Ice-skaters from across the South Island gathered in Alexandra at the weekend for the Otago Southland Ice Skating Competition.
About 55 figure skaters from clubs in Alexandra, Gore, Dunedin and Queenstown took part in the competition, with guest skaters from Christchurch also present.
Despite a slightly lower turnout than usual, due to the recent closure of the Gore rink for maintenance and reduced ice time for the area's skaters, most of the competitive skaters in the South were at the event, an organiser said.
Otago Southland Ice Skating Sub Association Committee member Mary Tritt, of Alexandra, said the level of competition at the event was good. It was a qualifier for the national competition in Dunedin in early October.
''We had a good level of skating.
''We did not have top senior skaters but we had novice and primary skaters who compete internationally.''
Ms Tritt said it was possibly the last time the competition, which is hosted by a different club each year, would be held outdoors, as the Alexandra venue was set to move to a new indoor facility.
Category winners were: Juvenile 12 and over, Lotte Rayner; juvenile under-12, Laila Bekhit; juvenile under-12 men's, Tama Anthony-Whigham; beginner men, Scott Horrell; beginner ladies, Adriana Evans; pre-elementary ladies, Jorja Frewen; elementary ladies, Alyssia Nicolson; pre-primary, Asia Tapealava; primary ladies, Zara Anthony Whigham; intermediate ladies, Kaitlin Chamberlain; novice ladies, Keely McGuigan; adult ladies, Jen Siegel; adult men, Sage Robinson; adult dance pairs, Rachel Gregory and Andrew Wiseman; adult waltzing trophy, Sasha Seatter and Sage Robinson
