My name is Julie Szabo. I grew up in a suburb of Vancouver, BC where I spent most of my childhood at the rink. I skated singles and pairs and, like most rink rats, was completely obsessed with figure skating. I competed provincially at the Novice level and completed my Gold Freeskate test and 7th figure–before compulsory figures went the way of all times.
After high school I packed away my skates and went to university where I completed a degree in writing and journalism. Writing became my new passion, but I couldn’t kick the skating bug. Since university, I’ve worked as a freelance writer and occasional figure skating coach at Canada Ice Dance Theatre.
I continue to skate recreationally as an adult and can still knock-off a double loop on a good day. My early dream to become the best skater in Canada has manifested itself in adulthood. In the last decade I’ve lived in three countries where I have in fact been the best figure skater–Ireland, Malta and Morocco–admittedly, not much of a challenge.
This is a general figure skating blog with a bias towards Canadian figure skating. When I can, I attend international events and report on them on Boot and Blade. Most recently, I covered the 2008 Canadian Figure Skating Championships and the 2007 Skate Canada events. I hope you’ll enjoy my posts and learn something from the coaching tips I’ll provide. Happy skating!