Wissahickon Skating Club (WSC) is a non-profit skating club in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. The club was organized in 1954 for the purpose of supporting amateur and professional athletes for ice hockey and figure skating competitions. Construction began in 1955, and in 1956, the doors opened. The original building still stands today.

Club history

WSC was started in 1954 by a group of Chestnut Hill residents who believed their community would benefit from a skating rink. With the contributions from many families, the rink was opened in 1956. Originally the club only operated for 7 months out of the year. However, by the late 1950s the club was operating year round due to new rink cooling technology.

Ice hockey

WSC is a member of the Delaware Valley Hockey League and has junior hockey (ages 6–18), girls hockey (U16), and senior hockey (19 and older). In the 2009-2010 season, there are 9 junior hockey teams, 1 girls hockey team, and 4 senior hockey teams.

Teams

• Midget U18AA
• Midget U16AA
• Bantam A
• Bantam B
• Peewee A
• Squirt A
• Squirt B
• Mite A
• Mite B
• Girls U16

WSC vs. MAA

Wissahickon has been involved in an international hockey exchange with the Merritton Bulldogs from St. Catharines, Ontario

St. Catharines, Ontario

St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...

 which is the longest running tournament of its kind beginning in 1964. The tournament is for the Peewee A and Bantam A levels. Each player is assigned a billet

Billet

A billet is a term for living quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, it referred to a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier....

, to stay with during the tournament. The tournament location alternates yearly between Philadelphia and Merritton

St. Catharines, Ontario

St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...

 and is held during President's Day weekend. There is a skills competition, exhibition game, and championship game at the Peewee and Bantam levels. In addition there is an alumni game held for past participants.

Figure skating

WSC has a very strong figure skating program, thanks to the many veteran professional figure skaters that give daily instruction. WSC held the 1998 US National Figure Skating Championship.

Wisscapades

Every two or three years the club presents an ice show called Wisscapades. The ice show, always tied to a theme, is designed to showcase WSC skaters and give the community an opportunity to see high-level skating talent. Each show has several guest stars. Guests at "Wisscapades Around the World," scheduled for March 18 and 19, 2011, will include Emmanuel Savary, 13, who finished in fifth place in the Junior Men's category of the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. A phenomenal performer and potential Olympic contender, Savary drew standing ovations at Wisscapades in 2009. Other guests for the 2011 show are the senior dance team of Baxter Burbank and Katharine Zeigler and Kirsten Seagers, a former medalist in ice dancing and current singles competitor in the Junior Ladies category.

Pro shop

WSC has a pro shop with hockey/figure merchandise. Custom sharpening is also available in the pro shop.

Public sessions

WSC is open every Friday night from 8:30-10:30 for public skating. There are also additional skating slots around the holidays. In addition to public sessions the ice can also be rented depending on availability. There is also space for birthday parties and private events.

External links

• Wissahickin Skating Club Official website
• Chessnut Hill Official website