GLACIER SKATE ACADEMY COACHES
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Glacier Skate Academy has a great team of professional coaches who work together to ensure that each skater achieves personal excellence. Our dedicated coaching staff provides a full range of skating disciplines - freestyle, moves, dance, and pairs - with professional specialists in jumps, spins, skating skills, and choreography.
The Glacier Skate coaching team asks that all skaters and parents adhere to the Glacier Skate Academy club policies upon registering as a club or associate member.
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All GSA Coaches teaching private lessons at Glacier Skate Academy must be USFS Coach Compliant, and Jr Coaches must be Learn-to-Skate USA Compliant.
Elyse Knudsen
Skating Director
*Coaches: Privates, Jr Club, Star Skate, and Learn-to-Skate*
Accomplishments and Coaching Information
Elyse loves working with the youngest to the youngest at heart, sharing her love of skating. She most comes alive when working on choreography with her students and is inspired by creating beautiful movements and moments.
Elyse skated professionally for Disney on Ice and as a principal pair skater for Willey Bietak Productions (on Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships). She toured Japan, South America, Mexico, and the U.S.
Elyse splits her professional life between coaching skating and Operations Manager for a leadership consulting company, Genii Earth.
Credentials:
*18+ years of coaching experience.
*Gold-tested Moves in the Field; Novice Free Skate; Intermediate Pairs.
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Contact: lotuselyse7335@gmail.com
Carly Poremba
*Coaches: Privates, Learn-to-Skate, Star Skate, Jr Club*
(Available: September 2024 - April 2025)
Accomplishments and Coaching Information:
There is much I love about figure skating: the creativity, the athleticism, the artful self-expression. Throughout my life, skating has been a crucial creative outlet and a powerful teacher! I am a Gold Medalist in Freestyle and MIF, a Pre-Gold Medalist in Ice Dance, and have been coaching for 12+ years. I encourage my skating students to self-express, push their edge, and reflect with open-mindedness and curiosity. I do my best to embody these principles each time I skate for myself, too. I feel quite lucky to collaborate with other like-minded coaches!
Credentials:
*12 years coaching experience
*Double Gold medalist in Freestyle & Moves in Field
*Pre-Gold medalist in Ice Dance
Contact: cporemba1@gmail.com
Lisa Kriley
(Available: guest coach)
Lisa is a triple Gold Medalist in figure skating, an Advanced Level Hockey Coach in USA Hockey, and Professional Skaters Association rated. She specializes in making technically sound and consistent skaters. Since 1991, she's been coaching Olympic, Team USA, National, Sectional, Jr. National, and Regional figure skating champions and recreational skaters of all ages. She's taught therapeutic skating, the fundamentals of ice sports, and beginning, intermediate, and conditioning classes. During her career, she's studied with Olympic and World-renowned figure skating coaches and NHL power skating coaches and has trained at skating academies across the US.
Lisa received the prestigious President’s Award of Excellence for the Central Pacific Region in 2019. The President’s Award of Excellence recognizes exceptional grassroots coaches, in all disciplines, for their positive contributions to the sport of figure skating.
Lisa is specialized in jumps, spins, power skating, moves, choreography, and comprehensive off-ice training. She is a member of the Professional Skaters Association, United States Figure Skating Association, and Ice Skating Institute.
Heather Hardman
(Available: Guest Coach)
Heather Hardman began her figure skating journey in Alabama at the age of four. Throughout her 14 years of competitive skating, she had the privilege of training under exceptional coaches, which deeply influences her approach to coaching today. Heather enjoys helping skaters refine their technical skills, with a focus on strong, consistent jumps and spins, paired with off-ice training that enhances explosive skating and stamina. After relocating to Montana in 2017, she began coaching with the Bozeman Figure Skating Club and now plays a pivotal role in developing a figure skating program in Livingston, Montana. Heather is passionate about creating an inclusive and supportive environment where skaters can thrive both on and off the ice.
* 10+ Years of coaching experience
Muriel Mercer
(Available: Seasonal Summer coach)
I grew up skating in Whitefish, MT with Glacier Skate Academy. I skated competitively for 11 years and had two top 10 finishes at the U.S. Figure Skating NW Pacific Regionals. I was awarded the Glacier Challenge Judges Choice Award, the Glacier Skate Academy Competitor of the Year Award (twice), and the ​​U.S. Figure Skating, Special Achievement Award (twice). Additionally, I am a Double Gold Medalist in Moves in the Field and Freestyle. I have performed in over 15 ice shows. In addition to figure skating, I played field hockey, ice hockey and rowed crew in high school for St. Paul’s School, a collegiate D-1 rower at Southern Methodist University.
As a coach, I am dedicated to fostering the love for figure skating with every athlete I work with. I also work to pass along the lessons and work ethic skating teaches you on the ice that can be applied in everyday life.
* 5+ Years of coaching experience
* Double Gold medalist: Moves in the Field (Skating Skills) and Freestyle (Singles)
OLIVER PEKAR
(Available: guest coach)
Oliver is an accomplished and internationally renowned professional singles, ice dance, and pairs figure skating coach of national and world level champion elite athletes. Oliver specializes in building solid jump technique (singles through quads), edges, spins, and Moves In The Field. He was a principal professional skater with Holiday on Ice, cruise ships, and the Sun Valley ice show. Oliver is a former Czechoslovakian Men's National Champion and 1990 World Figure Skating Championships Ice Dance competitor.
Currently coaching at Salt Lake Figure Skating (SLFS)
Guest Coaching at Glacier Skate Academy (GSA)
Member of US Figure Skating
Junior Coaches
To schedule with Junior Coaches please contact: glacierskate@gmail.com
Vaughan Irwin
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate, Privates*
Junior Coach​
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Vaughan Irwin has skated with Glacier Skate Academy for four years and has competed in multiple competitions in both Singles and Pairs events. He has been a member of the US Figure Skating Axel club since 2021 and is currently working on his doubles as well as his Gold (Seniors) Skating Skills and Pre-Silver Singles tests. In 2024 he qualified for the Excel Series Nationals at the Juvenile Plus level. Vaughan has been coaching Learn to skate and private lessons for three years and loves working with new skaters and helping them achieve confidence and skills on the ice. Off the Ice Vaughan plays Clarinet in the Whitefish High School Band and Saxophone in the Jazz Band. He was selected to play in the All-Northwest Band, the All-State Jazz Band, and the Northern Musicians Abroad program.
Emma Marlowe
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate, Jr Coach Privates*
Junior Coach
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Emma Marlowe has skated with Glacier Skate Academy for eight years and has competed in multiple competitions in Singles events throughout the Northwest. She is currently working on Silver Skating Skills and Pre Silver Singles tests. Emma has been coaching Learn to skate and private lessons for four years and loves working with our youngest skaters in our SnowPlow Sam, 3 - 5 year old group. The littles all adore her and look up to her with stars in their eyes.​
Isabella Mitchell
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate, Privates*
Junior Coach
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Isabelle Mitchell has been skating with Glacier Skate Academy for over 5 years, competed in singles events in the Pacific Northwest and performed in many Ice shows. She is currently working on her Silver Skating Skills and has been coaching Learn to Skate for 3 years.
Karlee Brown
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate & Privates
Junior Coach
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Karlee Brown has skated with Glacier Skate Academy for four plus years and has competed in multiple competitions in Singles. She is a member of the US Figure Skating Association and coaches Learn to Skate and private lessons. Off the Ice Karlee enjoys skiing and golfing. As a member of the Whitefish High School Golf Team Karlee finished in the top 15 to win the girls team title at the Western A Divisional golf tournament at Old Works Golf Course in Anaconda, 2024.
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Braxten Quimby
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate
Junior Coach
-Working on Pre-Silver Skating Skills
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Estelle Muhlner
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate
Junior Coach
-Working on Silver Skating Skills
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