MISSED SESSIONS

There are no make-up sessions, ice credits or refunds offered for missed sessions. It is expected that skaters may miss occasional sessions (ie. sick, vacation, minor aches and pains) and this is reflected in the fees.

REFUNDS

Skate Canada fees (your insurance) are non-refundable – no exceptions.

Requests of ice credits for skating registration fees (minus Skate Canada fees) may only be reimbursed due to medical reasons (ie. prolonged or serious illness, significant injury). The request must be made in writing to the Ashcroft Academy Of Skating and must be accompanied by a doctor’s note. The skater must have missed a minimum of 5 consecutive registered days. The written request for refund must be made within 30 days of the first missed session. If the refund is approved a $25 administration fee will be applied and the refund will be calculated based on the date indicated in the doctor’s note and only until any level of participation in programming is resumed. A monetary refund may be issued if the skater’s injury or illness prevents the skater from returning for the remainder of the registered, skating season.

Refunds will not be issued if a skater chooses to withdraw from a skating session(s), with the exception of Canskate registration refunds which may be issued at the discretion of the Ashcroft Academy Of Skating.

What kind of skates should I buy?

Good skates are important for comfort and safety. All skaters must have their own skates, preferably fitted by a skate shop or by a qualified skate dealer. A good fit in a pair of quality used boots is better than a pair of low-quality new boots for skaters starting basic figure skating skills. Leather boots with firm support around the ankle and properly sharpened blades are essential. Molded boots are often too stiff and inflexible.

The boots should be fitted with one pair of socks/tights and there should to be room to move the toes, but the foot should not slip or slide around in the boot. Skates need to be laced fairly loosely over the toe and the front of the foot, but snuggly over the ankles. Laces should be tucked in and not wrapped around the top of the skate. The heel must fit firmly and should not be able to move up and down. The child stands up, bends their knees slightly and walks in the skate without the ankles dropping to either side. The skate should feel comfortable. Avoid buying a larger size for skater to grow into.

You can test the support of a skate by taking your two thumbs and, placing one on each side of the side of the boot, press down where the ankle bone would be. If the side of the boot is easy to push in, then there is little or no support in the boot. Likewise, if it is difficult to push the side of the boot in, then there is good support in the boot.

Probably the most important element in purchasing used skates is ensuring that there is enough support left in the skate. Many competitors attempt to offset the cost of skating by selling their old equipment. Many of these skates, while originally being of very good quality, are now at the end of their life span and have been broken down or are close to breaking down. A broken down boot is indicated by creases in the side of a boot that go to or past the ankle bone. Fit is essential in a skate. There should never be more than a tight finger behind the heel of the skater's foot when the skater's foot is pushed as far forward in the boot as possible (without crunching the toes).

Skate Care (Very Important Safety Information)

Ask your coach where to get skate blades sharpened. They should be sharpened when new and approximately after every 20-30 hours of skating. The blades need to be kept clean and free of any rust and debris. Plastic skate guards protect the skate blade from dulling and the skate guard should be worn while walking on all surfaces other than ice. Skate guards should be worn off ice. We have had occasions where a skater has stepped onto the ice and had not previously been wearing skate guards off ice and because there was a small stone/item stuck to the blade, they fell or possibly could cause someone else to fall). Please remember to remove skate guards just before you step onto the ice. Blades should be cleaned and dried after each usage and stored covered with cloth blade covers. This should prevent rusting. Air out boots after use and remove skate guards for storage. Leaving skate guards on may allow blades to rust.

Canskate lesson Clothing

We are often asked "what clothing should my child wear on the ice in Canskate lessons?"

It is important to be warm so that skaters can enjoy their lesson, but also the clothing needs to allow for movement. Clothing should not be baggy for safety reasons so a closer pair of pants/jacket are a good idea and layers of clothing help keep you warm. Snow pants/ski suits can be good for tots just learning to skate but eventually they progress past this stage and need more freedom to move with their newly learned skills. Make sure clothing has no extra pieces or hanging parts that could get caught on skate blades.

What Happens After Canskate?

The JUNIOR ACADEMY Program is intended as an introduction to developmental figure skating. The program is the next stage of development for skaters with the desire to pursue figure skating as a sport. Team coaching, jump technique, spins, off-ice, specialized dance classes, games and prizes are all part of the Program. It combines a fun and enthusiastic atmosphere to learn the basic skills of figure skating at a young age.

The Junior Academy program is designed to be a bridge between the CanSkate program and the Skate Canada StarSkate program. Skaters may choose to complete all levels of the Program before transferring to the StarSkate Program or they may transfer part way. For further details please contact our Director of Skating Programs. See our website under programs.

Participation by invitation only.