Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - What many people might not know is Buffalo actually has a long history of speed skating, dating back to the 1930s. At one point, speed skating was the premiere ice sport in Western New York, until the Buffalo Sabres came to town and ice hockey predominantly took over.
Despite that, the Buffalo Speedskating Club has been in existence, in various incarnations, for more than 50 years, and continues to garner interest from many across the region to this day. This is especially the case whenever the Winter Olympics come around every four years.
"We're a niche sport, so any chance we get to be in the spotlight, we'll take it," said Henry Withers, one of the coaches at the Buffalo Speedskating Club. "And the Olympics have been a fantastic way to get the word out about speed skating, and that we're also a local group that offers a pretty unique sport right here in Western New York."
Withers admits there is always an uptick in interest in the Buffalo Speedskating Club when the best speed skaters in the world are showcased every four years at the Olympic Games.
"That sort of coverage just really puts a spotlight on an otherwise, maybe difficult to find sport. But we're out there, we're here every year, every winter, set up skating twice a week. But we do see a bigger interest around this time of year, every four years," Withers said in an interview with WBEN.
Interest in the Buffalo Speedskating Club especially picks up when there's a skater or two at the Olympics that gets the national attention for their success in international competition. In years past, it might have been the success of American speed skaters like Apolo Anton Ohno or Eric Heiden, who won five Olympic Gold Medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.
This year, though, it's U.S.-born Jordan Stolz who has captured the world's eye in the sport, competing in long track speed skating and winning a pair of gold medals in the 500-meter race and 1,000-meter race.
"Jordan Stolz is a perfect example. He is a generational, comes around very rarely that skill, and he is dominating his distances this year at the Olympics in long track speed skating. Just a phenomenal skater, and a cool story of learning to skate at his backyard pond. That really drives interest for us," Withers said.
Stolz will next compete in the 1,500-meter race on Thursday, which starts at 10:30 a.m. EST.
He adds it's stories like Stolz that really captures the imagination of many young athletes who may want to pick up the sport. Withers further says it helps spread the word of the club for them.
"We get people from interest in hockey, figure or just recreational skaters that want to try out something new. And we get a lot of people who are just looking for a recreational activity they can do throughout a long life of doing this sport," he added. "And we have both young kids from 5-years-old up to 70-plus-years-old skating with us."
Right now, the Buffalo Speedskating Club has around 25 members, but there is always room for more.
"It's a very diverse group, and everyone from beginners to elite skaters," added Alan Jay, fellow coach with the Buffalo Speedskating Club.
In speed skating, there are two different legs of competition: Long track speed skating and short track speed skating. In Buffalo, Withers says the club primarily competes in short track racing, which can be done on an NHL-sized rink.
And then there's long track, which is done on a 400-meter oval, which Withers says is a little harder for the club to access.
"The closest one is in Lake Placid, so we have some skaters who do that as well," he noted. "And then long track, you're racing the time, the clock, whereas short track, it's this pack-style, racing against each other. And there's a whole lot of strategy, passing. Anything can happen, crashes, and it's just a really fun sport to watch, because you're flying around these corners on a small rink on a one millimeter blade. Just hanging on for dear life, while also trying to make strategic passes."
When it comes to competitions, there's one almost every weekend around the country, with the Buffalo Speedskating Club primarily traveling to races along the East Coast.
However, the club is set to host - for the 12th year in Buffalo - the largest regional meet in the country, with close to 200 skaters that come out every October to the Northtown Center in Amherst.
"We get skaters from mostly the U.S. and Canada, but we've gotten skaters from Germany, Taiwan, Korea coming to race. And actually, most of this year's short track team have raced, at one point or another, in our meet here in Buffalo," Withers said. "It's a small sport, so there's really nice access to eventual and current Olympic World Cup-type skaters."
Both Withers and Jay encourage anyone who may be interested in trying speed skating to check out programs offered by the Buffalo Speedskating Club. And it's a sport that's engaging for all ages and abilities.
"We have a website, BuffaloSpeedskating.org, and we have an Intro to Speed Skating program coming up this Thursday, Feb. 19 from 4:30 p.m.-to-6 p.m. at the North Buffalo Rink. And then we have another session on Sunday the 22nd as well, which is really geared to getting people out trying the sport," Withers said. "We have skates, all the equipment. You just show up looking to go fast with your helmet in hand, and we'll do the rest."
"We also have a three-session Learn To Skate program, and anyone can come. It's $50 and it's held during our regular sessions either Tuesday night from 6 p.m.-to-7 p.m., or Sundays from 3:30 p.m.-to-5 p.m., and that's at the Tacoma Rink in North Buffalo," Jay added. "Anyone that would like to try to come down, we'd love to have them!"
