Minnetonka High School has many recreational sports and the newest addition is the Figure Skating Club. The MHS Figure Skating Club is for students who are interested in ice skating— whether they have skated their whole life or are just starting out. The figure skaters meet once every month during MAST at the Pagel Arena for an open skate, where they can improve their skills.

The MHS Figure Skating Club advisor, Nadine Rutledge, was once a Minnetonka student and a figure skater as well. When she was in school, “[she] didn’t realize who else skated because [everyone was] at so many different clubs.” She hoped that by creating the MHS Figure Skating Club, it would unify Minnetonka’s skaters and provide a new community. “It’s pulling them together,” Rutledge explains. “Now, there’s people from all these other clubs all here at one school.” 

“Having a community that respects and appreciates skating is super cool,” club member, Evelyn Johnson, ‘24, added. 

What’s unique about the Figure Skating Club is the way they compete. The skaters have the opportunity to compete in virtual cyber-challenges against different schools and students across the country. “We video tape each other’s moves, for example, elements like a jump and a spin and footwork and then we submit them to US Figure Skating,” Rutledge details. Last year, the MHS Figure Skating Club placed seventh as a team in the USFS National Cyber-Challenge and displayed incredible performances. The figure skaters are not required to compete, but it is certainly a fun opportunity for them to showcase their skills.

In the end, the MHS Figure Skating Club is all about fun. Along with learning how to skate, the club is also “a fun place to talk and meet new people,” Johnson adds. It’s a great opportunity to learn from other figure skaters that attend MHS and make new friends who are passionate about the sport. “We’re really low-key…and we do it for fun, purely for fun,” Rutledge expressed. 

If you are interested in figure skating, check out MHS Figure Skating Club’s instagram, @mhsfigureskating, for more information about future meetings.