Skate academy's Christmas program features Olympian

Skaters from 3-year-olds just learning to skate all the way to an experienced Olympian will be featured during Glacier Skate Academy’s Christmas on Ice show this weekend.

Shows are Saturday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 22 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Stumptown Ice Den.

Featured during the performance will be Dylan Moscovitch, a recently retired Canadian pairs figure skater who won an Olympic silver medal at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

More than 40 local skaters are also performing from those in the beginning Learn to Skate program to high school students who have been skating for more than a decade.

Moscovitch is a Toronto native and is the 2011 Canadian Champion, nine-time national medalist, and winner of 16 international medals. He also placed fourth at the World Championships in 2013 and 2014. Since retiring from competitive figure skating, he is a TV host and commentator, coaches figure skating and hockey power-skating, and is pursuing an acting career and motivational speaking.

Moscovitch is teaming up with pair skater Kristin Cowan for a few upcoming professional shows, and he is looking forward to performing in Whitefish, according to a release.

Cowan is a former professional figure skater. She performed all over the world from 2007 to 2018 as a principal pair skater for several companies, including Holiday on Ice, Disney on Ice, and Rand Productions. She teamed up with Canadian pair skater Sean Wirtz for a Christmas show in 2011, and the two went on to have a very successful professional career and were recently married. They settled down in Whitefish last year when Wirtz was hired as the director of Glacier Skate Academy.

Wirtz will also perform in the Christmas On Ice show. He is a former Canadian pair skater and professional figure skater. Originally from northern Ontario, Wirtz was coached by his uncle Paul Wirtz, a prominent Olympic figure skating coach. Wirtz was a Canadian National Champion in both singles and pairs, and he represented Team Canada for over a decade on the international stage. He won a bronze medal at the Four Continents Championships in 2006.

Kayla and Kamden Black are joining the cast of Christmas on Ice. They are a pair team from Seattle and recently competed at the Pairs National Final at the novice level. They plan to continue training and hope to rise through the ranks to compete at the senior level. They came to the pair camp in Whitefish last summer and enjoyed the coaching and the experience, according to a release.

Tickets available at the door or online at glacierskateacademy.org.

Tickets start at $12 for adults and $8 for students.