On 7th January, before the quarter had even started, UCLA Figure Skating headed down to San Diego to compete in the 2017 Ride the Tide, hosted by UCSD. This was the second of three qualifying competitions, and the Bruins skated well to finish in 2nd place out of 10 teams.

15 skaters from UCLA attended the competition, with many of them flying back to LA early to compete before the start of classes on Monday.

All of the skaters really gave it their all, with Bruins placing in nearly every division they entered. This competition was particularly special because for a lot of the skaters it was their first time competing at an intercollegiate, and they all put out impressive performances. Special mentions should go to Sydney Kusumoputro, Noelle Cho, Jennifer Kwak, Yi Zhou, and Harrison Wong for earning medals in their first intercollegiate competition.
 
Throughout the day, the Bruins continued to work hard and skate their best, earning medals across all disciplines and levels. 4th year Julia Feng and 1st year Tiffany Wu both showed incredible stamina and perseverance to compete in five events across a busy day, earning more than twenty points towards the team's overall standing. UCLA skaters also shone in the Junior Men's division, in which Bruins stood on all three spots on the podium. Freshmen Harrison Wong, Benjamin Shou, and Yi Zhou all skated well, with some impressive triple jumps and beautiful spins, to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The long day of competition ended with the team maneuver events, which are always a fun competition to watch. Unlike normal events, the skaters go out in teams of 3-6 and perform individual elements. UCLA skaters kept up their good work, earning medals in each division of the event. The Low Team (Tiana Austel, Jennifer Kwak, Noelle Cho, Renee Xue, and Resa Ding) showed some beautiful jumps and spins to earn 3rd place. For many of them, this was their first time competing in a maneuver event, so they did well to stay cool under pressure and skate brilliantly. The Intermediate Team (Marisa Goff, Ai Ohno, and Sydney Kusumoputro) skated with determination and artistry to earn second place. The High Team (Elena Pulkinen, Julia Feng, Benjamin Shou, Harrison Wong, and Yi Zhou) pulled out some impressive jumps to earn a unanimous first place finish.
 
UCLA finished the day in 2nd place, earning a personal best point total. This puts UCLA currently tied for 1st place with UC Berkeley on the West Coast standings, and in a good position to qualify for Intercollegiate Nationals in April. Their next competition is the Pioneer Open in Denver on 11th February, where they hope to continue their streak and qualify for nationals.