Skating Into Puerto Rico, A New Competition for Latino Skaters on the Horizon Options

[IFS Photos]

A New Federation Rises From an Unlikely Location:
The Island Nation of Puerto Rico

A New Latino Competition Could Be On The Horizon

By Susan D. Russell

Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south, Puerto Rico, the smallest of the Greater Antilles – an island slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island – seems an unlikely port of call for figure skating. Claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War. In 1917 Puerto Rican nationals were granted U.S. citizenship.

In 2000 an industrious group of people set the skating wheels in motion by incorporating the Puerto Rican Figure Skating Federation (PRFSF). In June 2004, Lynette Spano, an American of Puerto Rican descent became president. Four months later the federation applied for and was granted provisional ISU status. The PRFSF recently received endorsement from the Puerto Rican Olympic Committee, a key factor in solidifying their full membership in the International Skating Union (ISU) fold. In mid-October 2006 the federation expects to become a full ISU member.

Spano attended her first ISU Congress in Budapest last June. “It was amazing,” she said. “We were embraced by the international community. The ISU has been unbelievably supportive.”

What sets the PRFSF apart from any other figure skating federation on the planet is its mandate. Given the poor economic environment that exists on the island, Spano and her team have a vision that goes far beyond the development of future World and/or Olympic champions. Their programs are being designed to offer young Puerto Ricans opportunities that have never before been available to them. “We want to have an economic impact on the kids,” Spano said. “Through this venture we hope to open doors for them. We want to show them the possibilities of obtaining jobs in the U.S. as coaches or choreographers in the future. We want to develop programs that give them options and to show them they have the potential to become amazing athletes.

“Our mandate encompasses not only the development of those who show exceptional talent and the drive to become champions,” Spano said, “but also to develop those who may not have that “exceptional” talent but have a deep love of the sport.”

U.S. skater Rohene Ward, who is of Puerto Rican descent, competed at the 2004 Puerto Rican national championships. He said he got more than he bargained for when he set about proving his cultural rights. “I thought it would be good idea to bring my family together for the first time,” he said. “First of all, I had to prove that I was of Puerto Rican descent so my mother and I traveled to the island to track down our family. I had never been there before. We found my grandfather and a whole new family neither of us knew we had. It was totally amazing. And then I got to skate for them. How good does it get?”

Ward said the foundation of this federation in his adoptive homeland is amazing. “I think it is fantastic – I hope they do really well. I am sure their program is going to grow and they are going to be very successful,” he said.

The PRFSF currently has 15 representatives but say its membership is rapidly expanding. All members must be Puerto Rican citizens or of Puerto Rican descent. Rule 109 of the ISU Constitution requires that all members must have a minimum one-year residency in Puerto Rico in order to represent the country internationally.

Puerto Rican skater Victoria Muniz
made history for Puerto Rico when she placed
10th at the Junior Grand Prix event in Bratislava

“Figure skating is not your traditional Latino sport,” Spano said. “But if we encourage young Puerto Ricans to learn to skate who knows what talent lies beneath the surface?”

Innovation

The beautiful new ice facility, Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena, abuts the ocean on the North Atlantic coast of Puerto Rica. It has become a hot spot on a Saturday night for the locals. “On any given Saturday evening the ice rink is packed with residents who come for a night out with their dates,” Spano told IFS. “Instead of going to the movies or something, they come to skate. So the concept of skating has already taken root here.” Not long after opening its doors the federation implemented a learn-to-skate program, which is proving to be a huge hit with the islanders.

The new ice skating faclity at Aguadilla

The 2006 Puerto Rican National Championships were held in Mount Laurel, N.J. where 12 skaters competed. The 2007 championships will be held on Puerto Rican soil at Aguadilla, and Spano and her team expect double the number of competitors.

The PRFSF is currently working with the Puerto Rican Olympic Committee to construct a brand new Olympic size facility on the island. “We look around the world and see all these skaters training in cold places that do not have state of the art facilities,” Spano said. “We would love to be able to offer skaters and coaches the opportunity to train and work in a facility that rivals the best in the world. And where else can you train on cold ice and walk out the door and be on a beautiful beach? Think about it.”

La Copa Latina and Friends - The Latino Cup

A new ISU competition, similar to Four Continents, could be on the horizon aimed specifically at developing Latin nations. “While the ISU aware of our plan to implement the Latino Cup it has not yet been sanctioned by the ISU,” Spano said. “It is our hope that we will be able to accomplish this once the proposal phase is complete.” Spano said that a number of member federations including Italy, Andorra, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Argentina and the Dominican Republic have expressed a desire to participate.

“I think we all realize Latin nations are at certain level of development in the skating environment,” Spano said. “One of the things about this competition would be the binding of countries with similar backgrounds which will take us to the next level.”

For more information contact Amy Myers, Director of Business Development at: (703) 739-6600 ext. 3004 or by email at AMyers@prfsf.com or log on to the PRFSF website at: www.prfsf.com

For more information on Aguidilla log on to: http://welcome.topuertorico.org/city/aguadilla.shtml

Another website for Latino skaters is the Latino International Skating Coalition.