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WEIIIY PUE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1989. PAGE 7 S~PAGE S E m I FYIRE On Saturday night, a team of Wbitby figure sikaters performed at the Oshawa Civic auditorium with an international cast of skating stars including 1989 world men s champion, Kurt Browning, of Calgary. Pretty heady company for a group of local teenagers, yet it was the Wlutby ida who were sbowing the others skaters a thing or two. That Whitby teamn - ce. Fyre - are pioneers in a relatively new type of figure skating called precision skating - a choruis lin. on ice. It is sufflciently new that there is no specifically recognized world championship but if there was one, there would b. little doubt that Ice Fyre would b. it. And Christmas week, they1re off te Europe te prove it. On December2th, 29th and 3th they wfll b. competing in an international Invitational meet in Goteborg, Sweden and on January 5th and. 6th ini Helsinki, FinlandL.They will be competing with Europe's finest. Up until now, precision skating has been a regional phenomenon with poekets of interest scattered around the world.. Canada bas had several of those pockets, but even here, nationalthampionships were held for the first time only four years ago. Precision skating came te Whitby in 1978. The first fw years were tentative but the bard work began te pay off in the mid-eighties. Since 1985, the teani bas been Canadian Junior or Senior Champions ev.ry year. The significanoe of their European trip is that this is probably the first ever truly international meet with teams from Canada, the United States, and several from ail over Europe. Gradually, the beauty of the sport has gained new adherents, and hopefully within a few years, tbere will b. an international association, regular sanctioned world competitions and, perhaps eventually, the Olympics. And WTitby's right in there leading the way. Yet th.y haven't had much more recognition here than in Puddlejump, Newfoundlbd (if there is such a place.) Unlike Olympic athletes, these girls and their coaches are paying their own way - well 99% of it - the Town is giving them a grant of $750. They've been spending more time raising money than they have spent practising, but they've almost reached their goal of $74,000 - an accomplishlment a]most as dauinting as a world championship. One can argue at length about the importance of sports groups etc. paying their own way but this country and this tewn needs te recogniz. that these are our goodwil ambassadors and their success is our success. When they return with their gold medals, you can be sure thereIl b. politicians galore to, share in the glory. 4o why flot more support up front. For a conlmunity that bas spent many thousands promoting its.lf with billboards as far away as Tokyo, $750 is a pretty paltry sum for a teain of 32 akaters plus coaching staff. Thei Town will defend itself by saying that that's the maximum the by-law wiil ailow - but then, they made the by-law ...and they can change it. With more money they might have been able to, tae.a more extensive tour. By spreading the visibiity of their sport te, more people, the sooner it will reach the international stature it deserves, and the sooner Whitby will have the recognition as on. of its cradles. Europeans are far more nationalistic about sport than North Americans and unless we support our athletes now, Europeans will almost certainly come te, dominate tbis sport too. Look what happened te hockey. Our gae was taken away fromi us by counitries that invested in their amateurs. So for this trip, it's the hundreds of individual contributions firom people ail over Whitby and Durhami Region that is making it possible. Crann Realty of Oshawa sponsored a concert by Hagood Hardy, and this corning Sunday, Sister Giseile, the Singing Nun, wiil hold a benefit concert at Eastdale Colegiate in Oshawa. A painting of the ce, Fyre teamn by David Hart of Ajax bas been converted into a limited edition print and is available in several formats through members of the teani. Bingo, "FyreW' starters, and. garage sales bave raised thousands more but stiil not quite enough. Canada is a nation of armchair athietes. If it's not on the boob, we hardly know it's happening. Anie Ottenbrite was just as good a swimmer before she won ber Olympie Gold Medal but it was that on, race on world TV that made ber a star. If Lori Strong (I can hear you isaying Who?") had won a t t.' v.' pu -- -- ----- -------- la v.' CARPENTERS IN FRONT 0F ONE 0F TEE NEW ONTAIO HOSPITAL COTTAGES, 1914 Many local men and workers ftrm outside Whitby were emplpyed in the construction of the Whitby Psychiatrie Hospital frm 1913 to 1916. They were aissisted by prisoners from the Guelph Reformnatory. Many of these carpenters remained in Whitby after the hospital was completed. Whitby Archives photo 10 YEARS AGO from. the Wednesday, December 12, 1979 edition of the * WHITBY FREE PRESS " Mayor Jim Gartshore bas turned down a provincial offer to subsidize a bus route to the Whitby Psychiatrie Hospital. " Whitby Fire Department received $1,500 in donations for Muscular Dystrophy research. at the Santa Claus Parade. " Corridor area residents are upset with a delay of sidewalk construction on Garrard Rd. " Whlitby Community Car. travelled 5,500 miles in October, serving the needs of seniors. 25 YEAIRS AGO frm the Thursday, December 10, 1964 edition of the WHITBY WEEIKLY NEWS " Changes in the town's zoning bylaw wilI b. postponed te next year. " The first sod for a new shopping maIl at Dundas and Frances Streets was turned by Mayor Warren Mowat yesterday.' " For the first time in memnory there have been no fires in Whitby in November. " The Town of Whitby will purchase a new garbage truck for $13,632.05. 75 YEARS AGO from tbe Thursday, December 10, 1914 edition of the WHITBY GAZETTE AND CHRONICLE " The 70-niember Home Guard conducts its drills in the Hligb Scbool gymnasium. " Three hundred dollars in cash prizes are being offered at the Christmas Fair in the Town Council Chambers on Dec. 24. *Several construction workers at the Ontario Hlospital say they will build bouses in Whitby if tbey can get lots at a reasonable. price. 1