By Bill Hronis, Sports Editor
Speed skating is one of the marquee events that make up the Winter Olympics every four years.
Although the next Winter Games won't be held until the year 2002 in Salt Lake City, it doesn't mean that the sport will take a back seat.
In fact, one local speed skating buff is hoping the activity will gain in popularity among the average person by the time the XIX Winter Olympiad rolls around.
Leslie Bader, a former U.S. speed skater in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, is in the early stages of building a speed skating program at the Lehigh Valley Ice Arena in Whitehall. Skating twice a week inside either the Lehigh or Valley Arenas, the club is designed to give people a chance to try something new on a pair of skates -- even if they haven't been on a pair of skates before.
"It's preferable that you know how to do the basic skating first," said Bader, who resides in Allentown after moving from Monroe, Conn. seven years ago. "It will make the experience so much more enjoyable."
So far, the experience of coaching skaters young and old has been a remarkable one for Bader. Since the club started in November, Bader has watched anywhere between 20 to 25 skaters come out and try the sport for the first time.
"We're building our numbers trying to get a lot of new skaters who have been on hockey skates," Bader said.
Speed skating has been a part of Bader's life since she first started the sport at age 10. It wasn't until her early 20s when she graduated from a regulation size ice hockey rink to an Olympic size long speed skating track -- just like the same courses found at the Winter Olympics. During that time, Bader skated on a world team for three years before she qualified for the '88 U.S. Winter Olympic team that Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Bader finished in the top 10 in the 1,000 and 1,500 meter races, which consisted of two skaters racing against the clock.
Bader thought she would be away from speed skating -- until a friend brought up a suggestion.
"I was approached by someone to start a club, but I have two kids and knew it could be difficult," Bader said.
So far, the task has been fairly easy -- especially since the skaters themselves have been cooperative and have been willing to learn.
"We want to build our numbers so we can start a viable club," Bader said. "We encourage anyone to come out and try it, even if they are on hockey skates. Of course, the Olympics were here and it's a real good time to try it.
"We also have the cycling community and the inline skaters trying it as well," Bader said.