In the summer of 2023, a group from Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH) traveled to South Africa for the trip of a lifetime. In addition to sightseeing, the young women learned about surfing from similarly aged teenagers who are part of the 9Miles Project, a community-based organization that is “changing lives one surf at a time.” The group also took the surfers to an ice rink and helped them experience skating.
FSH serves girls 6 to 18 with on-ice skating and extensive off-ice programming.
Last month, a group from 9Miles came to New York City, and the FSH girls were excited to show them around. “It was really nice seeing them,” said long-time FSH participant Zayda Rojas, 17. “We got to exchange fun, cool facts. We gave them a tour of Riverbank [State Park, where FSH trains] and what we’re accustomed to when it comes to skating. When we were in South Africa, we traveled in cars, but they got to be on our public transportation system, and it was nice to have that raw, authentic vibe.”
Rojas said they enjoyed showing the visitors NYC culture, and she even learned some new things for herself. This included a meal at Sylvia’s Harlem Restaurant and a visit to the Apollo Theater. “We showed them a bit of our history and how it all came to be,” she said. “It was really nice seeing their reactions.”
Natalie Momperousse, 17, was part of the South Africa trip, saying it was incredible experiencing another culture. “When we met them in Cape Town, they came to us with open arms,” she said. “Here in New York, I literally ran up to them when I saw them.” Rojas recalled a similar reaction. “It was really nice being able to show them a part of my world,” she said.
Rojas and Momperousse both take part in FSH’s synchronized skating team, so they took the visitors to Chelsea Piers for a practice session. “They watched us for about a half an hour and then they put on skates and came on the ice,” said Rojas.
As they head into their senior year of high school, Rojas and Momperousse are focused on deciding on the colleges to which they will apply. Momperousse wants to continue skating, so she’s looking into colleges with skating teams. Of course, they’re also eager to get back on the ice at Riverbank and prepare for performances and synchronized skating competitions.
