Figure skaters competed at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena on Saturday for a chance to qualify for the State Games of America.

Figure skating commissioner Kitley Rainwater said the ages of the 51 skaters who participated varied.

“The youngest skater was 5 years old all the way to 52 years old,” Rainwater said. “This was qualifying competition for the State Games of America that is in Colorado Springs, Colo. Anyone who finishes first, second or third moves on.”

Competitors had different reasons for starting the sport of figure skating. Fifteen-year-old athlete Rebekah Reis said she got her love for figure skating in part from her brother.

“I watched my brother play hockey, but he always smelled,” Reis said. “I didn’t think that figure skating would smell as much. I skate all year long — six days a week.”

Her father, Tom Reis, said she thought about skating when she was watching one of her brother Nathan’s games.

“She got into skating when we were at one of his tournaments,” Tom said.

“Then she asked if she could start skating. It has just gone awesome for her. Skaters develop a sense of self-reliance. I would recommend it to anyone.”

Unlike Reis, 13-year-old Amy Brigges found a different reason to start figure skating.

“Five years ago, I had watched figure skating in the Olympics, and I thought it looked cool,” Brigges said. “It looked like a lot of fun, and I really enjoy it a lot.”

Brigges said her favorite event is the pre-juvenile freestyle.

“I just really enjoy it,” Brigges said.

“I like to skate to music. My music was ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.'”

She said she only participated in one event, the intermediate short program, since she was sick to her stomach.

“I did a double Salchow, which is a double axle in the air,” Reis said. “It was three turn jumps in the air and spin 1 1/2 times in the air.”

Reis’ father said the Iowa Games commissioners do a good job.

“Both the winter and summer Iowa Games are awesome,” Tom said.

“They do a great job of promoting the various sports.”