The Empire State Games, an annual event hosted in Lake Placid, will include 13 members of the Buffalo Skating Club who train at Cornerstone CFCU Arena. Some of the competitors were on hand Monday evening as the games torch relay stopped at the arena.
“Congratulations, ladies!”, Mayor John Lombardi said as he wished the skaters well in their contests this weekend. “Remember to have fun.”
Skaters on hand included Ania Bobin, 13, who has been skating for eight years, some of that time competitively.
“It’s really fun,” she said of the competition.
Buffalo Ice Skating Club is open to adults as well as youths. Jennifer Rosen signed up her daughter, Melody, and then was encouraged to join herself.
“It’s very accepting and warm,” Rosen said.
The skaters are competing individually at Lake Placid on Friday and Saturday, according to their coach Dawn Ahlers.
The Empire State Games is open to amateur athletes of all ages; contests involve 25 different winter sports including ice skating. Informally, it’s New York state’s version of the Olympics.
Presently, the ESG torch is being carried from Buffalo to Lake Placid to meet its companion torch coming from New York City.