To Leo Ljung, ice skating is something he’s never done before. His first taste of it was not until he came to New Ulm, Minnesota when he tried to ice skate back in September.

Here in New Ulm, our rink is pretty accessible and almost everyone in town knows where it’s located. But in France, that does not seem to be the case. “The nearest rink to my house in France is about 2 hours away,” Ljung said. After skating for the first time, Ljung was made aware of the Ice Show practices via his host mom. “My host mom asked me if I wanted to do it and I said why not.”

Because he is not a member of the NUFSC who actively takes private lessons, his options are limited, but they are not zero. One of those options is the adult number, where pretty much anyone is allowed to be involved as long as they’re 18. Your skill and level do not matter in the adult number, which is why it was the perfect opportunity for Ljung.

Another reason for his joining was because he is not alone. “I joined the adult number to be with my host dad because he is doing it as well.” With his host dad on the ice with him, Ljung is able to feel more comfortable while learning the choreography for the upcoming Ice Show in March. “It is really fun, to learn how to dance while ice skating might be [my favorite],” he said.