Speed skating returned to the Kitchener-Waterloo area with a notice placed in the 1963 K-W Record by the K-W Sertoma Service Club.  There had been local speed skaters here in the 1920's but the sport had died out. The Sertoma Club wished to sponsor some worthwhile sports project, and the notice came to the attention of then Ontario Amateur Speed Skating Association president Joe Huibers of St. Catherines.  Mr. Huibers,  with the assistance of John Jurdis and Dennis Laverty, executive members of the Association, persuaded Sertomans to host the 1963 Canadian Outdoor Championships in the K-W area.  Although lacking a competitive club, the group held a very successful 1963 Outdoor, and through appeals to local youth, had eight entered in this meet held on a six lap track put on Victoria Lake in downtown Kitchener. One local skater, Martin Deutschlander, entered as a Junior, borrowing a pair of racing skates four days before the competitions.  Martin won a third place medal in one final and placed fourth in another.  Quite an accomplishment for someone who had never seen a racing skate a week earlier. Another K-W area competitor, Eble Hanje, enter the Senior Men's class using a pair of Dutch wooden strap-on skate.  Hanje still officiates at competitions today. Following the championships, Huibers influenced the Sertoma Club to form a speed skating club locally.  the K-W Sertoma Speed Skating Club was formed over forty years ago.  Seven Skaters turned out to the original meeting.  Two Sertomans, Bill Plauntz and Jack Battler took over the positions as coach and treasurer of the club. The original seven skaters were Bob Bryant, Marty Deutschlander, Ron Billings, Eble Hanje, Hank Klaver, Greg Peterson and Gregg Planert.  Planert, along with Joe Hanje (Eble's brother) and Patti Hoch, who became members later, skated in Europe as Canadian Association team members in the early 1970's.  Planert later turned to coaching - two years in China and later with skaters in Calgary, Alberta. The 1964 skating season brought the first female club competitors - Connie DeGroot, Rosemary Wiese, Kathy Hoch and Karen McLaughlin, who later with her younger sister, Mary Ann  both won Canadian Championships as well as competing in provincial and U.S. competitions, gradually attaining championships. In 1968, Greg Peterson won the Canadian Outdoor Championship Junior tiltle in Saskatchewan.  Bill Plauntz and Jack Battler retired and Bob Planert took over as coach and Gerry Haack as secretary-treasurer.  Planert had been an associate member of the skating club from the start, acting as an official and helping with transportation to various meets.   Bob Planert The 1969-70 season saw the arrival of additional coaches - Jeff Crebolder and Tony Byvank - and the very welcome addition of Marcia Parson, former Olympic Team member from Alberta.   Marcia, a school teacher, skated for the club and encouraged several of her students to join.   From 1971 to 1978 the following members have won or tied Canadian Short Track or Long Track titles: Marcia Backner Parson, Gerald Dickey, Patti Hoch and Ann McLaughlin.  Patti Hock, Liz Ellenton, Darrell Haack and Ian Hennigar were on the Ontario Team at the 1975 Canada Games.  Hoch, Terry Rektor, Bob Crebolder and Gerry Haack were local club members on the 1971 Ontario Canada Games team.  DeGroot, Wise, Bryant and Klaver were on the Ontario Team at the original Winter Games in Quebec in 1967.  Bob Planert was chief timer there. Ian Hennigar later became Executive Director for the Ontario Speed Skating Association, leaving in 2004.  Bob Crebolder was a head coach for the Saskatchewan Speed Skating Association.