If this past weekend's results are any indication then the Arctic Edge Skating Club has a lot to look forward to with the 2009-10 season right around the corner.

Three of the club's skaters were awarded gold medals this past weekend as a result of their performances at the B.C. SummerSkate Competition in Barnaby. Rachel Pettitt, Kelcy Armstrong and Bryn Hoffman each placed first in their respective events.

Pettitt skated in Pre-Juvenile Ladies, Armstrong in Preliminary Ladies 10 & under, and Hoffman in Senior Bronze Ladies.

The showing was quite an accomplishment for the Yukon skating club as the B.C. Summerskate Competition is one of the toughest competitions of the year, attracting competitors from from across Western Canada and the U.S.

The gold medal trio were not the only Yukoners to make the trip to Barnaby. They were also joined by three other skaters from the territory.

Skating in the junior men's category, Kevin Caron finished ninth overall in the short program and eighth in the free program.

Teammate Amelia Austin skated in the junior women's event, finishing 17th in each of the short and free programs.

Teneil Caron skated in the Novice women's event finishing 17th in the short program and 16th in the free program.

All of these skaters spent time training in Alberta and B.C. this summer. A typical day for them involved two on-ice and an off-ice training session. Summer is a time when skaters often make significant progress as they are able to concentrate and put their focus into skating without the demands of other activities.

"All of the kids who were out there I think really improved this summer," said Cheryl Van Blaricom, publicist for the Arctic Edge Skating Club. "I understand that Kevin and Teneil also had best skates, best scores. So those are really nice.

"I think it's just exciting to see our skaters continuing to progress and it's nice to see them all kind of progress and it's hard work. They work really hard in the summer, so it's wonderful to see them be rewarded for that work."

These and other skaters, minus Kevin Caron who is off to Simon Fraser University this year, will hit the ice in Whitehorse beginning with the community registration event on Aug. 29.

The skaters will perform a demonstrations from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Northwestel Arena. The demonstration is in conjunction with the registration event at the Canada Games Centre.

The public is encouraged to come out and see what they have learned. The regular season for StarSkate and competitive skaters begins Aug. 31.