Blast From The Past

Depending on your perspective, 11 years can seem like one heckuva long time. Or just like yesterday.
Took a quick tour through the results from the 1997 Canadian figure skating championships — the last time nationals were held in Vancouver — and noticed a few names who still have a very strong connection to this event. And that's not even counting the rather large group of '97 'grads' (so to speak) who are on the other side of the boards as coaches these days (like Vancouver natives Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe, senior ice dance bronze medallists back then, who are finally home to stay after all those years in Windsor and Detroit).
Of course, there's Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, who won their fifth Canadian ice dance crown 11 years ago at General Motors Place (High Society was their free dance back then, Shae tells me, if you're wondering). They're the honorary co-chairs of the 2008 nationals, which are being held at Pacific Coliseum.
Check the senior pairs results, you'll find the name David Pelletier, who finished sixth with former partner Allison Gaylor. Now, we all know Pelletier went on to his greatest fame with the young woman who'd become his wife, Jamie Sale: They became world champions in the same GM Place in 2001, Olympic gold medallists a year later in Salt Lake City.
On Sunday, they'll be inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame, and skate a special performance during the parade of champions.
Take a closer look at the novice men's event in '97. In seventh place, you'd have found a young up-and-comer named Jeffrey Buttle. He arrived in Vancouver this week as three-time defending senior men's champion.
Who knew back then that B.C. native Craig Buntin, who finished 14th in novice pairs with Chantal Chailler, would go on to win three senior national pairs crowns (with now-retired Valerie Marcoux). He's here with new partner Meagan Duhamel this week.
Oh, and last (but certainly not least) ... Annie Bellemare, eighth in the senior women's event in 1997 (her first nationals, she just told me). Today, we hear she's doing a bang-up job as Skate Canada's marketing and communications co-ordinator. And from what we've noticed, she's still rather busy around the rink.
Funny how some things just never change.