The 2021 kilt skate season was remarkable for many reasons. The COVID pandemic shut down traditional community events. Instead, kilted skaters took to the ice in their tartans as individuals or small, socially-distanced groups — what was known as the “Home Edition.” Photos from kilt skaters across the country were posted on the Gallery at ottscot.ca. And for the first time, the Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO), which organizes the Great Canadian Kilt Skate nationally, undertook a survey of kilt skate participants.

The survey found strong support for kilt skating in general and for the Home Edition version. Importantly, the event attracted a younger demographic than other SSO events. The largest cohort (45%) was comprised of Gen-Xers.

Another 8% were even younger: Millennials.   

Some 37% were Baby Boomers.

Another 10% were from what demographers call the Silent Generation.

And undoubtedly many of the kilt skate participants were younger, but they tended not to fill out a survey form!

Most of the survey respondents (70%) had attended a kilt skate in previous years.

Among the kilt skaters who lived in the partner cities, only half of the respondents were aware of the SSO’s role in organizing the national event.

Not surprisingly, in a year that saw Winnipeg named the Kilt Skate Capital of Canada, the largest cohort of survey respondents came from Manitoba (39%), followed by Ontario (31%) where many of the responses came from Ottawa. Survey feedback was also received from Quebec (10%), Alberta (6%), Saskatchewan (6%) and New Brunswick (4%).

As SSO’s partner in organizing the Great Canadian Kilt Skate on a national basis, the Scottish Government was interested in whether its messaging was getting through to kilt skaters. About half of respondents (49%) said they were either very familiar or familiar with current day Scotland. Over 60% were either very satisfied or satisfied with the contemporary cultural content provided by Scotland through #ScotlandIsNow.

The kilt skate survey was included in the newsletter sent to SSO members, as well as to the partner organizations in Montreal, North Glengarry, Toronto, Fergus, Winnipeg Saskatoon, Lethbridge and Calgary who were asked to forward it to their own members.

The SSO version of the survey included additional questions which revealed that most (70%) were paid SSO members. Most (69%) had learned about Kilt Skate via the SSO newsletter and Facebook page. And most (77%) were aware of the competition between cities to be named the “Kilt Skate Capital of Canada.”

An overwhelming majority (90%) encouraged SSO to continue promoting “the Home Edition” of Kilt Skate in future years. That same percentage also signaled that they were likely to attend future SSO-hosted events.

The survey was devised and managed by SSO’s “sherpa,” Wayne MacDonald, who took time from his board responsibilities to broaden the kilt skate season to include kilt skiing. His reports to the SSO include surveys of the Burns Dinner, Hogman-eh! celebrations, and tutored whisky tasting.