Above: Costumes for shows, for competitions for testing help fill the inventory at the Chesapeake FSC of Maryland's burgeoning apparel rental program.
By Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz
Chesapeake Figure Skating Club of Maryland President Jodie Timmins, remembers when Terri and Alicia Jackson closed their skating store, Born to Skate. They asked Timm if she would be interested in any of their stock.
“Of course, I said yes,” Timmins said. “As a coach and skater, I knew how long each piece took to create, the cost to make them and the cost to purchase them new. An idea to mobilize and help skaters find the perfect outfit was born.”
And so began the Chesapeake FSC of Maryland’s Apparel Rental Program.
“The Rental Program is a way to help our members make their skating budgets go further while saving time and money shopping,” Timmins said. “Club members can choose from more than 100 pieces of skating apparel, from glitzy performance wear to practical testing attire and accessories at a fraction of the cost of buying a new item.”
Each item is measured and listed on the club website for skaters to peruse and reserve for their next test, competition or exhibition. Rental fees are low at just $20 per apparel item for three weeks.
“The funds go back to supporting the club and building our selections,” Timmins said. “This program also helps cut down on single-use attire and reduces waste.”
Club Vice President Sabrina Sikes-Thornton assisted Timmins in cataloging, measuring and organizing the ever-growing collection. Social media chair Maggie Obriwin built listings and categories on the club website so members could see what was available and reserve a time to try things on.
The process of renting a skating outfit is simple.
“Members can browse and choose their items from the numbered inventory on our website, then complete the apprel rental interest form to set up a date to try them at our home rink, Ice World in Abingdon,” Timmins said.
Members sign and pay for their rental at try-on if it fits. Club inventory is available for three-week rental periods and is returned to the club unwashed on or before their due date.
“Then we take care of cleaning and return the item to inventory. Each item is $20, and our members can rent as many pieces as they would like. Apparel items come with a garment bag, too. We accept payments via Venmo, cash and check and are working to be able to accept other forms of payments, too,” Timmins said.
Skaters use the rentals for everything from entry-level testing at the club’s home rink to performances and exhibitions throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
Skating families have also come on board by donating apparel to the program.
“We have parents of retired skaters drop off items that the skaters simply have outgrown,” Timmins said. “I’m still continuously searching for new items to purchase and donate to the collection. As we grow, we hope to add even more items and especially build our boys, men’s and unisex collections. It’s exciting to see what pieces come in next.”
Timmins notes that skaters and parents are excited about this new apparel opportunity.
“The skaters have had a lot of fun trying on the items to find just the right piece instead of online and pricey designer pieces. As we all know, skating can be a costly sport, so having the resource helps keep our skaters on the ice longer by helping stretch their skating budget,” Timmins said. “It also removes a lot of the guesswork for the skaters when it comes to specialty events., They are better able to concentrate on their event instead of worrying about what they’re going to wear.”
This club is happy to share its unique program with skating families, aiming to start offering boots and blades as well.
“To our knowledge, we are the only club in our area, perhaps the country, doing something like this,” Timmins said. “We’re proud to be able to offer this unique perk to our members and their families. Though not online, we also have a small collection of boots with blades that we offer as a give one get one. If a skater outgrows their skates and we have a size that fits them, we ask that the skater donate their old skates.”
