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ICE SKATING: Local resident in nationals With a husband, two children and a full-time job, ice skating isn't at the top of Jennifer Silas' priority list. The 35-year-old Gwinnett County resident grew up ice skating in upstate New York, but abandoned the sport until 10 years ago. Before her daughter, Jordan, was born four years ago, Silas competed nationally at events as far away as New York. As her priorities changed, so did her travel schedule. Silas and her husband, Jack, now have two children. Cameron is 20 months old. But with a national sanctioned event practically in her back yard, Silas isn't about to miss the opportunity. Silas will be among more than 100 competitors skating in the Peach Classic at the IceForum in Duluth today and Sunday. The event, sanctioned by the United States Figure Skating Association, is billed as the third-largest adult figure skating competition in history. The competition is divided into four skill categories --- pre-bronze, bronze, silver and gold. In addition to the freestyle program, there are also interpretive and compulsory competitions. Medals will be awarded in all categories. Silas will compete in the silver division in freestyle and gold in compulsories. "As a kid I could do two double-jumps," Silas said. "But I've had to relearn the axel and almost everything else. If you skated to certain level of proficiency and want to come back to it, it's really, really hard. Now I have an entirely different body." Silas has come a long way since beginning the relearning process 10 years ago. "I used to work at a bank in Stone Mountain, and ice skating was something I'd always wanted to keep doing," said Silas, who moved to Atlanta in 1988. "With the skating rink so close by at the park, it made it easy to go." She took lessons for two straight years and was convinced by her coach to try competitions. "I was awful, but I won," Silas said. The opportunity for adult amateur skaters was virtually nonexistent 10 years ago. The first adult nationals took place in 1994. Silas has seen the sport evolve as her skills have increased. The highlight of her skating career came in 1995 when Silas won a national competition in Lake Placid, N.Y. "It was incredible being on the same ice as the Olympians," Silas said. "That was special." Silas knows she will see familiar faces this weekend at the Peach Classic.
"You meet and make friends with so many people at the nationals," Silas said. "It's going to be good to see some familiar faces. And I'm really happy that the sport has advanced so much."
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