Local figure skater qualifies for national competition
By Joan Janzen
Simeon Bakanec, from the Kerrobert-Kindersley area, has qualified for the national figure skating competition, Skate Canada Trophy, scheduled for February 2026 in Dartmouth, N.S. Skaters are selected based solely on their technical scores.
Simeon Bakanec qualified for Skate Canada Trophy, a national level figure skating competition to be held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in February, 2026. He is the only Saskatchewan Novice Men’s Freeskater to represent Team Saskatchewan. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Simeon Bakanec and skate partner Olivia Jones from Regina are representing Skate Saskatchewan in Pre-Novice Ice Dance Pairs in national competition coming up in February, 2026 at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. They are the only Saskatchewan Pre-Novice Dance Pair to represent Team Saskatchewan. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Bakanec, 16, lives on his family’s farm between Kindersley and Kerrobert. He began skating with the Kindersley Figure Skating Club in 2016. This past summer, he trained in British Columbia and is currently training in Regina. He is the only Saskatchewan Novice Men’s Freeskater to qualify and represent Team Saskatchewan in Novice Men’s Freeskate.
Bakanec and his dance partner, 15-year-old Olivia Jones from Regina, are also the only Saskatchewan Pre-Novice Dance Pair to qualify and represent the province. The pair has been skating together for only two months, making the achievement particularly impressive.
Bakanec has faced challenges along the way. He had been playing hockey in addition to figure skating until an injury more than a year ago forced him to take a six-month break. When he returned, he focused on figure skating full time. “It took a long time to get back his jumps,” said his mother, Anna.
In May 2025, Bakanec tried ice dance with Olivia and enjoyed the experience. After training in B.C. over the summer, he decided to pursue both disciplines full time. He now spends four to six hours on the ice nearly every day and coaches CanSkate to help cover his training and billeting costs.
“He seems to be handling the intense training, work and online school pretty well,” his mother said. “We miss him, but we know he’s doing what he loves.”
When asked what he does for fun, Bakanec simply responds: “I skate. Skating is my fun.”