Artistic roller skaters to compete in Rotorua

International artistic roller skaters are set to light up Rotorua's Energy Events Centre this week and a group of local girls are flying the flag for New Zealand.

Maegan Fraser, 14, of Rotorua Lakes High School, Rosa Hook, 14, of John Paul College, Hunter Jenkins, 13, of Western Heights High School and Milah van Niekerk,14, who is home educated, will compete as a quartet at the event.

Rotorua Roller Skating Club secretary Mayheur Hook said the sport of artistic roller skating was similar to figure skating and comprised elements of sport and performance.

"You have routines with jumps and spins, things like that, it's quite a hard discipline. What the girls are doing, in the quartet, is when four of them do a performance to a particular piece of music. It involves some jumps and spins, but it's also about telling a story."

It is a sport which requires a lot of co-ordination and practice, particularly in the quartets.

The Rotorua quartet were selected for the Oceania Championships after winning the New Zealand title in July.

"It's a really different discipline from their freestyle skating, they have to work as a team. These girls have worked really, really hard.

"You have to be very fit and very disciplined, but it's lots of fun too. It takes a lot of work which is great for building that discipline and stickability and it's really creative.

"In Rotorua we also focus on working as a team and being part of a team. While it's often an individual sport we really push the team spirit."

Hook said the Oceania Championships included teams from America, Australia, Japan and New Zealand and would be a good source of entertainment for spectators.

The official opening is on Thursday night and the competition takes place on Friday and Saturday.

Anyone interested in giving roller skating a go can email rotoruaskate@hotmail.com