special just because of its history. The Peninsula Skating Club has been blessed to have athlete members who have regularly done well in competition and two who achieved greatness with Brian Boitano and Debi Thomas as the most notable examples. World, Olympic and U.S. medalists Kristi Yamaguchi, Rudy Galindo and Charlie Tickner have also participated in club events.

"I am proud to say I am a member of the Peninsula Club as a coach and was a former member of the Silver Edge Figure Skating Club and the Crystal Springs Figure Skating Club as a young competitive skater in the Bay area," Prussak said. "The level of commitment from all the club members over the years has made this club a success."

The club is proud of its "open door policy" encouraging all members to come together and help with projects whether it's exhibitions, competitions, socials or volunteering at a U.S. Championship.

"Some of our parents have continued volunteering even after their children stopped skating," Burden said. "We always encourage members to become involved in all aspects of figure skating and we are also fortunate in having first class facilities and keep a close and open relationship with the management as we skate at three different rinks."

"PSC has been a wonderful club for me as a coach to be involved in," Khrane Thomas said. "We have great judges, skaters, coaches and parents. Our officials and judges have always been there for me to help and offer words of wisdom and constructive criticism. They are all very supportive."

Hershberger believes the club's ultimate success can be credited to the present support staff.

"Admittedly a skating club just by itself cannot create a great skater, but when there is a talented skater, and a pool of very talented skating coaches and experienced judges, then the club can help in various ways to help the skater along. That is what the Peninsula Skating Club has been able to do," Hershberger said.