Skills Canada’s regional competition brings out new and old competitors from across the area to compete in a trade. One such trade, hairstyling, features a team of competitors from Holy Rosary High School (HRHS).
One of their students, Preema Nathan, is no stranger to the competition. In 2023, Nathan won silver in the regional braiding competition. That victory sent her to provincials, where she won gold. Now, she is preparing for another challenge: the Skills Canada Regional Hairstyling Competition in Bridal.
“The hardest part is making sure I have everything within the allotted time,” said Nathan. “We’re only given a set amount of time to finish our hairstyling. It’s a lot of repetition once you get your idea down. You have to make sure you can fit all the elements in on competition day under pressure.”
Melody Docken, the hairstyling and aesthetics teacher, has helped guide students through this competition for years.
“In their classes, they learn a lot about braiding and updos,” said Docken.
“This competition is an extension of their classroom work. They have to be creative, good at braiding and bridal updos, and time management is key.”
Students are allocated roughly one month to prepare.
“We found out in February that we had enough spots,” said Docken. “Then I picked my people, and they practiced a couple nights a week until the competition.”
Meanwhile, preparing for the competition has taught Nathan important life skills.
“It’s a lot of time management and problem-solving,” she said. “You watch a tutorial on YouTube, and they make it look so simple. But when you go to do it yourself, it does not work the same at all. You have to identify what you’re doing wrong and figure out how to fix it.”
However, she notes it’s a different kind of pressure come competition day.
“They give enough time to make an updo and a nice hairstyle,” said Nathan. “But you’re definitely trying to do as much as you can within your mannequin head to make sure it’s the best you can possibly do.”
Handling nerves is another part of the process.
“I don’t know. A lot of sitting in silence and stressing,” she said with a laugh. “Docken can probably see it on my face. Mindfulness. Lots and lots of mindfulness.”
One of the biggest challenges is the way the bridal category is selected.
“They get three photos,” said Docken. “One is usually fairly easy, but there’s always at least one that’s really hard. They have to work to make it look exactly like that picture. The day of the competition, the judges choose one photo. The students don’t know which one they’ll have to recreate. That’s stressful.”
For the braiding competition, it’s different.
“The braiding competitors have to create their own style,” said Docken. “They have to use two different textures for the braid. It has to be placed on the head correctly so it looks symmetrical.”
Over the years, Nathan has had to refine her skills.
“I had a year off where I lost some skills,” she said. “Even simple things, like how to put in a bobby pin so you can’t see it. That’s something you get marked on. Or using a Marcel curling iron. At first, it took me half an hour to do something that should take ten minutes.”
However, despite the challenges, she is excited.
“It’s a great opportunity,” she said. “You get to meet new people from other schools and do something you enjoy. If the outcome is good, great. If it’s not, it’s still a good experience.”
This year’s team includes Nathan, Princess Debaculant, Taylor Sambrook, Brittney Basset, and Avery Bishop.
“The most rewarding part is winning gold at provincials,” said Nathan. “Winning at regionals is good, too. But when we win gold at provincials, it makes you feel like you’ve done right by teaching them.”
Read More: HRHS students shine at Provincial/National Skills comp
