The Bowling Green State University Spirit Skaters were founded as a volunteer spirit team in 2013 by advisor, Laura Fischer. The concept for the Spirit Skaters was introduced to BGSU by Marc Horwitz, a marketing intern, after seeing a similar team at a hockey tournament. The newly created team consisted primarily of members of the BGSU Figure Skating Club. Spirit Skaters performed at 12-15 home hockey games before puck drop and demonstrated jumps and spins between game periods, generating excitement for fans. In 2018, the team officially became recognized as a student organization, solidifying their existence at BGSU.
While the Spirit Skaters are a relatively new organization, the concept of team figure skating has been supported at BGSU since the first full year of operation for the ice arena. From 1968 - 2011, a like-minded group of skaters known as the Falconettes (BGSU Synchronized Skating Team) performed at multiple Falcon Hockey games each year.
In 2020 and 2021, due to COVID restrictions throughout campus, team members did not interact with fans but assisted at games by shoveling the ice. After a year of inactivity, president, Mackenzie Reed, and vice president, Gina Fradl, recruited to rebuild the group and reintroduce performances at games.Â
In 2022, members of the team sought to create programs that were more technically difficult and engaging by focusing on figure skating skills without larger props such as flags. The team today combines the disciplines of synchronized skating with freestyle, performing group lifts and other difficult elements, while still promoting school spirit.
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