Manitoba Competitions/Meets

Speed Skating Manitoba organizes Manitoba Cup meets throughout the season for skaters from across Manitoba ages 4 to 17 years old.

These are great events for skaters to take what they have learned in the club sessions and try them out in real races!

WCSSC encourages all our skaters to give it a try and see if they like it!

Here are meets to watch for in 2023/24 season:

October – MANITOBA CUP 1 ST

November – MANITOBA CUP 2 ST

December – Prairie Challenge ST

December – Silver Skates LT

December – Long Track Camp

January – MANITOBA CUP 3 LT

January – Long Track Provincials

March – Short Track Provincials

March – Manitoba Cup 4 ST

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PREPARING FOR A COMPETITION

The night before the competition, you should make sure:

  1. Your skates are sharpened and ready for racing. Leave your skates with a coach or older skater a few days before the meet for sharpening if you can’t do it yourself.
  1. Pack your bag and make sure you have the following (competitions require these items, the officials have the right to pull any skaters from the races if they do not have the required equipment):
    • 2 skates
    • 2 skate guards (soft and hard guards)
    • clear safety glasses with strap
    • Kevlar socks or ankle protectors (socks can be bought at CT or hockey stores)
    • 2 shin pads
    • 2 knee pads (optional)
    • 2 gloves (cut proof for competitions – leather or cut proof material)
    • helmet
    • neck guard (bib style only – CT or hockey stores)
    • Skin suit is optional for younger skaters and does not need to be Kevlar.  Skaters 12+ are required to have full Kevlar suits.

You will also need to pack a nutritious lunch and snack foods such as granola bars, fruit and juices. A small cooler containing these items works great!

Now you can get a good night’s sleep! Avoid tension:
Arrive at the arena early and most of all RELAX!

At the rink:

  1. Find your coach when you get to the rink. They will tell you which dressing room to use and any additional information which you might need to know.
  1. There will be a warm-up for your group so ask your coach when you should be getting ready. Be careful when you are out on the ice because it gets very crowded.
  1. At least three races before your event, report to the Clerk of the Course who is at the whip area (row of chairs). Make sure you have your skates and all your safety equipment on before you go to the whip otherwise they will send you back to get them and you will be rushed! Make sure you have your neck guard – that is a commonly forgotten piece of equipment!
  1. Check the Results area for your time after each round of races you compete in and also check to see when you race again and what heat.

Good sportsmanship is important:

Regardless of how you do in your race, ALWAYS BE A GOOD SPORT! Even the best skaters in the world sometimes have great meets and sometimes not so good meets.

Take a moment after the meet to think about what you did great, what you did okay and what you want to work on at practice for the next meet.  These meets are all great learning experiences so take advantage of that!

Remember to say thank you to the officials and congratulate your fellow competitors.

REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN & TRY YOUR BEST!

Thank you to the Cambridge Speed Skating Club for allowing us to share this document!