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, 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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: lotuselyse7335@gmail.com
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: cporemba1@gmail.com
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.
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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)
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
Vaughan Irwin
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate, Star Skate & Privates*
Guest Coach​ (Seasonal)
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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!
Emma Marlowe
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate*
Guest Coach
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Emma Marlowe skated with Glacier Skate Academy for eight years and competed in multiple competitions in Singles events throughout the Northwest. She is currently working on Silver Skating Skills and 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.​
Junior Coaches
To schedule with Junior Coaches please contact: glacierskate@gmail.com
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 & Privates
Junior Coach
-Working on Pre-Silver Skating Skills
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Estelle Muhlner
*Coaches: Learn-to-Skate & Privates
Junior Coach
-Working on Silver Skating Skills
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