Wild West Baton twirling competition takes over Calgary
Around 120 baton twirling athletes competed in the Wild West Competition and regional championships in Calgary this weekend.
Athletes aged five to 23 took to the Genesis Centre gym floor looking to impress the judges with their skill, tricks and presentation.
“For me as an athlete, it's really about getting my routines on the floor,” said Paige Epp.
“This is my second competition of the season, so I was really looking for my personal best and still working to perfect my routines.”
For Brooke Mauro, the sport may not be as popular as others, but crafting the skill set takes a lot of dedication.
“It’s a lot harder than it looks, but it's also a lot more fun and it looks a lot more satisfying. When you catch your trick you've been working on the floor, like it's the best feeling ever,” said Mauro.
“You have to have a lot of good gymnastic skills, dance skills, and then hand-eye coordination.”
The athletes are trying to qualify for provincial championships in May, with 23 from this weekend expected to perform on the world stage in Liverpool, England this summer.
QUALIFYING FOR PROVINCIALS
The athletes are trying to qualify for provincial championships in May, with 23 from this weekend expected to perform on the world stage in Liverpool, England this summer.
Alberta Baton Twirling Association central region board chair Michael Maes says the pandemic had a major impact on participationin the sport seeing a 35 per cent decrease in registration.
Maes says that was due in large part to the lack of facilities available for athletes and teams to compete in.
“When you say baton, everybody knows what a baton is,” says Maes.
“You just think marching band and stuff like that but once you start to get into the sport and watch the development and athleticism of the kids, you can see that it's a combination of artistic dance, athletic ability and there's so many avenues for the kids to express themselves.”
Jenna Jemieff, who coaches at Inspire Baton Club in Olds, has been around the sport since she first competed at age four.
Now Jemieff says it's about giving back to the next generation of athletes.
“The opportunities I was granted in the sport, it’s a very niche and unique sport and along with that comes just so many amazing opportunities,” said Jemieff.
"I always had to travel to the city to do baton twirling, so I just wanted to be able to give back to the sport, grow the sport and give kids in a more rural area an opportunity to do something that they would not have the opportunity to do otherwise."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former U.S. president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.