Caitlin Brandt’s figure skating career comes to a close following Windom club’s annual Ice Show
As a six-year-old girl back in 2003, Caitlin Brandt of Mountain Lake took her mom’s advice – opting to lace up the figure skates topped by various colors of boot covers, put on the sequined skating dress and tights – and take to the ice. Caitlin made the switch to figure skating from gymnastics, and hasn’t looked back – quickly learning that her mom was precise – the ice is nice. (Even though that first year was tough, once she learned how to move on skates and keep the blades pointed at the ice, things went relatively smooothly.)
“I went through all the levels – Snowplow Sam, Snowplow Sam 3, Basic 1-8 and Freestyle grades 1-6. Each year I added to my repertoire,” explains Caitlin. “My fanciest move is the salchow. In this move, the skater makes a takeoff from the back inside edge of one foot, and then rotates in the air in the direction of the curve of the take-off edge. The landing is hit on the back outside edge of the foot opposite the one used for the take-off. I never could get an axel, though – it has an extra 1/2 rotation in the air . . .”
The 17-year-old senior at Mountain Lake Public High School (MLHS), and daughter of Larry and Lynn Brandt of Mountain Lake, placed an exclamation point on her figure skating career over the course of two performances with the Windom Area Figure Skating Club during its 37th annual Ice Show this past weekend, Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9, in the Windom Arena.
“Closing out my figure skating career this year was made special as I was able to do a duet performance in the show with my younger sister, Chanah, a sophomore at MLHS (“Pocketful of Sunshine”),” Caitlin says enthusiastically, “AND, even my dad put on ice skates to do a few moves in a dad/daughter number (“You’re My Hero”), joining in as well with my sister, and other skaters and their fathers.”
Her infectious sense of humor came through during her senior solo. She was joined by a trio of Snow Plow Sam 3 members to skate to the song, “I Need A Hero.” Caitlin skated solo for a minute – dressed in her Wonder Woman figure skating dress – and then the young super heroes (Blaise Larson, Michael Marcy and Jackson Veenker) skated in to finish the number as an ensemble selection.
Caitlin additionally performed in a duet with fellow senior club member, Kayleigh Fritz of Windom (“Time of My Life”) – which included a “giant-size photo of each of us in a costume from our first year of skating; mine was as a little cowgirl” – and as a member of the Senior Precision Line, skating to “Sunshine Ruby.” “Skating as group means a lot of teamwork, but when we pull it off, it looks great,” Caitlin says beaming.
Caitlin is quick to admit that, “I really enjoyed the Ice Show each year. The skaters get the chance to show off what they have learned over the past five months of lessons (October-to-March)” – and then there are the costume changes. “On a few occasions, there isn’t a whole lot of time to make the change,” admits Caitlin, “but then, that’s all part of it.”
This year her skating instructors were Anne Raetz and Kyla Hoffman.
Caitlin will take many memories with her from her time on the ice, but is ready to highlight a pair. “Getting to do a duet with my sister in my senior show meant a lot. We were in this together – right from the start 11 years ago. Another favorite Ice Show memory is from the 2012, and it included the number, ‘The Curly Shuffle,'” Caitlin shares in reflection.”That number featured the ‘Mountain Lake girls’ – Kamile VanDyke, Jaden Hoek, Chanah and myself. I really enjoyed this routine because we had a lot of fun while rehearsing and presenting it, got to wear really cool outfits – and we were the only Mountain Lake girls at the time in figure skating.”
I most definitely encourage younger girls – and boys – to get involved in figure skating,” stresses Caitlin. “Figure skating provides the opportunity to be a part of something that not everyone else chooses to do. I would tell younger skaters to listen to their coaches – because they know best. Sticking with it is also important because that teaches commitment – but – in figure skating, there is fun in that commitment.”
While her figure skating club years are now over, Caitlin acknowledges that she will definitely utilize what she learned on an enjoyable recreational level. “Skating is good exercise and an exercise that is easy to continue to do.”
After high school graduation this spring, she will be heading to the Minnesota West satellite campus in Luverne in the fall to study radiology.
“Yep,” ends Caitlin. “Skating has been a good time.”
