An Okotoks figure skater has taken a meteoric ride to the biggest competition in Canada.
Tim Pomares, a Foothills Composite High School student, will compete at the nationals in Vancouver Jan. 8-14 in the men’s novice division — just five years removed from taking up the sport with the Okotoks Figure Skating Club.
“He was a CanSkate skater at the age of 10 and it was clear even back then, that whoa – he has to get out of the learn to skate program and into our figure skating program,” said Okotoks Figure Skating Club coach Kerri Roberts. “Just seeing the way he moves. There is no force, no friction when he skates — it seems effortless.”
Pomares qualified for nationals by finishing 11th at the Skate Canada Challenge in Montreal Nov. 29-Dec. 3.
You don’t just jump into the Challenge at Montreal. He had earned qualifying scores to go compete in the national level at competitions earlier this year.
Roberts called the Challenge, the “nationals before the nationals.”
Pomares saw it as great experience before hitting the national stage in Vancouver.
“It was a good opportunity to skate against some of the boys I will be competing against at nationals,” Pomares said. “And to get some kinks out. I learned a lot about my skating and how to improve it specifically before I get to nationals.”
Pomares said he was most pleased with landing a triple-loop at the end of his long program in Montreal.
It wasn’t just luck that Pomares landed the jump at the end of the routine.
There is plenty of behind the scenes work for that three-minute, 40-second performance on the ice.
He trains enough, that he didn’t get tired there,” Roberts said. “He comes with quite a toolbox of natural talent and he’s got the grit and determination to make what is hard look better every day.”
He does yoga twice a week, dry land training twice a week. As for being on the ice, Pomares skates two hours a day, six days a week.
“There is always more stuff I could do to be more physically fit and the mental shape as well,” the modest Pomares said. “It’s always in the back of my mind that I still have things to work towards.”
A lot of work, but also it brings him a lot of joy to compete on the ice.
“I am a performer through and through,” he said. “So I love having a creative outlet, which is skating for me.”
His goal for nationals in Vancouver is to finish in the top six.
However, trying to predict where a skater will finish would baffle Nostradamus.
“At the elite level it’s a moving target,” Roberts said.
“A good goal is to be specific about what you own — what you can do in your performance.
“All we can focus on is what Tim can do well… We can only control what we can do.”
The experience will serve Pomares well.
It’s rare to go from CanSkate to competing at a national level in five years.
“This is a neat story just for that reason alone,” Roberts said. “That is the only thing Tim has against him right now. There is not a lot of mileage on the stage.”
Pomares will have company in Vancouver.
Roberts is an international coach and will be participating in clinics in Vancouver.
As well, former Okotoks Figure Skating Club athlete Thomas Williams will skate at nationals in the Senior ice dance competition with partner Sarah Arnold.
For more information go to skatecanada.ca
