During public skate Friday morning at the Camden National Bank Ice Vault, Joseph Pellerin was gliding around the ice like a pro who had been skating for years.

You’d never know the 17-year old Fairfield resident was just five months into getting reacquainted with skating. He tries to make at least two to three trips a week to the Ice Vault, trying to improve each time he hits the ice.

With an exception of one slight slip near the corner of the rink, Pellerin looked in his element. And it’s a hobby that he doesn’t seem to be walking away from any time soon.

Q: So, I hear you come (to the Ice Vault) quite often. How often do you come here?

A: I usually like to be here twice, maybe three times a week.

Q: Are you a hockey player?

A: No. I’ve been skating a lot, and I’ve improved a lot. I came here about five months ago, I hadn’t skated for a while. But I did, and I was like ‘This is a lot of fun.’ And I’ve just been getting better and better as time goes on.

 

Q: You skate like you’ve been doing it for years, when did you first start skating?

A: I did it a little bit as a kid. I probably skated about 15 times before I started getting back into it this year.

Q: What’s your first memory of skating?

A: My dad used to take us to this place in Fairfield when we were kids to play hockey. We weren’t very good, but it was a lot of fun. I was probably like, 5-years-old or something. We didn’t skate too much then, but we did sometimes. Yeah, I’ve just been coming out here now, and I love it.

 

Q: How happy are you that rinks are back and running now?

A: I’ve been very impatient (while the Ice Vault was closed). I’m very thrilled (public skate has returned).

Q: What do you get out of skating?

A: It’s just so much fun. It’s like a different world. I don’t have that much awesome, thrilling things in my life. I like to swim and stuff, but when I come here, it’s just awesome, I love it so much, just, all of it.

 

Q: Has this inspired you to try a sport out at all? Like hockey?

A: Possibly. I do like to play for fun. If I (skated) quite a bit better, I mean, I might do a men’s league down the road, because I do like to play hockey. I did it a little bit last winter. I think that’s the goal, honestly, just keep improving. When I think I’m there, just do something like that. Maybe play some shinny.

 

Dave Dyer — 621-5640

ddyer@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Dave_Dyer 

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