Ice. Check.

Figure skates. Check.

Hours of practice. Check.

Thirty years of memories. Check.

This weekend, the Eau Claire Figure Skating Club will combine all that and put it on display during its 30th anniversary ice show at Hobbs Ice Arena, 915 Menomonie St.

Pieces of the past
The title of the show, “Reflections,” was chosen as a way to showcase past years, said Lannette Flunker, vice president of the club and senior lecturer in management and marketing at UW-Eau Claire.

Soloists, groups and coaches were required to choose songs that had been performed in previous years, she said. However, there will be one difference.

“They’re new versions, so I’m sure they will be fresh,” Flunker said.

Participating in the show will be the Goldenettes, the university’s synchronized skating team, and the Golden Edge, the club’s synchronized skating team, Flunker said. The different levels of skaters within the club will be showcased as well.

Senior Emily Krahn plays a double role in this weekend’s activities. As a member of the Goldenettes, she will be performing. But she also has served as a coach for the figure skating club for six years and has skated since age five, she said.

In mid-March, Krahn said the club held its annual competition. However, the ice show this weekend is just that – a show.

“The kids can kind of showcase everything they’ve been working on over the year,” she said.

Each skater in the club participates in two to three numbers as well as the opening and closing numbers, Krahn added. There are around 60 people including the Goldenettes, and ages range from 3 year olds to college-age students.

Flunker said the show will open with the youngest group, Learn to Skate.

“It’s the most adorable thing in the world out there,” she said. “That is really . the heart of our club.”

She added that the other groups include Junior and Senior clubs and are featured to show the progression of skaters’ skills. The majority of the skaters started out as members of the Learn to Skate program.

Preparations and renovations
Krahn said planning for the annual ice show usually begins right after the previous show and continues throughout the year. Soloists are chosen in December, music and numbers are chosen up through April, and practice begins two weeks prior to the event.

“We basically are there all night, every night, up until show time,” she said.

As for being there all the time, Flunker said the club is the biggest user of Hobbs and generally spends 1,000 hours on the ice year-round. She added that they haven’t been affected by renovations, which will begin the day after the show ends on Monday.

After that, the club will spend six weeks skating in Chippewa Falls until they are able to return to Hobbs in June.

One part of the renovation that Flunker said the club is excited about is the enclosure of a third rink (there are currently two rinks at Hobbs). While they probably won’t use it, it will free up the other rinks for time purposes for the club.

“It will be a much nicer environment,” she said. “We hold this . every year, so that will bring, hopefully, more people.”

The ‘new’ features
While the show may be pulling features from the past, Flunker said there will be some new routines in this weekend’s show, such as a “pairs” solo and a number involving parents of skaters.

The parents’ number isn’t necessarily new but has not been seen for several years, Flunker said.

“Most of these parents have very limited skating skills,” she said. “They’re just taking some fun songs . (and) a coach is having them attempt to do some skating things. It will be fun . and entertaining.”

Another number that’s been performed over the years is the hockey number, Flunker said, where male hockey members from area high schools come in to partner with upper-level skaters, who Krahn coaches with another coach.

“It’s always a crowd pleaser because, of course, they have the boys try to do figure skating stuff on their hockey skates,” she said.

There’s quite a crowd to please, too. Flunker said the event generally draws in around 600 people per night of the event.

While the crowd is primarily filled with friends and family of the skaters, Flunker said it’s a good community event. Also, the Goldenettes draw in a college crowd.

“It’s an opportunity to do something different,” she said. “It’s inexpensive entertainment . it’s an opportunity for family-friendly entertainment.”