PROFESSIONAL SKATERS TREAT AREA YOUNGSTERS TO SHOW, AUTOGRAPHS

A group of area skaters, clutching autographs of World Cup Figure Skating Champions, sat back at the Show Me Center Thursday night and dreamed a little.

"I hope the pairs skaters we saw last night do the same thing tonight," said Melissa Enderle, 10, who has been with Cape Girardeau's chapter of the Ice Skating Institute of America (ISIA) for two and a half years.

"I loved the way he just glided out of her arms," said Enderle, referring to World Professional champion Frank Sweiding and his partner Anita Hartshorn. "That was so cool," she added. "I don't know whether they did a double axel or triple axel, but it looked great."

When Hartshorn and Sweiding learned that there was an ice rink in Cape Girardeau Wednesday evening, they elected to get in some practice before Thursday's World Cup Figure Skating show. The makeshift ice rink at the Show Me Center wasn't ready to go until just a few hours before show time.

"When we found out they were going to be at The Ice, a bunch of us skaters went out to watch them," said Enderle. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to do what they do, but it would be fun to try."

Ice skating has become both therapeutic as well as pleasing to the soul for Enderle. "I've got asthma, so it helps my lungs and both get stronger," she said. "When I first started a couple of years ago, I was really huffing and puffing. But now I can go for a couple of hours with no problem."

Kristin Basse, 12, who is from Anna, Ill., got hooked on figure skating competition four years ago. She is competing as a member of Cape's chapter of the United States Figure Skating Institute of America (USFSA).

"I just love it," said Basse. "I started skating with my Girl Scout troop and have wanted to try and get better each year. I got close to Scott Hamilton when I went to an ice skating show in St. Louis, but I've never been this close to professional skaters," she added after receiving autographs from all of the 18 World Cup Figure Skating Champions just prior to the show.

The rare autograph session was made possible through the aggressiveness of Caroline Bohnert, who is one of the leaders of the Cape skating clubs, and the cooperation of the World Cup Figure Skating Champion producers.

"I called Will Lofdahl, the events coordinator at the Show Me Center, and asked if this would be possible and is he was able to arrange it," said Bohnert. "I think it's great that the professional skaters would be willing to do it, because it means a lot to our skaters."

Said Bohnert's 10-year-old daughter Lindsay: "I'm really looking forward to the show after getting these autographs. I think I've got autographs from just about every famous skater there is," she added, displaying a satin jacket complete with signatures from former Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton and a host of others.

The families who support the 52 area skaters have to dig deep into their pockets to for figure skating lessons and out-of-town competition.

"It's a very expensive undertaking, costing as much as $10,000 a year, but the families and young skaters really seem to get a lot out of it," said Bohnert.

Ken Green is president of Cape's chapter of the USFSA. Catharine Devany is president of the ISIA. "The USFSA is more competitive and the ISIA is more recreational," explained Bohnert. "Most of the skaters will go from one to the other as they progress."

After Thursday's show, that progress likely will accelerate. "These professional skaters are so good. I guess it will take a lot more practice," mused Enderle.