While it is hard to believe in the midst of this gorgeous November weather, winter sports are right around the corner. Gustavus is blessed with a plethora of winter sport opportunities, including Nordic skiing, hockey, and figure skating. This week, I sat down with Gustavus junior Mae Grigsby, co-president of the Gustavus Figure Skating Club. She has a pretty impressive pre-Gustavus skating career she was willing to share, and some wonderful tips for beginners interested in potentially joining.
Thank you for speaking with me today, Mae! Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
“I am excited to be here! I am from Boulder, Colorado. I am a current junior elementary education major. Along with teaching, I am really passionate about psychology, and hope to someday become a school counselor or clinical psychologist. I have also been skating for ten years.”
That all sounds really cool! How did you initially get involved with skating?
“My mom put me in group lessons when I was four. Funny story, at that time I used to sit on the ice and cry because I thought it was cold and awful, and took a break from skating as a result. I started really skating in 4th grade when we watched the Olympics in class. I had to beg my mom to let me take lessons again after the 4-year-old Mae debacle. I took skate group lessons for just six short weeks and then moved into private lessons with my first coach. She thought I had a lot of potential and recommended another coach for me. I have continued working with this second coach to this day, and she is like a mom to me. In 6th grade, I ended up having to pick between skating and soccer. While I was good at both, my passion was really with skating. I have been competing since the beginning, with two-a-day practices starting in middle school. This included before and after school skating, all the way through high school. In the summers, I was at the rink from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., and working on and off the ice doing ballet classes, strength classes, and jump classes. In high school, I even took some online classes so I was able to train more. I also teach skating, and have taught both private and group lessons. I get to work with the three- and four-year-olds who are just learning to skate, and while it can be crazy at times, it is so fun. They are so cute!”
Why did you choose to join the Gustavus Figure Skating Club?
“The fact that there was a rink on campus was actually one of the reasons I came to Gustavus. It made it easy for me to continue my passion for skating. There was a rink, there was a figure skating club, and there wasn’t really a reason for me not to join it. When I toured as a prospective student, I met with the presidents of the club at the time, and they have since become some of my good friends at Gustavus.”
Now that you have transitioned into a leadership role, what are some of your responsibilities as a co-president of the club?
“My first responsibility of the year is to plan the meetings. I am also in charge of collecting all of the waivers necessary to skate on the ice with the Figure Skating Club. I meet with the hockey coach at the beginning of the year to set up ice time for the year. I am in charge of contacting U.S. Figure Skating, so we can be a sanctioned club within collegiate figure skating. I also order apparel for the members, and finally plan fun hangouts for the figure skaters throughout the year.”
What is your favorite part of skating at Gustavus?
“One thing that is really cool about the club is that it is composed not just of skaters who have been skating their whole life, but also people who just like being on the ice. I also like being surrounded by people who share my passion. One of my favorite parts of skating at Gustavus is being able to skate on the ice very early in the morning when it is still dark and very peaceful. For me, skating is a great stress relieving technique, and allows me to forget about all the business of Gustavus.”
Figure skating as a sport seems very intimidating. Is it possible for beginners to join this club?
“100% YES! In the past we have had a lot of skaters who have never skated in their life. I really enjoy teaching new skaters how to skate, and the ice time is open to skaters who maybe just want to skate around. The club is not just limited to people who want to do jumps and spins, but really anyone who wants to learn to skate.”
What tips do you have for beginners considering joining this club?
“Just do it. You never know if skating could be your passion. You’ll need to provide skates, and can e-mail me with any questions.”
What activities could members expect if they decided to join?
“We have our ice times about three times a week. While this isn’t a requirement, it is a time that only figure skaters are allowed on the ice. We are also planning a few events for this semester like a get together in Beck to watch nationals or worlds – with some yummy snacks of course.”
Wow, that all sounds really fun. What is your favorite skating move?
“It honestly depends on the day. As far as spins go, I really like the death drop. It sounds intimidating, I know, but it is really fun. I also like layback spins. But at heart I am a jumper. I really like triple salchow.”
Those jumps sound really cool, but dangerous. What advice do you have for someone who is afraid to fall?
“Falling is part of the sport, and you are just going to have to expect to fall. It can be very scary at first, but how to fall correctly is one of the very first things you learn. It can take a little while, but realizing that falling is just part of the sport makes it easier. I still fall all the time, but I remember that falling is sometimes what helps me get better.”
Thank you so much for meeting with me. Final question, what is your favorite figure skating memory?
“Oh gosh, there are so many to pick from; I don’t know if I can choose just one. I really loved competing, but I think one of my favorite memories is of my last competition. I skated a clean program and ended up earning a gold medal. My coach told me it was a moment she would remember forever and it was a great way to end my competitive career. This was a really special moment to share with my coach, and this really made the memory great. Another memory I have is from the 2011 regionals. I won that year, and it was great to see all my hard work pay off. A third really cool thing was passing my senior field moves and free skate tests. (None of you probably know what it is, but it was cool! – This is where you receive your gold medals for passing your senior tests; it is kind of a big deal in the skating world.) I also met Michelle Kwan once, an Olympic silver medalist, at my home rink, and got to skate with her that same day.”