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August 20, 2026 – Figure skating phenomenon Caleb Flanagan,13, had a good time in Anaheim the first weekend in August. Representing Ice in Paradise on behalf of the American Riviera Figure Skating Club at the Glacier Falls Summer Classic, Caleb took home a gold medal, marked a personal best, and is now ranked second in the National Qualifying Series (NQS) with a score of 52.57. “It was my first NQS, so I was a little nervous,” he admitted, “because lots of kids had higher base values, but I was able to do well compared to other skaters. Certain elements need work but overall I achieved a better grade of execution.”
Nearly 1,500 skaters from across the country compete at 21 qualifying events in singles, pairs and ice dance under the umbrella of US Figure Skating. The National Qualifying Series began in July and runs through October, culminating with the National Qualifying Series Finals, which take place in November. Top skaters at each level then advance to the Eastern, Midwestern and Pacific Coast Sectional Singles Final as well as the U.S. Pairs and U.S. Ice Dance Finals. NQS and the NQS Finals serve as one of the qualifying pipelines to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Always an active kid, Caleb tried soccer and hockey before settling in with figure skating, as he was drawn to the artistic nature of the sport. He started in 2018, but credits his coach Breanne Bonilla Walsh (who’s also the general manager of Ice in Paradise) with encouraging him to get serious about figure skating. He won his first gold medal against nobody, as there are few male figure skaters. Boys compete only against other boys in the sport because girls tend to peak earlier than boys. Since then, he’s never failed to medal in any competition he’s entered and usually takes home the gold. Caleb lives in Goleta with his family and is about to start 8th grade at Goleta Valley Junior High.
“I remember Caleb skating in our first camp after the pandemic shut down,” said Coach Breanne. “He had a fiery spirit and that has only helped him grow and develop into the skater he is today. It’s always fun for a coach to work with students who put time and effort into improving their skating outside of your lesson, something that Caleb excels at. We look forward to Caleb achieving all of his goals this season.”
What’s next for the rising star? “Well, I’m moving from the juvenile to the intermediate division,” he explained, “ and then to novice. After that, I hope to make the Junior National Team.”
