iowskaters has been a bit sickly for a few years, what with the pandemic curtailing skating activity, and the Isle of Wight Ice Skating Club largely posting to Facebook. The person who was supposed to be updating this page simply didn’t, which has pretty much been the pattern of trying to find a successor to me, the long-term admin.

But now the Isle of Wight Ice Skating Club is no more. It has merged with Gosport Synchronized Skating Club to become Solent Synchronized Skating Club. The few hardy IW skaters who continue to skate do so at Gosport, and it’s where our former coach, the amazing Terri Smith, is based so the merger makes a lot of sense.

You can keep tabs on what the new club is up to on Facebook.

Club skaters have achieved some remarkable feats during the 20 years that this site has been running. Coached by Terri, Wight Jewels were four times British junior synchronized skating champions, travelling to three junior world championships. Three former Jewels have since competed at senior world synchronized skating championships, in teams representing Great Britain and Sweden. One even won a senior world silver medal. Another former Jewel spent five years with a senior team in Australia.

A number of skaters that I can’t name because of Disney’s policy on them being mentioned in social media have gone on to skate for and continue to skate for Disney on Ice. Well done to them for being able to pursue their passion into their working lives.

In spite of Ryde ice rink closing, the island’s determined youngsters have continued to train elsewhere, travelling at really unsociable times. They continue to compete and perform well. I wish them all the best for the future.

iowskaters.com will remain as a website for historical reasons but will not be updated, unless by happy chance that one day a new ice rink is built on the Isle of Wight.