Ronald Lam, Bela Papp and Jordan Ju have been friends for several years and regularly train together at the Coquitlam Figure Skating Club.
But when the trio lace up their skates at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany this week, they will temporarily set aside their friendship as they compete against each other for a spot at the 2014 Olympics.
"They are all good friends, but when they go out there they know they have to compete against each other," said coach Bruno Delmaestro. "They all have a lot of respect for each other."
Thirty-seven competitors will compete in this week's event in Germany, vying for six wild card spots still available for the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.
The competition will be tough, Delmaestro said, but if his athletes can skate a perfect short and long program there is a chance they could make it.
"You got to come and lay it out on the line," he said. "A good short and a good long - no mistakes."
The three Coquitlam skaters are no strangers to international competition.
Lam, the oldest of the three at 22, has skated in events from Latvia to Asia and is competing as a member of the Hong Kong national team. With Hong Kong, his family's home country, he said he has more opportunity to compete in international events and a better chance of getting to the Olympics.
The Port Moody secondary alum and current UBC computer science student said his past experience on the figure skating circuit gives him a good idea of what the judges are looking for.
"All the elements have to be there," he said. "That and a good presentation. If you can put it all together on that day, that is how you make it."
This week's event will be the first time Bela Papp has competed in an international competition after coming back from back surgery. The 19-year-old skater, who is a member of his home country's Finnish national team, has spent the last year recuperating, with regular physiotherapy as he builds up his strength.
He said the injury came after a quick growth spurt over-extended his spine, which did not have the muscles to handle the impact of his landings.
But the hiatus has not deterred the skater.
Despite his short career Papp, who has lived in Canada for six years, has logged a lot of air miles, traveling to Finland twice a year for national competitions on top of events in Bulgaria, Russia and Korea.
His time away from the sport, he added, does not concern him going into this week's competition.
"I think it is like riding a bike," he said. "You will get back on it. You just have to keep your head straight and try not to over think it."
At 18, Jordan Ju is the youngest of the trio of Coquitlam skating club members heading to Germany this week.
He is competing with the Taiwan national team, and said that while he is seeking a spot at the Sochi Olympics, he is still young enough to make the 2018 games if he is not successful at the Nebelhorn Trophy event.
"Some of the best in the world are going to be there," said the Kwantlen University student. "There is going to be a lot of tough competition."
