Kyle Day is a sophomore who, earlier this school year, found the role of second-string B-squad fullback/linebacker to his liking.

Thursday, March 16, 2000

Kyle Day is a sophomore who, earlier this school year, found the role of second-string B-squad fullback/linebacker to his liking.

"I usually try and stay in shape year-round," said Day, who said he’s doing his share of weight training in preparation for his important junior football season.

Another sophomore, Trista Munk rides small quarter horses – when asked to name another kind Munk quickly answered "big quarter horses" – running barrels at rodeos.

"We do that all summer," said Munk of herself and her family. "We ride every day."

Finally, Sarah Bjorge, a third sophomore, draws.

"It depends on what I’m feeling," she said. "It’s doodling mostly."

What makes Bjorge and the others contemporaries is that they are figure skaters.

The trio will join close to 100 other 3- to 18-year-old skaters on Saturday and Sunday in the annual Riverside Figure Skating Club ice show.

Between them, the three skaters have performed in 36 of the annual ice shows – 12 straight for each.

At a late night practice just days before their two-show run, Day, Munk and Bjorge talked about figure skating, and just how (much) it has taken hold of their lives.

Day was asthmatic and 5 years old when a doctor diverted his attention from playing hockey.

"I wanted to play hockey," said Day, who instead was steered into figure skating because it was considered less taxing.

But Day has found out otherwise.

"People don’t think of it as being a hard sport," he said, "but it is."

The sports now runs in Day’s veins. He said he would like it to always be a part of his life.

"I’d like to travel the world," he said. "I’m a show skater. I like to get the crowd into it. I’d love to get into something like Walt Disney on Ice, where you get to skate in a new town every day."

For Munk, the most accomplished skater of the three, figure skating – like riding horses – gives her purpose.

"It gives me something to work for and to set goals for," she said.

Munk estimated she skates 12 hours a week – every week – while competing throughout the Midwest maybe five times a year.

"It takes a lot of work to be able to compete," she said, "to get to a competition and to be ready for it.

"It’s a shame to skate and not to be prepared."

Of the three skaters, Bjorge is the least versed.

This weekend she may or may not do a double - two rotations in midair.

"I haven’t really aced it yet," she said. "It’s going to depend on being stressless.

"If I do it, it will be on Saturday. On Sunday, everyone gets tired and sore and starts getting blisters."

Of the three, though, Bjorge appears to be the skater closest to reaching a certain peace on the ice – that moment when all that matters are the cold blades gently splitting the dense sheet of ice, producing a sound not unlike slowly tearing cloth.

"When I step on the ice it relaxes me," Bjorge said. "It calms my thinking. Because if I’m having a bad day, it helps me make it better."