Bangor 10-year-old finds success in figure skating

BANGOR – When Max Louscher was 5 years old, he begged to play hockey. The hockey experience lasted two days.

“I hated it. But I really like skating,” Louscher said. Now 10, and a member of Penobscot Figure Skating Club since last year, the Bangor boy is coached by Barbara Kossowska of Massachusetts, who also coaches Hampden’s Tessa McCue.

Kossowska approached Louscher’s mother, Erika Louscher, last March at the skating clinic Kossowska and McCue provided for the club and said to her: “Max is really talented. Bring him to me and I’ll train him.”

The next day, Erika Louscher said, Kossowska “walked in saying, ‘Where’s my boy?'”

Louscher’s success has come to fruition quickly. He began skating seriously in November of last year and skated four or five days a week through March, when he participated in the clinic where he met Kossowska, and in the Penobscot Figure Skating exhibition. In August he attended his first competition with Kossowska, the Cranberry Open, held in Cape Cod. He took second place.

The weekend of Sept. 18-21, Louscher went to the Boston Open and won at the pre-preliminary level. Less than a week later, on Sept. 25, he competed in the 2003 Providence Open featuring the Little New England Championships in Rhode Island. Because there were no other boys competing at the pre-preliminary level, Louscher was bumped up to the preliminary level against two other boys. He won first place.

Erika Louscher, Max and Max’s younger brother, Julian, 3, live in Massachusetts four days a week from Monday to Thursday, where Louscher trains at New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass. The three have slept in the car and in a tent. They also stay at a Super 8, or in a hostel when one is available.

Erika Louscher described the weekly four-day stay as a “huge commitment to be in the rink.” They are usually there from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Louscher puts in some 14-15 hours of ice-time practice per week. A home-schooled student, he also does schoolwork during the day and plays with other kids at the rink.

“He’s so committed to [skating],” Erika Louscher said. At times she has had to suggest doing something else, such as going to the library, to get him off the ice for a while, telling him: “You need to be 10 [years old] sometimes.”

Louscher attends a strengthening and conditioning class twice a week, has a personal trainer most weekends and does off-ice jumping, which he said seems to help him with Axeljumps. He also takes dance lessons twice a week with Robinson Ballet Company.

“I think ballet helps your balance and flexibility,” he said.

His older brother Hunter Louscher, 11, has the option to make the weekly trip to Massachusetts, but has chosen to stay home with his father, Kent, a psychologist with a private practice in Bangor. Hunter also is home-schooled. He currently is designing a Web site for Louscher as one of his projects. The Web site will what Louscher is doing, upcoming events in which Louscher will participate, and photographs of the skater.

“He’s been awesome about it,” Erika Louscher said of Hunter’s support.

Louscher is now skating at the preliminary level, having just passed the qualification test Nov. 4. He is working on pre-juvenile moves. Once he is skating at the juvenile level, he can go to the regional competition and have more access to sponsorships, Erika Louscher said.

“We’ve had so much support in the community,” she said, adding that people have been “incredibly generous.” Still, the cost of Louscher’s figure skating is “unbelievable.”

“It’s a good $2,000 a month for us to go down [to Marlboro],” Erika Louscher said. Family, friends and neighbors are planning a bake sale and raffle Thursday, Dec. 18, at Marden’s in Brewer to raise funds for Louscher. Prizes include mat and framing donated by Creative Imaging, handmade Native American-style beaded earrings, a drum, and pottery by Elm Street Pottery.

Louscher also receives contributions sent through the New England Amateur Skating Foundation. Those who are unable to attend the bake sale and raffle and would like to make a tax-free donation to Louscher’s account may contact NEASF, P.O. Box 6881, Providence, RI 02940. The foundation sends Louscher the receipt and he then forwards the receipt with a thank-you note to the party who made the donation, Erika Louscher explained.

Louscher got his start at the Penobscot Figure Skating Club, founded in 1999 “to promote, encourage, and foster figure skating in the Greater Bangor Area,” according to the purpose statement.

“It’s a diverse group of people,” said board member Marge Adams. Both adults and children belong to the club. The youngest member is about 7 years old, Adams said.

Andrea Blunt, who is in her second year as chairwoman for the club, described it as an organization that fosters “absolute support and encouragement.” The atmosphere is not competitive, but one of support and fun. The club has nine board members – five of whom skate – and four coaches.

“At this point, we have 30 skaters,” said Blunt, whose 13-year-old daughter, Hillary, skates for the club. Skaters come from a variety of towns including Dover-Foxcroft, Castine, Searsport, Newburgh and Orono.

The club has contracted with Sawyer Arena in Bangor for ice time from 5:40 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. Sundays, Blunt said. This year the club is offering two transitional classes, divided by skill level with skaters working on basic skills or beginning freestyle skills. A second session will be offered in January if enough interest is shown.

To obtain information about Penobscot Figure Skating Club, or to find out how to participate, call Andrea Blunt at 862-6940.

To obtain information about the New England Amateur Skating Foundation, call Herb Kaplan at (401) 861-9266.