Susan (nee Anderson) Morriss was born and grew up in Victoria. She began figure skating at the age of eight in the old Memorial Arena. In 1967, when the Racquet Club of Victoria opened, she began an affiliation with that figure skating club which has lasted for over 50 years. Susan took figures, free skate and ice dance lessons, competed provincially in Singles and went on to compete nationally in Ice Dance. Although she and her partner completed both their Canadian and US gold dance tests, the pressure of school caused them to give up competition. Susan was a student at the University of Victoria where she graduated and became an elementary school teacher. After 35 years, she retired from teaching but continued with her volunteer “job” as a figure skating judge.

While still competing, Susan began training at the age of 15 to become a Canadian Figure Skating Association official. She went on to become a national level judge for Singles (1984), Ice Dance (1986), Synchronized Skating (1988) and Pairs (1992). She subsequently achieved her International judging qualifications for Singles, Pairs and Synchronized Skating in 1993 and Ice Dance in 1994. In 1997, Susan was appointed as an International Skating Union (ISU) Championship Judge and International Referee for Synchronized Skating.

As an official, Susan has judged hundreds of events at local, regional, provincial and national levels including the Canada Winter Games. She has officiated at 25 Canadian Figure Skating Championships and at 34 National Synchronized Championships. As an international official, she has had the opportunity to judge in 20 different countries including at 10 International Junior and five Senior ISU Grand Prix events and 26 other international competitions including five World Championships.

As an administrator, Susan has served as a member of many officials committees at the regional, provincial and national levels. She has provided mentorship to both athletes and officials, served as a Team Leader to international competitions, chaired a Skate Canada Annual General Conference and chaired the Organizing Committee for the Canadian Championships when they were held in Victoria. She has also coordinated Community Skate and the volunteer support for Stars on Ice and was a volunteer at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Highlights of Susan’s judging career include: awarding a 6.0 to Kurt Browning during the 1993 National Championships, being part of the judging panel to award Shae Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz’s “River Dance” routine a perfect 6.0 across the board, meeting ‘Rocket’ Richard, Barbara Ann Scott and Toller Cranston when they were the Honorary Chairs of National Championships, and judging Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, from their early days right up until their Olympic Gold Medal achievements.

During her judging career, Susan has been honoured by her provincial association with the Officials Award of Excellence, Coaches Choice Award and the Audrey Moore Participation Award. Nationally, she has received the Elizabeth Swan Memorial Award and, just in the past year, the 50-year volunteer pin from Skate Canada.

SPONSORED BY 94 FORWARD

In 1906, Victoria’s motorcycle riders banded together with local automobile enthusiasts to form an association to promote their own interests and events. That early beginning lasted until 1912 when the Victoria Motorcycle Club (VMC) was formed with a membership of 21. A news report of the day in Canadian Motor Cycle magazine contained a photo of 19 riders posed in front of the British Columbia legislature. It announced that there were 75 bikes already in use on city roads and that club membership was growing rapidly. However, it was not until 1947 that the VMC became registered under the B.C. Societies Act as a non-profit organization, as it continues today.

Since 1967 the club has owned its own 172-acre property in Metchosin, using it for observed trials, field meets and short cross-country events. For decades the VMC’s event calendar, which included an annual two-day Terra Nova Enduro on Thanksgiving weekend and several other enduros, challenged riders from the island, the B.C. mainland and western states. Over the years the club’s high level of professionalism and focus on off-road events has produced a large cohort of expert riders such as Vern Amor, Canadian Scrambles champions Tom and Don Richardson, ISDE silver medallist Harold Perepalkin, Scottish Six Days Trial competitor Martin Spriggs and former three-time Canadian Trials champions Mark Cahill and Steve Fracy.

The club has a collection of more than 40 permanent trophies, the earliest of which dates from 1913 and was donated by the old Brentwood Hotel. Another is the Kirk Trophy, donated by the defunct Kirk Coal Company, which has been awarded since 1930 to the winner of an experts-only enduro. Some of the old silver trophies are now fragile with age, but club members still compete for them in a full season of events. One of the most unusual is a chrome-plated army helmet that was worn in the First World War by VMC member Cecil Frampton and which he later donated for the winner of an all-night enduro that began in 1935 and which continues now as a daytime event.

The club’s mission has always been to promote safe, enjoyable, challenging motorcycling for beginners, families, novices and experts alike. It has maintained a tradition of community service with participation in events such as the Good Samaritan Fund and Timmy’s Telethon and, for many years, it has been a consistent crowd favourite at the Victoria Day parade. It has sponsored many events and activities, such as a drill team, stunt riding and rodeos to entertain the public, as well as trials, scrambles, hill climbs, enduros, field meets and road rides.

With close to 400 members, a century-long history and a well-managed organization, the Victoria Motorcycle Club was recognized for its commitment and integrity with induction into the Canadian Motorcycling Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2018,former VMC members the Shanks family – Richard “Pop”, Reg and Bob (all deceased) - were also inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame for their contributions to motorcycling.

SPONSORED BY VANCOUVER ISLAND MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION