Legend Racing Series Brings More Skating Opportunities

On race day at the Pettit National Ice Center, you can feel it in your stomach before you even step on the ice. Skaters tug at their skinsuits. Parents lean over the boards. The arena gets quiet for just a second. Then the starter calls them to the line, the blades settle, and everything explodes into motion. That rush is what keeps people coming back.

Right now, that rush feels even bigger. With Olympic fever building and kids watching the world’s best compete, the spark is everywhere. Young skaters are picturing themselves in those moments. They are staying after practice a little longer. They want to race.

That is exactly why the Legends Racing Series was initiated. It gives that excitement somewhere to go. It turns inspiration into real starts, real laps, and real finishes. This season there have been 47 skaters in Series #1, 67 in Series #2, and 61 in Series #3. The numbers show growth, but the real story is the energy. Skaters are tracking standings and choosing distances with intention.

The Series is proudly sponsored by the Bonnie Blair Cruikshank Charitable Foundation, the Dan Jansen Foundation, the Molenda Family Foundation, Chick-fil-A, and Lululemon. Athletes received prize money at all three race events, along with overall series awards. The entry fee for the first 40 skaters who signed up was also covered, making it easier for young competitors to take part.

As Bonnie Blair said, “People like to race, but there is something more to chase. We want kids to be racing, and we want them to feel a purpose besides just getting on the starting line all the time.”

That purpose was clear during the developmental race on February 27th. Twenty eight young skaters lined up, some for one of their first real competitions. In 90 minutes, they raced six times each. They stumbled, got back up, learned to pass in traffic, and discovered how hard that final lap can be. They finished smiling and wanting more.

Dan Jansen shared, “I’m happy to do what I can to support a program that gives young skaters a chance to compete, to learn, to dream, and who knows… maybe there is another future Olympian that comes out of this.”

None of it happens without the people who dedicate their time and heart to making it all possible. While the skaters chase the line, race organizers Lia Lambert and Carolyn Spiewak keep everything moving behind the scenes, and the starters and volunteers ensure every race feels official, fair, and exciting.

Not every child on that ice will become an Olympian. But every one of them left braver than when they arrived.

In the end, the Legends Racing Series is not just about results. It is about confidence growing lap by lap and giving young skaters something real to chase every time the starter calls them forward.