Rising figure skater gets her start at Salem On Ice

Capi Lynn
Statesman Journal

Hanna Tu will never forget the first time she put on a pair of skates and stepped onto the ice. She was terrified.

She could barely stand and spent the entire time clinging to the rink walls.

But there was something equally exhilarating about the experience, and it kept her coming back again and again and again.

Barely more than a year later, the 14-year-old is preparing for her first figure skating competition.

"She's progressed rapidly," said her coach, Ronnie Mompellier. "To get to the level where she is, it would have probably taken most kids 2-3 years.

"A lot of it is the amount she's practicing. A lot of it is her drive."

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Hanna never would have discovered her love for the sport if not for Salem On Ice, a seasonal outdoor ice skating rink at Riverfront Park. She spends every moment there she can between mid-November and mid-January.

The owners treated her to a season pass this year. Her parents splurged for one the first season and then arranged for private lessons after a friend watched their daughter skate and said: "You'd better find her a coach."

Hanna has been working one night a week with Mompellier at the Lloyd Center Ice Rink in Portland. On Saturdays, her parents shuttle her back to Portland for group classes.

"It's a big investment and commitment," said her dad, Dey Tu. "It's a commitment for the whole family."

Hanna is the youngest of three children. Her parents own Fresh Elements, a Pan-Asian restaurant in a downtown Salem strip mall that serves everything from Thai to Chinese. Her father threw down the gauntlet and declared they have the best spicy pho in town, hinting where Hanna's competitive DNA comes from.

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During Christmas break, she was known to spend all day at Salem On Ice. Even now that school's back in session — she's a freshman at West Salem High School — she squeezes in four to five hours a day.

She used to be the one admiring other skaters' spins and jumps. Now she's the one being admired.

Hanna Tu, a West Salem freshman, skates at Salem On Ice on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2019. Tu is training with a coach in Portland and is planning to compete this spring.

"It feels like a fantasy," Hanna said of being on the ice. "It doesn't feel like I'm in reality. It kind of just relieves whatever's going on, if like I'm going through a rough time."

She's logged so much time on the ice she's worn out her skates. Her coach recently advised her parents to replace them with competitive skates. They're more expensive than recreational skates, with boots and blades purchased separately.

Hanna was fitted for both based on skating level and ability. The more advanced a skater, the stiffer the boot.

At her level — "advanced 5" in skater lingo — Hanna must be able to perform certain jumps, spins, and footwork. The requirements for a 90-second routine at her level, her coach said, include a camel spin, a Lutz jump, and a flip jump.

The challenge for a figure skater is to balance on metal blades roughly one-eighth of an inch wide while spinning and jumping. Hanna is powerful and fearless, which her coach said are her strengths. She's also a quick study.

"Sometimes I'll teach her a jump, and she has it figured out in that same lesson," Mompellier said.

Hanna Tu practices figure skating at Salem On Ice on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2019. Tu is training with a coach in Portland and is planning to compete this spring.

Hanna's weekly lesson with Mompellier is 30 minutes, but much of her practice is done at Salem On Ice. Staff members there have been impressed with not just her rapid improvement but her dedication and attitude.

"She's probably here more than me, and I work here," said ring guard Liliya Sivaya. "She's the most humble athlete I've ever met. We love her. She's like everyone's little sister."

Hanna's been known to help the staff out during busy times or at closing.

"She'll put skates away or help with the line of people coming in," said Emma Abiera, operational manager at Salem On Ice. "But we just want her to skate. She's really good."

Abiera admires how Hanna's parents are doing whatever it takes to give her an opportunity to pursue her dream.

Mompellier has another student from Eugene whose family purchased a second home in Portland because they were spending so much time at the Lloyd Center rink.

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The Tus aren't planning any big purchases beyond Hanna's new skates, and they're realistic about her chances of breaking into competitive figure skating.

"It's tough, but her coach said anything can happen," Dey Tu said. "She's so dedicated. It's really her dream. Nothing can stop her."

The only thing that slows her down is the closure of Salem On Ice. Hanna cried last year when the season came to an end and the rink was dismantled.

Tears are likely to flow again come Jan. 21, when the rink once again closes.

At least she has her first competition to look forward to in April. She's already selected music for her routine: "Across the Violet Sky" from the Japanese anime series Violet Evergarden.

Her coach said the keys to her success will be whether she remains focused on figure skating and continues to practice 6-10 hours a week.

"She will need to plan on landing her axel and start most of her double jumps within the next year," Mompellier said. "If she progresses as fast as she is currently, she could be a very strong competitive skater."

"Forward This" taps into the heart of the Mid-Valley — its people, history, and issues. Contact Capi Lynn at clynn@StatesmanJournal.com or 503-399-6710, or follow her the rest of the week on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.

Hanna Tu practices figure skating at Salem On Ice on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2019. Tu is training with a coach in Portland and is planning to compete this spring.