I’m just going to admit this right off the bat – I had no idea synchronized ice skating existed.
But we might all be hearing more about it in the coming years since U.S. Figure Skating has been working with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to designate “synchro,” as it’s known, as an “emerging women’s sport” with accompanying collegiate support.
Synchro is a team sport that requires an immense amount of talent and cooperation from teams made up of anywhere from 8-20 figure skaters. The teammates perform a program together in perfect unison or mirror and complement each other perfectly.
According to U.S. Figure Skating:
“Formed in 1956 by Dr. Richard Porter, the sport was known as “precision skating” for the intricate moves skaters perform on the ice together.”
In the U.S., teams compete at 18 different levels and the sport held its first World Synchronized Skating Championships in 2000 (the U.S. championship has been around since 1984).
Today, there are roughly 600 registered synchronized teams in the U.S. and kids can start when they’re quite young.
In a video from 2017, tens of thousands of viewers have watched the Skyliners – the synchro team that won first place at the Junior World Team Selection Event – strut their stuff. (Later, they went on to represent the U.S. at the Junior World Event.)
In their free skate (which is the second and longer program, as opposed to the “short program”), the team is required to display specific skills, or “Elements,” and link them together “harmoniously by a variety of transitions,” according to the International Skating Federation.
“Synchronized Skating refers to the quality of skating, importance of unison, the accuracy of formations and preciseness of the Team, all incorporated into a program of a specified time limit.”
The Skyliners are comprised of skaters from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut “tri-state area” but their rigorous training and accompanying success draws students from other areas of the country as well – and it’s clear from this performance that they’re among the best of the best.
The 16 young women on the ice perform most of the Elements in perfect unison, but the program includes some unique choreography as well that requires them to split into 4 perfect lines or other smaller groups that execute different but complementary Elements.
The precision required is impressive, making it necessary to have gifted skaters as well as “team players.” If even one person is off their mark, judges deduct points.
While the untrained eye might not be able to spot all of the different technical elements, the audience’s cheers during the performance are a pretty good indication that the team has pulled off something important.
As they end their performance on a series of beautiful spins, the skaters are spread out all over the ice, having nailed their three-and-a-half-minute routine.
And while the Skyliners didn’t seem to medal at the world competition that year, it was only a matter of time before the skating club started raking in the rewards of their hard work.
According to The Skyliners’ website, they won back-to-back Silver and Bronze medals at the Junior Worlds in 2018 and 2019. Those were the first Worlds medals ever won by Team USA Junior in skating.
Be sure to scroll down below to see the beautiful synchronized skate routine that took the team to the Junior World Championships.
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