When walking into the Biggby Coffee Ice Cube lobby on Thursday mornings, the place is quiet and empty. Except for the far left, end of the lobby where a group of around 25 women are gathered. They’re lacing up figure skates, while catching up with one another, with a table full of snacks to share, as they get ready to take the ice.
For 52 years, Ladies Silver Blades, a Lansing area skating club, meets on the ice. The group gathers at the Biggby Coffee Ice Cube in East Lansing every Thursday morning for practice, friendship, and more.
Annual membership dues cost $100 and go towards the cost of the instructor, participation in the ice shows, and social events. There is also a $5 charge per session that goes to the rink.
These women show up every week to learn new skating skills. There is a wide range of ability among the members, and the weekly lessons are tailored to allow each member to improve at their own pace. Nancy Gagnon has been with the club for two years and loves the relaxed atmosphere.
“Everyone supports each other,” Gagnon, 74, said. “There are some women that are very good skaters, and some women that have to hold on to the side once in a while, and that's just fine.”
Along with the range in skill, there is also diversity in age among the members of the club. Beth Hubbell is from Haslett and has been a member for over 45 years. The 82-year-old learned about the club through a neighbor and has stuck with the group ever since.
“I would hate to give up skating because we are very supportive of each other,” said Hubbell. “I lost my husband a lot of years ago and we had done everything together, it was a big loss for me. This group was a real lifesaver for me. Just the support that I felt with the friends that I've made here.”
Hubbell has been a part of the group longer than fellow member Lexie Weghorn has been alive. Weghorn is a PhD student at Michigan State, and is one of the only students who skate with the club. She appreciates the friendship that she feels with everyone who participates in the club.
“I really like the socialization aspect,” Weghorn, 26, said. “I like being able to meet with everybody and chat and catch up over snacks and on the ice. I've made some really good friends through the club.”
Weghorn grew up in Menominee, Wisconsin where she learned how to skate, but never took formal figure skating lessons. She enjoys the low-stakes environment the club creates for its members.
“Everybody's kind of at different levels and so there's no pressure to try something new, but there's always something more to try if you're interested,” said Weghorn. “It's always interesting to see the ladies who can skate really well and what they can do and they’re still learning as well. It's a lot of fun. I wouldn't say it's a sense of competition, because we're not competing, but It's an inspiration and it pulls you forward.”
Anne Gnagi, a retired librarian from East Lansing, joined Ladies Silver Blades 12 years ago. The 77-year-old said that she has made countless friends through the club and stays connected with people who don’t skate anymore.
“It's a group of the most creative ladies I've ever run into,” said Gnagi. “I have made some good friends, including ladies that no longer skate, but we walk together.”
Gnagi has had some setbacks over the years, but she loves showing up every Thursday morning to see her friends.
“I've gone through a few injuries and back surgery, but I'm here and doing what I can,” said Gnagi.
Joni Rainbolt, 68, grew up in St. Clair Shores and skated on Lake St. Clair as a kid. She didn’t have many opportunities to skate while raising her kids in the Lansing area, but joined the club after she retired in 2017.
“I just loved it. From the moment I got here, these people are super nice, super welcoming,” said Rainbolt, who was the president of the club during the pandemic. “The cool part about this is that we all have an underlying passion for skating and then it just builds into great relationships.
She added, “It's just a joy to be a part of this group. We also have a lot of off-ice activities. We do parties and events and things like that. That's how you really get to bond with people.”
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ladies Silver Blades had almost 50 women show up to skate. Participation has slowly been increasing, but recruiting new members has been difficult for the group.
“As COVID hit some of the people just chose not to want to come and skate,” said Rainbolt. “We had times where we had big gaps where we weren't skating here because it was closed. Then we came back, and our numbers were small. They were like 15 to 17 and now we're into the high 20s. So we're growing back. The great part about it is we're getting a lot of more young people.”
The group is invited by the ice rink to participate in ice shows. The rink has had a supportive relationship with Ladies Silver Blades for years. In 2023, new ownership took over the ice rink and continued to honor the club’s time slot on Thursday mornings.
“They have embraced us, so they give us a great deal on the ice,” said Rainbolt. “They enjoy having us as part of the shows. They have been super good to us all through the years that we've been here. They always give us this time every year, even with the change in leadership and ownership here. They've maintained our connection and given us this ice on Thursday mornings for as long as I can remember.”
Ladies Silver Blades is invited by the ice rink to participate in the Christmas and Spring ice show every year. Gagnon is one of the members who look forward to the chance to participate the most.
“My kids are excited about it because I've been in two shows now,” said Gagnon. “They're just real simple performances, but they’re so much fun. We all look forward to it.”