Cornerstone Arena Ice Arena will welcome the Empire State Winter Games Torch Relay at 3:30 p.m. on Friday as it crosses the state on its way to Lake Placid.
The event will be the only Western New York appearance of the torch, and the public is invited to the event, which includes an ice show at 4:30 p.m. featuring 13 local figure skaters.
Dawn Ahlers, Cornerstone’s figure skating director, said the Empire State Games is an all-levels competition, with figure skaters of various ages and abilities able to compete in freestyle programs. Eleven Cornerstone skaters will be competing this year, including adults. They include:
• Zoe Budek, age 11
• Kate Roth, 13
• Melody Rosen, 13
• Alexis Harman, 14
• Zofia Morock, 15
• Isabella Estrada, 16
• Julia Frence, 17.
Adults Sara Miller, Jennifer Rosen, and Meg Hall will also bring their freestyle programs to Lake Placid.
“They do it like an Olympics with an opening ceremony,” Ahlers said. “After all their hard work and dedication, they get to show it all on the ice there.”
Ahlers said most skaters will perform their competition routines to music on Friday.
Evelyn Ginty, who won first place in her division last year, will head to Lake Placid seeking another title. Ginty said she performs to the song “Romance Flight” from the movie “How to Train Your Dragon.” She said her favorite part of the routine is her sit spin. Ginty said her skills include single flip, lutz, and toe loop jumps, but she finds her camel combo most challenging.
Harman said she will skate a brand new routine to the song “Roundtable Rival” by Lindsay Sterling. The routine features more kicks and spins than the previous freestyle programs she’s performed.
“The music is so upbeat,” she said. “The lutz loop is my big show piece.”