Skating With the Stars Date Change in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

It's me, hi, I'm in Skating With the Stars, it's ME, Logan from Kira and Logan in the Morning on 97.5 WOKQ.

Okay, but seriously. I am.

A few months ago, I was approached to be a part of this fun ice skating event called Skating With the Stars.

The concept is in line with Dancing With the Stars. Much to my surprise, I was the "star" getting paired up with a professional figure skater from IDI (Ice Dance International).

If you know me, you know I am up for any new challenge. Learning how to dance, figure skate (kind of), have rhythm, keep my balance, not get dizzy, etc...that all sounded fun. There was no arm-twisting. I was in.

So, for the past month or so, I have been dancing, skating, and practicing a really fun new hobby! The journey has been incredible.

Let's start with some of the other stars.

*Note the date is now Sunday, February 5 at 11 am, NOT February 4*

Emmett Soldati:
Born and raised in Somersworth, NH, Emmett Soldati is a small business owner... the owner of Teatotaller Cafe, a queer hipster oasis in Somersworth and now Concord.

 

Cynthia Mead Whitcomb: 
Cynthia is honored to participate in this great community gathering. She believes that no matter where you are personally, the common factor of skating, with all levels and ages of participants, is so welcoming and soul-soothing.

 

Ned Raynolds: 
Ned is a 20-plus-year resident of Portsmouth and has three children, the youngest a junior at Portsmouth High School. He has served three terms on the City Council and is known for his advocacy of green building, renewable energy, and making Portsmouth a bicycle-friendly community.

 

Joanna Kelley:
Joanna Kelley is the owner of Cup of Joe, a welcoming cafe & bar in the heart of downtown, a Strawbery Banke Trustee, and is the Assistant Mayor of Portsmouth serving her first term.

 

Ashleigh Tucker Pollock:
Ashleigh Tucker Pollock is the Chief of Staff at The Music Hall.

And finally, your boy, me!

I have to tell you. My costars, fellow skaters, are great. I have only had the pleasure of getting to know two of them, while seeing three do some of their routines.

I will give you the scoop.

Emmett Soldati. Come on. This dude rocks. I meant Emmett a little under two weeks ago. He had never skated. To jump into skating with as big of a smile as this guy has is incredible. Not to mention, I just saw him yesterday, and he is KILLING it. It looks like he has been skating for years. He jumped in with both feet and he has done an incredible job.

Now, Joanna Kelly. Who doesn’t know and love this gem of a human? Similar to Emmett, Joanna had never skated. Here is what I will say. She is working the heck out on that ice. I went to Strawbery Banke to practice, and Joanna was already on the ice. I believe she was there for a while before me. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, where was she? Still on the ice.

This woman is a hard worker. Between her business, Cup of Jo, her duties as assistant mayor, her volunteer work, Skating With the Stars, traveling, and more, Joanna is a woman of wonders. She's determined, gives everything she's involved in (which is a lot) 100%, and like Emmett, she looks like a skater, not someone learning.

Lastly, I did not get to meet Cynthia; however, I watched her skate, and you should, too. This woman could be playing us and be in IDI. She was dancing, confident, and smooth. I can't wait to see her entire performance!

I do have to tell you about it from behind the scenes. It is FUN. My first interaction was with a serious yet lighthearted and kind human: my coach, Doug. According to I Coach Skating:

Douglas Webster is one of the most sought-after professional choreographers in the world today.  He has produced a huge body of work over more than 2 decades.  Doug has worked with all the major skating companies in the world including Disney On Ice, Holiday On Ice, Stars On Ice, and the Sun Valley Ice Show.

He has also choreographed many TV shows including Skating With The Stars.  He has also helped create, choreograph, and direct many park shows including shows at Dollywood Theme Park in Tennessee and Autostadt Park in Germany.

Doug has worked with many celebrity skaters including US National Champion Ryan Bradley, Olympic Champion Sarah Hughes, and Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen.

That's MY COACH! He has been instrumental in helping me learn and love the process.  He is supportive, and pushes me like a professional figure skater, and I LOVE IT. He can tell I am competitive with myself, so he picks on my crossovers and other parts of my skating (since I have been skating since I was a kid).

The guy has dedicated his life to skating. It is obvious. He is so incredibly smart and well-respected in this community. We all are lucky to learn from him.

Okay, the last part of my exciting blog is about this incredible event.

I have an amazing partner named Bethann Weick. She is a professional, leader, and now friend. Spinning, dancing on ice, and funky facial and arm expressions are new to me, but she's made it so incredibly fun.

I feel guilty for the 100 times I made her fall trying a "hoover" (you’ll see what that is on February 5), or failing to pull her through my legs, but she assures me she is used to it and that it's part of the process. I still feel guilty.

If all of the other partners are just as incredible as Bethann, IDI has done an amazing job finding these talented, kind, and patient individuals.

Check out her moves.

The date has changed for this event. It will take place on February 5 at 11 am at Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Tickets for Skating With the Stars are available here. Hope to see you there!