Calling all Synchro Skating fans, the Porter Synchronized Skating Classic is taking place this weekend in Ann Arbor, MI. You can actually watch the event live here for $15 as well as see on-demand content post-event: http://www.ledinvideo.com/stream.html
You can also get event updates on the Hockettes' team blog: hockettes.wordpress.com.
I've been catching up on the action and I'm looking forward to the senior free skate this afternoon. Team Unique from Sweden is competing! Also, it looks like a few of the collegiate teams - Western Michigan and Illinois - are giving seniors a try along with a former masters team, Denver Synchronicity. Major exciting stuff for a synchro fan.
After the short program, the Haydenettes are in the lead, followed by the Crystallettes, Team Unique, Miami Senior Varsity, California Gold, WMU, Denver, Illinois, and finally the Starlights.
Congratulations to my club teams, both the Open Juvenile and Master teams won their events. Go Riverstars!
Showing posts with label Synchro Team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Synchro Team. Show all posts
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Denver Sectionals Photos
So I'm terrible about blogging. I enjoy reading others' blogs more than writing my own. Here are some photos from Midwestern Synchro Sectionals.No surprises, we came in last - but last here equalled a pewter medal and a trip to Nationals!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
All of our practices are over, both on-ice and off. Just chillin' at the hotel waiting to do hair and makeup in a couple of hours.
We're skating in a real arena! A small arena, but a minor league hockey team plays there and an NBA development team of some sort. The temperature is comfortable along with cushy seats. There is a jumbotron in the center and a screen that loops around the seats. Oooh, then there are the locker rooms.
The locker rooms were clean and didn't smell like hockey equipment. They had regular bathrooms - that actually had doors on the stalls. Basically, they are professional rooms - clubhouse locker rooms - not the typical hole in the wall under the bleachers room for hockey. It had carpet in areas plus rubber matting for skates. There was some workout equipment around too.
I have been downing water as my skin is so dry, but I think I'm handling the altitude well. Several of my teammates have had some difficulty or have had asthma problems. I noticed WARNING sign about the altitude leaving the locker room after our official practice.
Our practices have been OK. I think our best was this morning at the practice rink a suburb over. We actually moved our moving circle for the first time in awhile. It seems to be coming together. We have already qualified for Nationals as all four masters teams move on. I hope we skate like deserve to go. I'll try my best.
We're skating in a real arena! A small arena, but a minor league hockey team plays there and an NBA development team of some sort. The temperature is comfortable along with cushy seats. There is a jumbotron in the center and a screen that loops around the seats. Oooh, then there are the locker rooms.
The locker rooms were clean and didn't smell like hockey equipment. They had regular bathrooms - that actually had doors on the stalls. Basically, they are professional rooms - clubhouse locker rooms - not the typical hole in the wall under the bleachers room for hockey. It had carpet in areas plus rubber matting for skates. There was some workout equipment around too.
I have been downing water as my skin is so dry, but I think I'm handling the altitude well. Several of my teammates have had some difficulty or have had asthma problems. I noticed WARNING sign about the altitude leaving the locker room after our official practice.
Our practices have been OK. I think our best was this morning at the practice rink a suburb over. We actually moved our moving circle for the first time in awhile. It seems to be coming together. We have already qualified for Nationals as all four masters teams move on. I hope we skate like deserve to go. I'll try my best.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Taquitos
Pretty much chilled with the team and skating moms for the juvenile team at the hotel for the rest of the day.
We had an off ice practice above the bar and then discovered the hospitality room. There was an assortment of festive beverages, chips and veggies, plus TAQUITOS! My favorite snack.
I just spent 30 mins on the elliptical to lose some of the taquitos. I'm very tired from the mix of travel and disruptive weather over the past few days. I'm off to a quick shower and then I'm hitting the sack.
We had an off ice practice above the bar and then discovered the hospitality room. There was an assortment of festive beverages, chips and veggies, plus TAQUITOS! My favorite snack.
I just spent 30 mins on the elliptical to lose some of the taquitos. I'm very tired from the mix of travel and disruptive weather over the past few days. I'm off to a quick shower and then I'm hitting the sack.
We made it
I'm in Broomfield, CO for the 2009 Midwestern Synchronized Skating Sectionals.
It was a treacherous journey... our team's flight was scheduled to leave Louisville at 7:00 a.m. Instead, the plane had a mechanical error and Northwest booked us on later flight at 8:45.... in Cincinnati two days after a winter storm coated the region with ice.
They gave us vouchers for cabs so we packed in 4 to a cab to make it to Cincy. Our driver drove with his emergency blinkers on at about 35 mph most of the way. Two other cabs stopped for gas and potty breaks which were cutting it close and they arrived at the airport just as we did. The driver finally said, "It danger, I scare." He also said he wasn't driving back home any time soon. Poor guy.
The check in crew was great and got us through as fast a possible, especially since we all had to check our skates. We ran to security and then to the gate. Fortunately, the plane waited for all of us.
It was a direct flight too which was nice. I got to sit next to Beverly Duburow who skates in Lexington and remembered me skating there as a teenager when her kids skated. It was enjoyable catching up with her finding out about how her kids are doing and any other skaters that were from Lexington. She is skating on the adult team.
With over 20 people with the Masters and Adult teams combined, we booked a limo to take us the hotel. Goofy limo pics coming soon...
It was a treacherous journey... our team's flight was scheduled to leave Louisville at 7:00 a.m. Instead, the plane had a mechanical error and Northwest booked us on later flight at 8:45.... in Cincinnati two days after a winter storm coated the region with ice.
They gave us vouchers for cabs so we packed in 4 to a cab to make it to Cincy. Our driver drove with his emergency blinkers on at about 35 mph most of the way. Two other cabs stopped for gas and potty breaks which were cutting it close and they arrived at the airport just as we did. The driver finally said, "It danger, I scare." He also said he wasn't driving back home any time soon. Poor guy.
The check in crew was great and got us through as fast a possible, especially since we all had to check our skates. We ran to security and then to the gate. Fortunately, the plane waited for all of us.
It was a direct flight too which was nice. I got to sit next to Beverly Duburow who skates in Lexington and remembered me skating there as a teenager when her kids skated. It was enjoyable catching up with her finding out about how her kids are doing and any other skaters that were from Lexington. She is skating on the adult team.
With over 20 people with the Masters and Adult teams combined, we booked a limo to take us the hotel. Goofy limo pics coming soon...
Sunday, December 21, 2008
With the holidays approaching, work travel and my first synchro competition, I’ve not taken the time to stop and post. However, it’s been an eventful and fun few weeks in my skating world.
Monday, December 1st: We had our final regular practice before the Dr. Porter competition in Ann Arbor. We had to wear our dresses and tights and practice entering the ice.
Both or our coaches were going to be skating; one as the definite alternate for a skater who decided to move to the lower open adult team, the other coach just decided to skate to give us an extra oomph – which added an extra skater to the lines and formations. We briefly ran through the areas that would be different with an extra skater so everyone would know where to go. Then we practiced coming on to the ice for a “mini warm-up” by skating in lines into our beginning position.
Finally, we did the mini warm-up and started the music. We got half way through when BAM! I felt my line collapse and heard a big thud. I turned and saw one of our older members lying on the ice with her hands clutching her nose and mouth. Never a good sign. Amazingly, she wasn’t bleeding horribly which would be good news considering hitting the mouth and nose area, but it predicted something being broken instead. One of the coaches called EMS and an ambulance came. She got to go to the emergency room in her sparkles and tights!
Through email I got the news that she did in fact break her jaw. She had to have it wired shut for several weeks. She put a long post on the group discussion board that she wasn’t feeling comfortable with this program and wanted to ask our coach about sitting out the Dr. Porter competitions and practicing more so she felt comfortable for sectionals. I think that thought plus practicing with an extra person next to her who is naturally faster in the last practice before this competition probably freaked her out a bit.
On that note, I left for Ann Arbor on Friday morning with some of the other veterans of the team. A lot of the car conversation was devoted to the incident and the older members of the team feeling like the program goes at “warp speed.”
Friday, December 5th: This was travel day. The team veterans were so sweet the entire trip to me, since this would be my first synchro competition. I think it’s been 12 years since I last competed as a single skater, but I wasn’t nervous at all. I was actually looking forward to skating with a team and not worrying about jumps or everyone looking at me. I felt comfortable with the program too.
Overall, I’d been really excited about the whole trip and competition. I looked forward to seeing some of the big name synchro teams like the Haydenettes and Miami University. I also thought I might see some coaches I know from other rinks or skaters I knew who had become coaches. Plus, I can count Michigan as a state I’ve been to now. It’s always a bonus to see a new state no matter how briefly.
It was snowing when we got to Ann Arbor and we went straight to the rink to register the team. The 2008 Dr. Porter Memorial was held at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube and it is a three rink facility, two surfaces have arena seating. While the team manager registered us and picked up our information packets, I got to witness several teams warming up which was too awesome as I discovered most warm up in synch! They had a little workout routine to music that they all did together. It brought up images of the teams eating cereal and brushing their teeth in synch…. How far do they take the synchronization??? ;)
We had arrived at a good time during the junior teams’ short program practice. So, we went out into the Stadium Rink to watch. This block of girls came by and I felt this big gush of wind as they glided past. They skated so smoothly and fast with seamless transitions. The formations were solid and all of the girls’ eyes were looking up and center, not an eyelash out of place. I was transfixed to my spot as they finished running through the program. It was just beautiful. I have seen synchro programs on YouTube and the LSA’s teams at our rink, but I just can’t describe seeing a good team live and the sound of 40 blades powering down the ice at once, the wind that swoops by and the precision of their movements. That first team I saw was called Gold Ice, a junior team from Canada.
Our practice was at friggin’ midnight. 12:07 a.m. We went and checked into the hotel, grabbed something to eat and did an off-ice practice run through as best we could in a small conference room. I went to the rink a little early to see the LSA juvenile team practice. In doing so, I caught the practice session of the Master Denver Synchronicity team that we would be skating against. They are the reigning National Champs and the director of synchro programs at US Figure Skating skates on this team. They were soup.
12:07 a.m. Practice – so we had our skating dresses and tights on again and ran through the entrance and then the program several times. The first time through a few people fell but I think that got it out of the system. We improved each time.
Saturday, December 6th: The masters’ competition wasn’t until four or something. The beginner and juvenile teams all competed early in the day and I missed all of their events. We had more off ice practice in the conference room. Then we had to put our itchy, black, glitter-shedding dresses and tights on again to hang out in all day. This time we got to add hair and make-up. We had to buy matching long-last lipstick (which brought out the yellow in my teeth – I felt like a bridesmaid) and the team bought eye shadow and blush to share. We gelled up and slicked back the hair before attaching the hair pieces. We look a bit like librarians getting wild.
Finally, we got in our locker room got into our skates and took to the warm-up ice. We ran through our program with one fall. Then we walked over to the stadium rink, entered the ice and performed the program for real. Most of the juvenile team was still around and they cheered us on. No one fell and all felt well. We celebrated with an assortment of carbs at the Macaroni Grill.
Saturday, December 13th: I really didn’t see any of our competitors. What I did see confirmed what I already knew, my team’s footwork is much more basic and at a much lower level of difficulty. We finished last, but the veterans were happy two judges placed us 5th.
We changed the majority of our steps in our elements to increase the difficulty in the first practice after the competition. No more pumps, it’s all about crossovers and chasses now – much more challenging. I’m very much enjoying the changes and looking forward to practicing the steps on my own and I hope the rest of team does as well and doesn’t freak out. Only three more practices until our next competition.
Monday, December 1st: We had our final regular practice before the Dr. Porter competition in Ann Arbor. We had to wear our dresses and tights and practice entering the ice.
Both or our coaches were going to be skating; one as the definite alternate for a skater who decided to move to the lower open adult team, the other coach just decided to skate to give us an extra oomph – which added an extra skater to the lines and formations. We briefly ran through the areas that would be different with an extra skater so everyone would know where to go. Then we practiced coming on to the ice for a “mini warm-up” by skating in lines into our beginning position.
Finally, we did the mini warm-up and started the music. We got half way through when BAM! I felt my line collapse and heard a big thud. I turned and saw one of our older members lying on the ice with her hands clutching her nose and mouth. Never a good sign. Amazingly, she wasn’t bleeding horribly which would be good news considering hitting the mouth and nose area, but it predicted something being broken instead. One of the coaches called EMS and an ambulance came. She got to go to the emergency room in her sparkles and tights!
Through email I got the news that she did in fact break her jaw. She had to have it wired shut for several weeks. She put a long post on the group discussion board that she wasn’t feeling comfortable with this program and wanted to ask our coach about sitting out the Dr. Porter competitions and practicing more so she felt comfortable for sectionals. I think that thought plus practicing with an extra person next to her who is naturally faster in the last practice before this competition probably freaked her out a bit.
On that note, I left for Ann Arbor on Friday morning with some of the other veterans of the team. A lot of the car conversation was devoted to the incident and the older members of the team feeling like the program goes at “warp speed.”
Friday, December 5th: This was travel day. The team veterans were so sweet the entire trip to me, since this would be my first synchro competition. I think it’s been 12 years since I last competed as a single skater, but I wasn’t nervous at all. I was actually looking forward to skating with a team and not worrying about jumps or everyone looking at me. I felt comfortable with the program too.
Overall, I’d been really excited about the whole trip and competition. I looked forward to seeing some of the big name synchro teams like the Haydenettes and Miami University. I also thought I might see some coaches I know from other rinks or skaters I knew who had become coaches. Plus, I can count Michigan as a state I’ve been to now. It’s always a bonus to see a new state no matter how briefly.
It was snowing when we got to Ann Arbor and we went straight to the rink to register the team. The 2008 Dr. Porter Memorial was held at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube and it is a three rink facility, two surfaces have arena seating. While the team manager registered us and picked up our information packets, I got to witness several teams warming up which was too awesome as I discovered most warm up in synch! They had a little workout routine to music that they all did together. It brought up images of the teams eating cereal and brushing their teeth in synch…. How far do they take the synchronization??? ;)
We had arrived at a good time during the junior teams’ short program practice. So, we went out into the Stadium Rink to watch. This block of girls came by and I felt this big gush of wind as they glided past. They skated so smoothly and fast with seamless transitions. The formations were solid and all of the girls’ eyes were looking up and center, not an eyelash out of place. I was transfixed to my spot as they finished running through the program. It was just beautiful. I have seen synchro programs on YouTube and the LSA’s teams at our rink, but I just can’t describe seeing a good team live and the sound of 40 blades powering down the ice at once, the wind that swoops by and the precision of their movements. That first team I saw was called Gold Ice, a junior team from Canada.
Our practice was at friggin’ midnight. 12:07 a.m. We went and checked into the hotel, grabbed something to eat and did an off-ice practice run through as best we could in a small conference room. I went to the rink a little early to see the LSA juvenile team practice. In doing so, I caught the practice session of the Master Denver Synchronicity team that we would be skating against. They are the reigning National Champs and the director of synchro programs at US Figure Skating skates on this team. They were soup.
12:07 a.m. Practice – so we had our skating dresses and tights on again and ran through the entrance and then the program several times. The first time through a few people fell but I think that got it out of the system. We improved each time.
Saturday, December 6th: The masters’ competition wasn’t until four or something. The beginner and juvenile teams all competed early in the day and I missed all of their events. We had more off ice practice in the conference room. Then we had to put our itchy, black, glitter-shedding dresses and tights on again to hang out in all day. This time we got to add hair and make-up. We had to buy matching long-last lipstick (which brought out the yellow in my teeth – I felt like a bridesmaid) and the team bought eye shadow and blush to share. We gelled up and slicked back the hair before attaching the hair pieces. We look a bit like librarians getting wild.
Finally, we got in our locker room got into our skates and took to the warm-up ice. We ran through our program with one fall. Then we walked over to the stadium rink, entered the ice and performed the program for real. Most of the juvenile team was still around and they cheered us on. No one fell and all felt well. We celebrated with an assortment of carbs at the Macaroni Grill.
Saturday, December 13th: I really didn’t see any of our competitors. What I did see confirmed what I already knew, my team’s footwork is much more basic and at a much lower level of difficulty. We finished last, but the veterans were happy two judges placed us 5th.
We changed the majority of our steps in our elements to increase the difficulty in the first practice after the competition. No more pumps, it’s all about crossovers and chasses now – much more challenging. I’m very much enjoying the changes and looking forward to practicing the steps on my own and I hope the rest of team does as well and doesn’t freak out. Only three more practices until our next competition.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Preping for 1st Competition
We've had two more good practices and run through the program several times. This is apparently a first for the team to have the program actually complete a few weeks in advance of competition.
I've been scoping out the teams we'll be competing against at the Dr. Porter Memorial Synchronized Skating Competiton in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Master Teams listed are:
I'm on the RiverStars, we're a team of 12, the minimum for a team
The site links photos on snapfish of the teams. Here is my assessment of the teams with photos:
For the teams that do not have photos, I recognize their names:
Should be interesting.
I've been scoping out the teams we'll be competing against at the Dr. Porter Memorial Synchronized Skating Competiton in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Master Teams listed are:
- Allegro
- DC Edge
- Denver Synchronicity
- Louisville RiverStars
- Team Delaware
- Team Glace'
I'm on the RiverStars, we're a team of 12, the minimum for a team
The site links photos on snapfish of the teams. Here is my assessment of the teams with photos:
- Allegro - large team so they can use their best skaters and have the others as alternates
- DC Edge - lots of tan skates worn in the photo which suggest several "pros" either as coaches or Disney on Ice veterans
- Denver Synchronicity - Matching practice outfits, large team, several tan skates visible, and they are the reigning national champions.
For the teams that do not have photos, I recognize their names:
- Team Delaware - I believe these are veterans of the University of Delaware Skating Club and Synchro Team. UD is a big training center with international coaches so they are usually good, even the older skaters.
- Team Glace' - I've seen that name often, it seems to be an established program in synchro and I would assume the masters team is made up of a lot of veterans.
Should be interesting.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Finished Program
We completed the program choreography, practiced a few sections and we skated the ENTIRE PROGRAM once by the end of practice! Woo hoo!
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