FSC of Minneapolis

The Minnesota Skating Association, a charter member of the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA), was started.
The Municipal Figure Skating Club was formed.
The Twin City Club, charter member of the USFSA, was organized (absorbed members of the Minnesota Skating Association and the Municipal Figure Skating Club).

The Twin City Club was reorganized, renamed, and then incorporated as a new club to be known as the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis.

The Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis called the Minneapolis Arena (Dupont and 29th) their home. Early in the 1930's, the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis left the Minneapolis Arena and went to an arena on Portland and 28th. They made their home there for two years and then went to the Pastime Arena for one year before returning to the Minneapolis Arena to make that their home ice once again.

Eddie and Roy Shipstad, and Oscar Johnson began their skating career at the Hippodrome club and came to the Minneapolis arena and the club to continue their training. In 1934, Lyle Wright, the manager of the Minneapolis Arena, asked Shipstads and Johnson to produce a show for the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis. Their collaboration is what began the world famous ice show "Ice Follies". They starred as well as produced the show and opened their first engagement in Omaha, Nebraska. Many of the skaters who toured with the Ice Follies came out of the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis.

The Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis has produced many National and Olympic champions:

The 1936 Olympics had many hopefuls from the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis including Robin Lee, the National Senior Men's champion from 1935 to 1939. Robin was inducted into both the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame and the United States Figure Skating Association Hall of Fame. After his competitive career Robin trained many champions at the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis until his retirement in 1991.

In addition to Robin Lee competitors from the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis at the 1936 Oiympics were Earl Reiter, the National Fours Team of Robert Uppgren, Janette Ahrens, Lyman Wakefield and Mary Louise Premer.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Preusch were Mid-Western Ice Dance Champions and their son Arthur Preusch, Jr. was a strong contender for the National Senior Men's Champion in 1936. Eugene Reichel was a Bronze Medalist in the Junior Men's division in 1936 & 1937.

One of the most prominent events in National Competition was the Fours. The team of Ahrens, Premer, Uppgren, and Wakefield was the first to win the North American title away from the Canadians. Mary Louise Premer taught another Fours group, Marilyn and Marlyn Thompson, Janet Gerhauser, and John Nightingale, who also won the title in 1949. Janet and John went on to win the United States Junior pairs championship in 1950 and they were Senior Silver Medalists in 1952.

In 1955 Mary Ann Sundin was the Midwestern Ladies Gold Medalist, placed 4th in Nationals and in 1956 represented the United States on the World Team in Cortina, Italy. Mary Ann in turn trained Kelsy Ufford, the 1976 Novice Ladies National Champion.

Forty years ago, in 1958, a new era started for the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis. Following two years of research the Wakefields, with the help of architect Elizabeth Close, built the Ice Center. The Ice Center was the only indoor public skating rink in the area and has been the home for the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis ever since.

Once again, with this new facility, another era of champions were trained:

In 1960, Vicki Fischer became a member of the World Team, and Nancy Hartman Bizzano, was one of the first skaters to achieve her gold medal.

In 1964 Louise Wakefield achieved her American Gold and competed nationally, earning her Canadian Gold in 1965.

During the 1970's a very well known pro of the club was Felix Kaspar. One of his well-known students, who trained at the Ice Center, was Emi Watanabe, the Japanese Ladies National Champion.

In 1976, Candyce Wenborg was the Bronze Medalist at Upper Great Lakes, and proceeded onto the Midwestern Championships. Candyce was a triple Gold Medalist when she went on to Nationals.

Stuart Bailey was the Silver Medalist in the Midwestern Junior Men's Competition and went to Nationals in 1978.

Kelsy Ufford brought home the medal for National Novice Ladies Champion in 1976 and placed 5th in the Senior Ladies division at Nationals in 1978. Kelsy was an alternate to the United States World Team and a member of the United States International Team to the Netherlands. She played a featured role in the movie "Ice Castles" that was filmed here in Minneapolis.

The Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis is the proud sponsor of five synchronized skating teams known as "Synchro Panache". These teams have traveled throughout the United States and Europe to compete for the club and the United States Figure Skating Association. The novice level team was the 1990 Gold Medalists at the International Team Skating Competition in Helsinki, Finland and the Adult team was the 1998 United States National Champions.

The past 19 years have seen many changes in the sport of figure skating and the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis. In 1981 Mr. Wakefield sold the Ice Center to Breck School and the facility has become a multi purpose arena to include boys and girls hockey and broomball. The emphasis is now on all sports and not exclusive to figure skating as this facility once was. To accommodate the change of focus at the arena, the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis pursued other training sites and found a new home rink at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

As of January 1, 2001, the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis has returned back home to Minneapolis to continue their dedication and conviction to the sport of figure skating.