Great question. When we joined forces with Shipstad Entertainment in 2022 to host our 1st destination style camp in Vail Colorado, we wanted it to be a family friendly experience. Our vision was to offer a vacation that the whole family could enjoy mixed with the magic of Road to Gold Training Camps - the opportunity to meet and work with some of the best in business and  our trademark supportive community. There are so many skating families, it  felt natural to offer a Road to Gold opportunity for the  parents who would be there as well.

To be honest, I just hoped to have a few adult skaters join us. At the time, I was not very familiar with the adult skating community and didn’t really know what to expect. I tend to jump feet first into things and learn as I go so I knew it was worth a try and, knowing that our team loves to work with adult skaters, I was ready to take the leap.

From the very 1st night at our Meet and Greet, I fell in love with the adult skating community. I’m not really sure what I expected but what I felt immediately was the mutual respect they had for one another and their pure joy for the sport itself.

As far as planning goes, we wholeheartedly believe that adult skaters are athletes too so we approach the adult camp in the same way we do the youth camps. Both the youth and adult camps are structured in the same way. Skaters choose individual classes so they are in control of their schedule and can take as many (or as few)  classes as they’d like so their camp experience is really up to them. I think adults are typically more interested in the “why”, the reasons that techniques work instead of just being told what to do. This gives our coaching team an excellent opportunity to truly use their expertise and break the skills down.

Of course. Since each skater chooses their own classes, the days are different for each athlete. We like to start with freestyle sessions for skaters who would like to warm up,  practice what they learned the day before or have a private lesson with a member of our coaching team. After that we do 4 to 5 hours of 35 minute classes. There are typically 2 classes happening on the ice as well as off ice classes  so there are several options. The day ends with more freestyle time. We try to keep classes small, under 20 skaters per class in most cases. Topics range from single jumps and basic spins to double jumps, advanced flying spins, steps and turns and developing artistry, power and flow. Each class is a specific topic so you know exactly what you are getting. And of course we leave time for socializing after the day is over, for those who have the energy after a day of skating.

I think the thing that really surprised me is being told that our participants  feel that we treat them like athletes who are taken seriously in the pursuit of their goals, which is something they don’t always feel that they get. Honestly I never considered treating adult athletes any differently than the kids we work with. Figure skaters are figure skaters. No matter your age or skating level, the passion for the sport is the same and both should be treated with respect.

I think adults, more than anyone, skate for the joy of skating. The young athletes love the sport too but for an adult to find the time in their busy “adulting” days  to live their dream, that’s special.

This is truly their space to connect with our team and with other skaters from across the country, actually from across the world. We’ve been lucky enough to have some international participants too which is very exciting. These athletes are juggling everything that grown up life throws at them and this is a chance for them to focus on themselves for a few days and connect with people who understand their love of the sport. I think of it as self care.

Having been invited into the adult skating community through these camps, the Road to Gold team has so much respect for these athletes. At whatever level they are, it is truly about reaching their own goals, be it a specific skill or medals at competition and they do this while fully supporting those around them and being so authentically themselves.

DO IT! This is a no judgement zone and you can pick and choose the classes that you take so you’ve got nothing to lose and a whole supportive community to gain.