ABOUT THE CLUB
We're proud to say the Vancouver Speed Skating Club has been serving the community for over 40 years!
Founded in 1980 by Trudy Brabander as the Kitsilano Speed Skating Club, the club was renamed the Vancouver Speed Skating Club in 2005. Our home base is Kitsilano Rink in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada!
Our society is VSSC, and our team name is Vancouver Velocity – in 2006, the club had a team naming competition and selected Velocity as its team name.
Our program offers short track speed skating and welcomes skaters of all ages and abilities – from children to adults, recreational to competitive, and Special Olympians. We are governed and supported by Speed Skating British Columbia (SSBC) and Speed Skating Canada (SSC). Learn more about our program offerings.
Fast and Exciting Racing
Short track speed skating is a fast and exciting sport. Due to the speed and closeness of racing skaters safety is paramount. Like every speed skating club in British Columbia, we follow the guidelines of Speed Skating Canada and Speed Skating British Columbia to reduce the risk of injury. Large crash mats line the ice rink boards. Personal safety equipment is mandatory to participate at any practice.
A Leader in Accessibility
Our club is dedicated to keep our sport accessible to all. Our rates for full-time participation (seven months) is less than half the cost of full-time figure skating or hockey. In fact Vancouver is less expensive than all Metro Vancouver speed skating clubs. VSSC also offers rental speed skates to help reduce the overall cost of equipment. To further lower the barrier of participation, VSSC offers part-time and one month options.
A Leader in Inclusivity
All genders are welcome to short track speed skating. The sport has great integration with mixed competitions and relays. We are also extremely proud of our Special Olympics skaters who train and practice together. Our SO group is the largest speed skating group in BC!
In 2020, June Lum, our Special Olympics liaison, won a Community Sport Champions award from the City of Vancouver for her tireless work engaging Special Olympics athletes and helping them fall in love with the sport. Watch the award video about June below!
We are grateful for the generous support from our community
