Garfield Heights Figure Skating Club History

The Garfield Heights. Figure Skating Club is an active club offering freestyle, dance, moves in the field and synchronized skating. Currently the club boasts 60 members representing all skating levels from beginners to junior level freestylers and gold level ice dancers. Each year, we send representatives to the Eastern Great Lakes Regionals Championships.  Our Hall of Fame includes several skaters who competed at Midwest Sectionals and U.S. Nationals. Our Synchronized  teams have consistently qualified to compete at the U.S. National Synchronized Skating Championships and our senior team represented the United States in various International Competitions.

The history of our club goes back to March 1971 when the club was incorporated in the State of Ohio with the following officers: Elaine Andonian, President Mary Pollack, Vice President Doris Wesley, Secretary Edward Andonian, Treasurer.

In the early years, like many other skating clubs at the time, the GHFSC struggled with membership often finding itself on US Figure Skating's inactive list. In 1976, however, USFS once again placed the club in active status where it has remained ever since. Over the years, GHFSC grew in membership as figure skating and synchronized team skating increased in popularity. Past presidents of the GHFSC included Helen Lindway ( 1976 - 1981) , Marge Johnston (1981 - 1992), Frank Reese (1992 - 1993 ), Bea Zelasko (1994 - 1998), Glenn Miller (1998-2000), Bethany Zuiderveld (2000-2001), Steve Wolkin (2001-2003), Dorothy Furman (2003), Kathy Lawrence (2004).  Joyce Lange (2005-2007) and our current president, Diane Jelinek. 

In 1981, GHFSC hosted its very first competition, the Cleveland Invitational Championships which was a huge success.

In 1982, GHFSC assembled its first precision teams - now known as Synchronized Skating Teams. The club had two teams: Goldenettes I and Goldenettes II. Their costumes consisted of royal blue suits with a yellow strip down the side with royal blue pull-on skirts. The teams were dubbed the "Crayola's".

In February 1985, GHFSC hosted the Tri-State Precision Championships using Winterhurst as the ice rink. By that time, the team had a senior, junior and juvenile team. The club would later go on to host the Midwest Precision Sectionals in 1988 and 1992.

In 1986, the Juvenile Precision team coached by Colleen Bergoch and Cheryl Karlon won the Gold medal at the U.S. National Precision Championships in Boston. In 1990, both the Senior and Junior Precision teams coached by Tod Bartholmew won gold medals at nationals. This would later be repeated in 1991 by the Novice team coached by Cheryl Karlon.

In 2001, the Velocity Synchronized Skating Team made its debut.  Velocity is a combined team effort of many Cleveland area skaters and competes on behalf of the Greater Cleveland Council of Figure Skating Clubs. 

In an effort to generate competitive interest in freestyle and ice dancing at the lower levels (juvenile and under) of skating, GHFSC instituted the Rising Stars Competition held every November. This event remains a favorite for all of the Cleveland area skating clubs and coaches.

In the year 2000, GHFSC once again hosted the Cleveland Invitationals Championships.  They will host it again in 2013.