Sean Conroy Barlow Crowned Champion of 2025 Seacoast Skating with the Stars

PORTSMOUTH - Strawbery Banke has announced that Sean Conroy Barlow is the 2025 Seacoast Skating with the Stars champion. The highly anticipated event, in partnership with Ice Dance International, occurred Feb. 1, at Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond, where local "stars" paired with professional skaters for a competition of skill.

Despite the cold temperatures, 500 in-person attendees and nearly 500 livestream viewers cheered on six local contestants paired with Ice Dance International professional skaters. The livestream, provided by IPTimelapse/Portsmouth Webcam, has now been viewed over 6,000 times. IPTimelapse/Portsmouth Webcam streams live via Boston and Maine Live on YouTube.

This year’s contestants included: 

• Sean Conroy Barlow – Bartender at The Black Birch in Kittery, Maine, and a crossing guard for Portsmouth Middle School
• Ali Goodwin – Realtor® with Haven Homes & Lifestyle at Keller Williams
• Linnea Grim – President and CEO, Thomas W. Haas Endowed Chair, of Strawbery Banke Museum 
• Peter Mead – Loaded Question Brewing Co.
• Jen Scumaci – DJ Skooch, now a Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy, Inc. 
• Ben VanCamp – Chief Collaborator & President of the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth.

With dazzling performances and support from the audience and judges, Barlow claimed the top honor alongside his Ice Dance International pro partner, Ryan Dunk, a viral skating sensation on TikTok and Instagram.

The panel of judges for this year’s competition included Elin Schran, founder of Joy Skate Productions and Be Here! Be YOU!; John Mucko, co-founder of American Ice Theater Boston; and Sheryl Franks, 1980 Olympian and four-time U.S. Bronze Medalist.

“I’m thrilled I participated in Seacoast Skating with the Stars,” said Barlow.  “It was a challenge to learn something new and present it to such a large audience. The best part was skating with the other participants and professionals, and winning was an amazing bonus—I couldn’t have asked for a better group to share this journey with.”

The event, a special highlight of Strawbery Banke’s winter programming, celebrates the joy of ice skating while supporting community engagement and the museum’s beloved outdoor rink.

“Seacoast Skating with the Stars truly reflects the spirit of Ice Dance International,” said Doug Webster, executive and artistic director of Ice Dance International. “This event aligns with Ice Dance International’s mission of uniting people to share the joy of dance on ice and fostering community through skating.”

“Seacoast Skating with the Stars is a wonderful reflection of the vibrant community spirit of greater Portsmouth,” said Linnea Grim, president and CEO, Thomas W. Haas Endowed Chair. “It’s inspiring to see how Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond has brought everyone together, from our talented local stars to our incredible supporters. Congratulations to Sean on his achievement and to all whose dedication and energy made this event truly special.”

Ice Dance International delivered a well-received performance, with a notable highlight being the Strawbery Banke Seacoast Community Ice Ensemble’s presentation of Imagine. Ice Dance International will return to the Seacoast on March 2 as part of its national 14-city, tenth-anniversary tour of SOAR! at the Dover Arena. For tickets and more information, visit IceDanceInternational.org.

Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond is sponsored in part by the Labrie Group, Aland Realty, Otter Creek Homes, Rink Services Group, Boynton Waldron Doleac Woodman & Scott, P.A., Ambrose Integrative Medicine, Haley Ward, Proulx Oil & Propane, Seacoast United, Ice Dance International, Northeast Delta Dental, HDC General Contractors, and Portsmouth Webcam. 

For more information about skating, to view the weekly ice schedule, and to purchase ice skating tickets, visit StrawberyBanke.org. 

About Strawbery Banke Museum: 
Strawbery Banke is a nearly 10-acre living history museum in Portsmouth, NH that interprets over 350 years of local history, from Indigenous history to the present. Through its historical houses on their original sites, heirloom gardens, traditional crafts, and costumed roleplayers, visitors are invited to explore the stories of the families who lived and worked in the authentic waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock. As the first Smithsonian Affiliate in New Hampshire, Strawbery Banke is part of a prestigious network of more than 200 Affiliates across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Panama.

Strawbery Banke welcomes visitors, members, schoolchildren, and volunteers for daily programs, exhibits, special events, and seasonal ice skating. Strawbery Banke Museum is funded in part by grants from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation; the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts & National Endowment for the Arts; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the National Endowment.

About Ice Dance International: 
Established in 2014 as a non-profit organization based in Maine, Ice Dance International (IDI) has built its local, US, and global image through live and virtual performances and its educational programs. IDI exists to showcase and promote ice dancing as an internationally recognized performing art form. With a professional company and board of directors of figure skaters and choreographers including World, Olympic, and National champions, IDI brings ice dance performances of the highest caliber to communities across the United States. To learn more about Ice Dance International, the company’s winter residency at Strawbery Banke, and IDI’s upcoming national tour called SOAR featuring Olympic Champion Gabriella Papadakis, visit, IceDanceInternational.org.