Ice Time is set in a small community rink during a local figure skating competition. This could be set anywhere in the country because figure skating is a national obsession with Canadians. There are hundreds of skate clubs scattered all across the country and there are thousands of hopeful young people who have the dream of skating in Olympic competition. For many of these young people this will prove to be an ambition that will never be achieved with their level of talent. Still, the sport remains remarkably popular at all levels of competition.
At the start, the two characters – a skating coach and her student – sit in the Kiss ‘n Cry section of the ice rink awaiting their score from the judges. The Kiss n’ Cry section is the place where skaters wait for their marks with great anticipation. It can be a highly charged place of emotion and a place of crowning achievement. But, unfortunately for our two characters, it can also be a place of great disappointment. Off the top, our skater character does very poorly with her skate routine and her marks are reflected by this. (The highest score that can be achieved in figure skating is a perfect « 6 ». Our skater receives a very disappointing « 3.2 ».) The Skater’s poor score causes her Coach to be very critical. She provides a rapid-fire and vicious critique of the skater’s poor performance.
