Gymnasts prepare to meet in CdA

With dozens of bodies flipping through the air, multicolored pads of many shapes and sizes littering the floors, and a powdery haze of chalk hanging in the air, the scene resembled a Dr. Seuss-themed battleground.

Though chaotic, the scene was one of precision and practice as more than 60 gymnasts took to the floors and skies at Funtastics gymnasium in Coeur d’Alene ahead of this weekend’s Great West Gym Fest.

The gymnasts, who range from 6-year-olds to young adults, were practicing routines for Funtastics’ annual gymnastics event Friday through Sunday at North Idaho College and the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Gym Fest, marking its sixth year, is expected to bring as many as 1,900 athletes and coaches from across the U.S. and Canada.

“I would say it’s probably the most sought-after competition in the U.S.,” said Dave Adlard, 45, the meet director, who owns Funtastics with his wife, Lisa. Since the couple opened the gym in their home garage more than 10 years ago, they have seen the business mushroom from a handful of kids to more than 1,200 every week at their gym off Highway 95 on Sunshine Street.

“We have 8- and 9-year-olds training 20 hours a week,” Adlard said.

To accommodate their growing numbers, Funtastics plans to expand the Coeur d’Alene gym and open a new one in Post Falls. But for now the Adlards, as well as the participating athletes and volunteer coaches, are occupied with getting ready for Great West Gym Fest.

“We have a good team,” Dave Adlard said.

At this year’s Gym Fest, the men’s competitions, which were not held last year because of a lack of space, will be at NIC and the women’s competitions in the resort ballrooms.

The men’s competitions include six events: floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar. Women’s competitions are floor, vault, uneven bars and balance beam.

The yearly event expanded to include the NIC facilities because, Adlard said, “we have more athletes than ever before” and because rooms with higher ceilings were needed for the men’s contests.

Participants must be at least age 6 and belong to a recognized team, and must rank at Level 4 or higher on a 10-level scale.

“When you are watching gymnastics, it’s like watching nothing else,” said Colin Sheffield, one of the coaches of Team Funtastics’ 14 male Gym Fest participants.

“You are so focused on what they are doing … you just get sucked into it.”

In one corner at Funtastics, part of the three-time state champion men’s team recently practiced routines. At the pommel horse was Cole Florey, a 5-foot-4 high-school freshman with a mop of dark hair, who usually practices 16 hours a week.

Though fairly new to the sport, Florey has placed high in many recent meets, including first in all-around and high-bar competitions at a Colorado Springs event.

“This takes up all my free time,” said Florey, 14, who competes at Level 6.

Chrisian Depasquale, a 10-year-old gymnast, took a break from practicing his parallel bars routine to talk about his dedication to the sport.

“There are some days when you don’t want to go, but it pays off,” Depasquale said.

“A lot of my friends are like, ‘How can you play that long?’ But I love it.”