Sask. figure skater grabs silver in Germany competition

A figure skater from Dubuc, Sask. and his partner are back from the Bavarian Open Figure Skating competition in Germany after placing second in junior pairs with their long program.

Marty Haubrich, 20, and Summer Homick, 14, have been skating together since April 2021 and have competed in a handful of competitions since.

They say the performance they did in Germany was their personal best.

"Just having that feeling of like ‘yeah we nailed that’, like as soon as the music ended part of that feeling just rushed over me," said Haubrich.

"Just that ending position where I took that last breath,” added Homick, “it was such a relief and I think we just really wanted to lay it out there and it was really good that we did."

Before pairing together last spring, Homick, who is from Tillsonburg, Ont., was a singles skaters.

"It's good just to be on the ice with someone else there's a whole other opportunity scale doing pairs, singles is a lot more by yourself and I like working with another person," said Homick of the switch.

Earlier this month the pair placed second at the junior nationals in Ottawa, and just missed qualifying for Worlds this year.

Next year, the hope is to qualify for higher competitions and compete at more international stages, with the long-term sights set on the 2026 Winter Games.

Being from small towns Haubrich and Homick feel the support from their communities.

"They're almost like you're extended family, so you're always getting lots of messages of good luck or congratulations," said Haubrich.

The pair are revamping for next season and will continue to train for the upcoming season, spending five days a week on the ice in Ontario.