A short trip up Highway 2 will provide a valuable learning experience for 19 members of the Airdrie Sky High Twirlers (ASHT), as they compete at the World Baton Twirling Federation’s (WBTF) 2020 Pan Pacific Cup, Jan. 17 to 19 in Red Deer, Alta.
“I think some of them are very excited,” said head coach Taelyr Patton. “Some of them have never attended an international competition before, or even a national competition. Some of the older ones just got back from competing in France in the summer, so I think they’re excited to see some of the twirlers they competed against there, as well.”
The Pan Pacific Cup is a biannual competition that includes twirlers from Canada, the United States, Japan and Australia. More than 200 athletes, aged nine and up, are expected to compete in Red Deer, according to the event’s website.
Patton’s sister Kendall, 19, will vie for medals in the solo, 2-baton, 3-baton and artistic twirl events in the senior age category
“I’m very excited,” said Kendall, who has competed at four International Cups. “I’ve never been to [the Pan Pacific Cup] before, so it should be pretty fun – and not as stressful as worlds, because it’s not all the countries going.”
Despite Airdrie’s relatively small population, the city punches above its weight in the sport of baton twirling – both nationally and internationally. Local athletes consistently medal at national championships and the club frequently sends athletes to international competitions, whether it’s the biannual International Cup or the WBTF’s world championships.
Nineteen members of the Airdrie Sky High Twirlers will compete at the WBTF’s 2020 Pan Pacific Cup in Red Deer, Jan. 17 to 19. Here they are practicing at Genesis Place, in Airdrie, Jan. 12. pic.twitter.com/k3Xca7AsJ5
— Scott Strasser (@scottstrasser19) January 12, 2020
In 2019, 12 ASHT members travelled to France to twirl at the International Cup, with five bringing home medals.
“We have more athletes that are kind of getting up to that level and qualifying for those competitions,” Patton said. “This competition didn’t have a qualifier, so we could send more, but we have more athletes in our competitive program and more athletes who want to attend those types of competitions.”
Kendall, who has twirled since the age of three, said ASHT’s success is the result of the club’s grassroots approach to recruitment and training.
“We really work hard to try and get little kids to join,” she said. “We have programs for three to five year olds – eight-week programs that, if they like, they can stay in it.
“We really advertise it – that’s the goal, to get a lot of people to join.”
Thirteen-year-old Kensey Epp, who will compete in the solo, 2-baton, 3-baton artistic twirl categories in the 12-to-14 age group, added hard work is another reason ASHT is making such a name for itself in baton twirling.
“We practice really hard,” she said. “It’s fun, and there’s a lot of team support.”
The competition will be held at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre at Red Deer College. For more information, visit bit.ly/2t5Kn2N
