GLACIER SKATE ACADEMY COACHES
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.
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, Club Clinics, Star Skate, and Learn-to-Skate*
Accomplishments and Coaching Information
As the GSA Skating Director, Elyse Knudsen brings decades of experience and a heartfelt commitment to nurturing community and connection through skating. Having joined the club in 2019 and as a parent herself, Elyse understands the profound impact of sport on building life skills like discipline, teamwork, and goal-setting.
Elyse’s love for skating began in Missoula, Montana, where her father built an outdoor rink in their front yard. At just 13, she started mentoring fellow skaters and, by 15, moved to Detroit, Michigan, to train competitively with a Russian pair skater.
Her passion for performance led her to Disney on Ice, where she toured the world, portraying beloved characters like Jasmine, Tinker Bell, Nala, Sleeping Beauty. After two years, Elyse transitioned to performing as a principal pair skater for Willy Bietak Productions aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships, entertaining thousands of passengers while living in the Caribbean.
Following her skating career, Elyse pursued a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health and embarked on a new path as a Safety Advisor for major energy projects living in Africa and Europe. But Montana called her home, and in 2019, she returned to serve as Risk Manager for Whitefish Mountain Resort. It was here, just down the mountain from the skating rink, that she felt the pull back to the ice, reigniting her passion for coaching and choreography.
Today, Elyse loves her role at GSA, collaborating with her fellow coaches and mentoring skaters of all ages and finding joy in creating beautiful moments on the ice. Alongside her husband, who captains cruise ships but prefers skiing Montana’s Big Mountain, Elyse is raising their daughter, Ebba, who has chosen ballet slippers for now. For her, skating isn’t just a sport—it’s a way to build confidence, resilience, and connection, one movement at a time.
Credentials:
*18+ years of coaching experience.
*Gold-tested Moves in the Field; Novice Free Skate; Intermediate Pairs.
Contact: elyse@glacierskateacademy.org
Jennifer Irwin
Operations Director
*Coaches: Privates and Learn-to-Skate*
Retired Naval Officer turned full-time mother of three boys. In addition to being a general fitness and health enthusiast, she played competitive basketball and volleyball and loves to snowboard, ski, hike and kayak and most recently figure skate!
Caring and dedicated leader who served as a Naval Officer for over twenty years with an extensive background in management, design review, administration, budgeting and project and construction management. Jenn has a passion for helping others and working together to create a better environment and community focus for all.
Jenn and her husband Chris Irwin established and owned the first CrossFit affiliate in the US Virgin Islands, Reebok CrossFit St Thomas from 2011 to 2015. After leaving the islands she spent four years in Atlanta as the lead CrossFit Kids and Teens Coach at CrossFit North Atlanta and CrossFit 404 affiliates. After moving to Montana in 2018 she spent some time coaching at Big Mountain CrossFit until two of her boys decided to learn to skate at GSA in 2020. A whole new world was introduced to the Irwins and a realization that there was a need for CrossFit kids to be incorporated into the skater's off-ice training. After coaching off-ice with a group of skaters for the next two years and being inspired by her own two boys, Jenn started taking adult skating lessons herself to better understand the movement patterns of a skater and what they need to better prepare and recover their bodies for what happens on and off the ice. Always looking for a challenge and finding areas to improve, Jenn Irwin joined the Board of Directors in 2021 and, in 2022, took on the role of Operations Director, working directly with the coaching staff on all aspects of Glacier Skate Academy.
Jenn’s primary goal is to foster and grow a welcoming, fun, healthy, safe learning environment that is all inclusive to the families of the Flathead Valley as they embark on their skating journey.
Certifications: 15 + Years coaching experience; CrossFit Level 2, CrossFit Kids, CrossFit Gymnastics, CrossFit Mobility, LTS Instructor
Contact: operations@glacierskateacademy.org
Carly Poremba
*Coaches: Privates, Club Clinics, Star Skate and Learn-to-Skate*
(Available: October - June)
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: carly@glacierskateacademy.org
Felicia Fox
*Coaches: Privates, Club Clinics, Star Skate and Learn-to-Skate*
Accomplishments and Coaching Information:
Experienced ice skating coach, with enthusiasm, dedication and elite level competitive history. Passion for sport fueled by developing athletes into the best performers they can be, while maintaining a positive attitude and experiencing the joy of self-expression through skating skills. Dedicated to excellence since stepping on the ice at age three to figure skaters and hockey players.
Skating has been a part of Felicia’s life for over 30 years, with 18 years as a competitive athlete and 17 years of coaching experience. I was trained under World and Olympic coaches and after competing for Team USA, I pursued a coaching career alongside Olympic Coach Tammy Gambill, while also being the figure skating director of Icetown in Riverside, California. I have experience coaching every level of skater from the most beginner level as well as adults to Olympians. My husband and two sons are also skaters, and have a passion for hockey. I love seeing not only the joy and development of my students on the ice, but also being a part of their journey to becoming amazing human beings off the ice.
Credentials:
*18 years competitive athlete
*17 years coaching experience
*Double Gold medalist in Freestyle (Singles) & Moves in Field (Skate Skills)
Justin Hergett
(Available: guest coach)
Justin Hergett, originally from Florence Montana has been skating in professional shows for the last six years. He loves both performing and coaching because he loves storytelling and passing on knowledge to the next generation of skaters. After highschool he joined Disney on Ice where he spent a year training as an aerialist as well as a skater. After Covid, he re-joined Disney on Ice and started his journey toward becoming a pair team with his parter Sydney. Together they joined Royal Caribbean cruise lines as a principal pair team and have been traveling on the high seas for the last two seasons!
Sydney Kosiak
(Available: Guest Coach)
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Sydney has been skating professionally since 2019. She has performed with American Ice Theatre, Disney On Ice, and Willy Bietak Productions. Passionate about storytelling on the ice, she now skates with her partner, Justin Hergett, bringing high-energy, heartfelt performances to audiences aboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships!
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)
Vaughan Irwin
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate, Star Skate & Privates*
Guest Coach (Seasonal)
Vaughan Irwin skated with Glacier Skate Academy for five years and 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 four years and loves working with new skaters and helping them achieve confidence and skills on the ice. Off the Ice Vaughan is studying Music Education at the University of Idaho and enjoys playing Clarinet and Sax in the Band and Marching Band...Go VANDALS!
Junior Coaches
To schedule with Junior Coaches please contact: info@glacierskateacademy.org
Karlee Brown
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate, Star Skate & Privates
Junior Coach
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.
Isabella Mitchell
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate, Privates*
Junior Coach
Isabelle Mitchell has been skating with Glacier Skate Academy for over 6 years, competed in singles events in the Pacific Northwest and performed in many Ice shows. She is currently working on her Pre-Gold Skating Skills and has been coaching Learn to Skate for 4 years.
Braxten Quimby
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate & Privates
Junior Coach
-Working on Pre-Silver Skating Skills
Estelle Muhlner
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate & Privates
Junior Coach
-Working on Gold Skating Skills
Finnegan Irwin
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate & Privates
Junior Coach
-Working on Gold-Skating Skills & Bronze Singles
