RECREATION / IRENE GARCIA : Skaters Suit Up for Their Big Chill

Skaters of all ages have flocked the Pickwick Ice Center in Burbank this week for the Pacific Coast Championships.

Clad in sequined outfits, they strut around, occasionally pausing to view a performance or listen to a coach.

Young girls with perfect posture wear lots of makeup and well-groomed boys practice their dramatic routines on the nearby rubber floor.

There are those with hopes of someday making it to the Olympics and others who skate for fun. The Pacific Coast Championships, which conclude Saturday, include skaters from 9 to 65.

The event has 28 categories ranging from seniors to novice and 300 competitors from around the western United States. Eleven are from the Valley region.

“It’s a great competition and it’s nice that it’s close to home this year,” said 15-year-old Sarah Thebaud, who skates in the novice dance category with her 19-year-old brother Russell.

Sarah attends Agoura High and Russell goes to Cal Lutheran. The siblings have competed for three years and train in Burbank and Simi Valley.

Last year they placed third at the Pacific Championships and 11th at U.S. Nationals.

“We’ve come a long way in a short time,” Sarah said. “We work real well together which isn’t easy to do with your brother. Actually, it can be real hard.”

Just ask 9-year-old Sima Ganaba. She and her 12-year-old brother, Amir, won the intermediate pairs competition Wednesday.

“I really would like to make it to the Olympics,” said Ganaba, who lives and trains in Lake Arrowhead. “Or, I would like to become a pro skater.”

Others like Anthony Bardin of Chatsworth participate in the event because they love the sport. Bardin, 34, started skating in Tarzana when he was 9 and after a successful amateur and pro career he became a full-time ice-skating instructor.

In his first Pacific Coast Championships last year, he placed third in figures. On Wednesday he finished second behind the only other skater in his class.

“This is a kick,” Bardin said. “I just love it. I really missed it and I wanted to have fun again.”

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Eleanor John of La Canada began ice skating three years ago and fell in love with it. She hasn’t really thought about a future in the sport, but plans to continue practicing daily.

“I love to go real fast and jump in the air,” said John, 11. “It feels like you’re flying. It’s so much fun.”

Events like the Pacific Coast Championships help promote ice skating at the recreational level, says Morry Stillwell, president of the U.S. Figure Skating Assn.

The tournament features top skaters in the west region and serves as a qualifier for the U.S. Nationals next month in San Jose.

The Los Angeles Figure Skating Club, which was created in the 1930s, has 500 members--some with world-class potential.

“The West has turned out the most championship skaters over the years,” Stillwell said. “But there are many that this is as far as they’ll go.”

Most have one thing in common, however; they enjoy the combination of athleticism and grace that they must possess in order to succeed in their division.

Most skaters, even the not-so-serious ones, follow intense conditioning programs with personal trainers off the ice.

“Even a champion like [1968 Olympic gold medalist] Peggy Fleming couldn’t beat one of these juniors today,” said Stillwell, a former skater.

“The sport’s athleticism has improved so much.”