Skate Ontario is making a habit of stopping in Sudbury.

Over the course of the past few years, the Nickel Blades Skating Club in Garson have hosted a Star Skate competition, typically in December or so.

Last weekend at the McClelland Arena in Copper Cliff, Skate Ontario made a return visit, in the same year as the Copper Cliff Skating Club hosted a Star Skate 1-4 meet - and for as much as there was a healthy out-of-town contingent on hand, a number of up and coming locals also fared extremely well, including gold medal winner Claire Nesseth from the host club.

With the confidence that comes with another season of development on her side, the 13 year old grade 8 student at Copper Cliff Public School enjoyed a definite flow to her free program as she performed to Tango de Amor.

“I think a lot of my jumps – my flip, my loop – are bigger and more controlled than they were last year,” said Nesseth, whose also progressed notably in at least one other key element of her routines. “With my spins, they’re a lot faster and I can hold my position better.”

“A lot of it is based on the entry,” continued the well-spoken teen. “You have to make sure that your body and your arms are in the right position to be able to snap your body into position and rotate right away.”

There is no denying the nervousness that comes with competitions, but at most other times, Nesseth is very much in her "happy place" out on the ice.

"I just like the feeling of being on the ice; there's a sense of calm," she said. "It feels like you are kind of floating. At practice, I feel my skating is something that can help me let go of whatever is on my mind."

Much like Nesseth, Sudbury Skating Club representative Veronika Felhaber can point to very specific skills that helped her capture first place in her bracket as well.

“My back spin is good; usually pretty fast and my set-up is nice,” noted the 10 year old Star 4 participant, one of two siblings to top the podium. “You go in on an edge – and you’re open – and then you have to pull in really tight.”

“If you go too fast, sometimes, you can lose control.”

Two grades further along and currently one year her elder, big sister Karina was coming off a tough week of practices, sustaining an injury that required a few stitches. In spite of that, Felhaber carried a mix of mental toughness and artistic interprepation to a first place finish.

“I love to be skating “mind on”, focusing and being in my zone,” said Karina. “It helps me skate strong and fast."

"And then you make sure to smile and put your arms up, kind of get in the groove and just have fun. Don’t be thinking about other things.”

A total of 24 skaters were on hand from the Sudbury Club, with Maeve Dover and Feona Shum earning an extra mention from head coach Heather Basso, as both attempted axels for the first time at the event.

"They have been working hard to perfect this new element and we are proud of how far they have come," said Basso.

While the likes of Edie Manning, Mikelle Maurice, Margot Rahemtulla, Kensington Yu and Kaylin Yu were all making their Skate Ontario debut last weekend, Nickel Blades Skating Club teammates Audrey Wicklander(achieved overall Gold in her Star 2 freeskate for the first time) and Brooke Monette (received her first medal - bronze - in Star 4 freeskate) were rising to new heights.

Still with event first timers, Valley East Skating Club coach Maddie Burton singled out the Star 2 duo of Heidi Monette and Hadley Green, though the recognition went well beyond their excellence on the ice.

"They were absolute superstars when it came to sportsmanship and cheering on their fellow competitors," noted coach Burton. "Hadley was the loudest in the stands for all her friends and made sure all the skaters got their little papers with their names that get posted for everyone writes nice messages on them at the end of the event."

"Heidi spent the entire event making sure her fellow athletes felt uplifted and supported."