Skater of the Year Awards

The Kestrel Cup and Peregrine Cup Skater of the Year awards are bestowed to the female and male Milton Speed Skaters who show the greatest reduction of their 500m personal best time over the course of a season. The improvement is measured as a percentage by dividing the skaters’ best 500m time skated at a sanctioned event in the first half (October – December) of the season by the skaters’ best 500m time skated at a sanctioned event in the second half (January – March) of the season. The female and male skater with the highest percentage is awarded the Kestrel Cup and Peregrine Cup respectively.

The names of the awards are in homage of wildlife in the Milton area that exhibit strategies and traits of a speed skater. The Kestrel is known for its unique hunting style in which it is known to hover above the ground before dropping on its prey. The Peregrine Falcon is known as the fastest bird on the planet with dive speeds in excess of 320 km/h while hunting. Like the Kestrel a speed skater hovers in the pack of a race before striking for the win, and like the Peregrine a speed skater’s goal is to be the fastest.

The Kestrel Cup and Peregrine Cup was first awarded in 2007, the third season of the Milton Speed Skating. The awards were initiated to as a tool to develop the club by encouraging members of Milton Speed Skating to participate in sanctioned racing events, and to motivate them towards achieving personal bests.

Todd Landon who started Milton Speed Skating in 2004 donated the awards in 2007.

Kestrel Cup – Female Skater of the Year

• 2006/2007 Kattie Laur
• 2007/2008 Abigal MacEachern
• 2008/2009 Kelsey Carr
• 2009/2010
  

Peregrine Cup – Male Skater of the Year

• 2006/2007 Matt Kerwin
• 2007/2008 Sam MacEachern
• 2008/2009 Matthew Bogle
• 2009/2010