Mozart Cup 2011

I've developed a habit of discovering a live feed of a synchro event just as the event ends. I attempted to watch the senior freeskate of the inaugural Mozart Cup in Salzburg, Austria Sunday. I went through PayPal and then saw skaters take a bow and no more skating.... nothing is showing up on YouTube yet. Bummer because this competition boasted Nexxice, Marigold Ice Unity and the Haydenettes!

Here are the results of the senior competition. Marigold Ice Unity edged the Haydenettes for the top of the podium, reminiscent of the slim point divide between last year's teams at the 2010 world championships which was the last time these teams competed against each other. The Starlights also made their international season debut with a 5th place finish. Since I first witnessed the Starlights two years ago, they have been one of my favorite teams; I think they create unique programs within the IJS. (The Starlights were supposed to compete this weekend at Prague Cup, but that competition was canceled and competitors had to scramble for new assignments and travel arrangements.)

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	MARIGOLD ICE UNITY	FIN	186.77	1	1
2	HAYDENETTES	USA	184.32	2	2
3	TEAM BOOMERANG	SWE	164.54	3	3
4	HOT SHIVERS	ITA	140.95	4	4
5	STARLIGHTS	USA	118.66	5	5
6	SWEET MOZART	AUT	102.70	6	6
7	ZAGREB SNOWFLAKES	CRO	83.81	7	7
8	ANKARA UNIVERSITY SYNCHRONIZED SKATING TEAM	TUR	56.46	8	8

On the junior end, Nexxice of Canada skated away with a victory. The Lexettes rose up in the freeskate to take the bronze and the University of Miami junior varsity team finished 6th. World order was maintained however as a Finnish team took the silver and another was fifth.

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	NEXXICE	CAN	168.31	1	1
2	MUSKETEERS	FIN	164.86	2	2
3	LEXETTES	USA	141.12	4	3
4	TEAM CONVIVIUM	SWE	137.34	5	4
5	STELLA POLARIS	FIN	129.44	3	6
6	MIAMI UNIVERSITY JUNIOR	USA	122.78	7	5
7	TEAM SPIRIT	SWE	112.71	6	8
8	TEAM ESTREIJA	FIN	112.46	8	7
9	HOT SHIVERS JUN	ITA	107.62	9	9
10	ZAGREB SNOWFLAKES	CRO	72.35	11	10
11	FROSTWORK	HUN	66.97	10	12
12	STARLETS	CZE	63.98	12	11
13	ICE STARS JUNIOR	HUN	57.40	13	13

Skating News January 2011

Ah, it's January with two more months of winter. Most of the US is a bit sick of winter after record snowfalls, but the snow and cold is all the better to cozy up to winter sports. No, not the football playoffs, way more exciting stuff like ice skating!

Synchro Stuff
Early in the month, the U.S. selected their teams for the Junior World Challenge Cup in Switzerland. There's not an official ISU junior synchro championship yet, so the entrants are not decided at Nationals. The World Junior Team Selection Competition was held in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin with the Skyliners of New York and Team Braemar of Minnesota earning the two spots to represent the U.S. Both teams have several seasons of experience in international competitions.

The international competitive season of synchronized skating kicked off in Germany at the Cup of Berlin. The mighty Finns continued to be mighty at the senior level, with the Rockettes winning the event. They  won by nearly 40 points. At the junior level, Finnish teams swept the podium. I'd hate to be behind the Finnish teams at airport security. That's a lot of medal to check.

California Gold and Chicago Jazz represented the U.S. at the senior and junior levels, respectively. Both teams had solid fourth place finishes. For full results check the Cup of Berlin link above.

National Championships
Several countries held their national championships in December. Canada and the U.S. hold their championships in singles, dance and pairs in January. The Canadian champs are wrapping up  this weekend.

Missing in action from Canadians are Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. They sat out the first half of the season due to a surgery to help with shin splints on Virtue. They decided they weren't quite ready to compete yet. No word yet on if they will be selected to compete at the world championships.

Cynthia Phaneuf won the ladies event, and the team of Moore-Towers and Moscovitch were crowned the new pairs champs. Patrick Chan is leading after the men's short and planning two quads for today's freeskate. Check out skatebuzz.ca for results, interviews and live streaming and archives of some events.

Other News
Johnny Weir has a book out, Welcome to My World. It's made news as he actually talks about being gay in the book and in promotional interviews. I don't think his sexual preference is really news, but if you have googled figure skating in the past few weeks this has come up. If you're a Weir fan, he may be coming to a bookstore near you. Check his site for book signings and other happenings. I'm debating downloading his book to my Kindle or buying for my collection of skating books. While I think there will be some uber-dishing about the skating world, I think it will be more about Johnny covering all things Weir. It may just be a Kindle title. What do you think?

Cup of Berlin

Good luck to California Gold and Chicago Jazz this weekend at Cup of Berlin. The competition site has a live tracker, which I think I remember was a basic update of the team skating and the score. I think Berlin is 6 hours ahead of the eastern time zone, so noon-ish you might see updates.

IceNetwork press release on Cup of Berlin

Cup of Berlin 2011 site

Synchro Sightings Anyone?

The Bryant Park rink opened last night. The Haydenettes usually perform to help ring in the holiday season and outdoor skating in New York City. Did anyone see them? I've not found YouTube clips yet.

I hope the audience realized they were watching the "next big thing" in the world of sports. I'm confident in the next few years synchronized skating will make the list of what's in and out on the "in" side.

Miami synchro has their exhibitions next Saturday. That includes a mini-practice, and seeing the programs of all Miami teams, the collegiate program, and both the short and free for the junior and senior teams. In past years, I've driven up to Oxford, Ohio to see the unveiling. Next weekend my skating club is hosting a competition and I'll be helping with the awards and pictures so I won't be making the trip. If anyone is in driving distance of the picturesque college town of Oxford, I recommend making the trip. You can stop in to the IKEA that's in the Cincinnati suburbs about 20 minutes from Oxford for some shopping or just to fill up on meatballs before heading to rink. They have a gorgeous two-rink arena for their hockey and synchro teams.

With Miami and the Haydenettes debuting their programs, that means the Dr. Porter Classic in Ann Arbor, Michigan is just around the corner. Then synchro season is on!

Has anyone seen their local synchro team lately? If you haven't you should! You'll be amazed at the speed and the sound of the blades moving in unison.

Anyone buzz about the Chicago Jazz? What's going on in Canada with Nexxice or Gold Ice? Who's going to make a move to the podium in Canada? Any of my occassional blog readers from Finland have any news on the Rockettes or any other of those amazing Finnish teams?

Disappointed the Olympics aren't on TV tonight? Going through Olympic skating withdrawal? If you loved the figure skating and were riveted by the teamwork in final US vs. Canada hockey match then I've got a sport for you: Synchronized Skating.

Synchronized Skating, or synchro, is the fastest growing discipline in figure skating and the youngest ISU sanctioned sport. Synchro combines the speed and strength of skating with intricate moves and artistry on a team of 8 - 20 skaters.

The 2010 U.S. Synchronized Skating Nationals take place this weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Unlike the U.S. championship in Spokane, the synchro event will include all the competitive levels: juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior, senior, adult, masters. The top finishers at the senior level move on to the world synchro champs in April.

If you need a skating fix, check out Icenetwork's live coverage of the event this weekend. Subscribers can watch online and then enjoy the archives on demand.

photo: Team Evolution; freeskate 2009 US Nationals; taken by me.

Miami U Competes at Neuchatel Trophy This Weekend

In the midst of the Olympics and a weekend full of ice dancing, synchronized skating glides on. This weekend botht he senior and junior teams from Miami University will be competing in Neuchatel, Switzerland for the Neuchatel Trophy.

According to icenetwork:

The senior competition consists of seven teams from five countries: Hungary, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. In the junior division, there are seven teams from six nations: Canada, Hungary, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

Looking at the competition website, it seems you can actually watch all 14 teams live online. The short programs have passed, but the freeskate is scheduled for tomorrow at 17.00 Swiss time. I think is about noon Eastern. Here's the link for the live feed: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/synchro-skating-events-switzerland

Go Miami RedHawks!

Spring Cup in Milano

Congratulations the US teams that competed in Milan, Italy over the weekend.

Western Michigan University Syncho - 6th in the senior event
Team Braemar Synchro - 2nd in the junior event (Good warm up for the junior world championship!)

Full results: http://www.springcup.it/10/springcup2010.htm

French Cup 2010

I posted a snippet on the Senior Synchro Sectionals yesterday and pondered why California Gold didn't compete. The reason: The competed at the French Cup in Rouen, France.

California Gold placed 10th in a competitive field that included the reigning world champs: Nexxice of Canada and the also strong Finnish teams: Marigold Ice Unity & Team Unique.

The Starlights made their international senior debut here as well. They placed just ahead of California Gold in 9th.

Senior Synchro Sectionals 2010

The sectional qualifying events took place the last weekend of January in Lowell, Massachusetts and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Five senior teams competed across the nation, three at the Midwestern Championship and one each at the Eastern and Pacific Championships.

Last year a few teams had byes to Nationals and did not have to skate at a sectional event due to either the previous year's placement at Nationals or competing in an international event. This year, only a few teams had byes, but it still seemed to be a small roster of competitors for this fast growing sport. I suspect the economy is limiting skater's budgets which results in teams cutting back on their competitions and travel. Small fields and small audiences! In the Icenetwork archive it looked like about five people where in the stands and the crowd was thin in Cedar Rapids too.

Haydenettes

Haydenettes FB page

Eastern Sectional:
1. Haydenettes
Wow! The free skate to West Side Story was a clinic in synchro. My husband peered over my shoulder while I watched the archive. I told him he was witnessing the UK basketball of US synchro as they've won 18 championships. He shrugged and said if they were really the UK of synchro the audience would be packed. I'll have to think of another sports dynasty that wins consistently, yet quietly. Such a shame there were so few to witness them. Come on people! They medaled at Cup of Berlin this year! How many American synchro teams medaled internationally this year?

Midwestern Sectional:
1. Miami Redhawks
Their free skate just sings. It's come together so well since I saw it at their exhibition in the fall. They skate with the mark of Sara Kawahara now, and look like they are having fun with the music.
2. Western Michigan University
Last year's winners put out a solid skate. It's just hard to beat a varisty squad when you're a club.
3. Evolution
I always root for them; their coach always recognizes the Louisville coaches at events and says, "LOUIE-ville, LOUIE-ville!" in his French accent. They also had their practices after the Masters RiverStars at Nationals last year and always cheered our run throughs. They've had a rough season this year with music issues at Porter. (Their music either skipped or stopped, even on the back up CD.) They have popular music with Slumdog Millionaire but the Bollywood-vibe was lacking in this outing and there technical errors.

Pacific Sectional:
1. Ice'Kateers
I think this team moved up from Juniors last year and they had a good debut at senior sectionals. I wonder what happened to California Gold? Another team MIA, but glad to see the Ice'Kateers represent synchro on the west side!

Good Luck to all the teams in Minneapolis!

Skater of the Decade: Haydenettes

Consider the Haydenettes of Lexington, Massachusettes. When a synchro team wins Nationals and is selected to represent the country at Worlds, they become USA Team 1. The Haydenettes have done that eight times this decade. Eight top five finishes at the Synchro World Championships to match.  The Haydenettes are US Synchronized Skating.

They're the team that gets on the Today Show to squeeze their programs onto the Rink at Rockefeller Center for the nation to see synchro. They're the team showcased on ESPN when it takes a stab at sports that don't involve a ball.

They attract the top coaches - Saga Krantz could have stayed with championship teams in Finland. Instead she choose to grow the sport in the US by continuing the tradition of excellence on the team.

While they didn't end the decade as US Champions in 2009, they've started this season strong with solid programs and massive scores at the Porter Classic. Expect the Haydenettes to continue to dominate in the US and start to attack the podium on the international stage in the new decade. Synchro will eventually be in the Olympics and you'll see the Haydenettes take the mantel of USA Team 1 on Olympic ice!

DC Edge Skate at Kaleidoscope On Ice

A while back, I blogged about adult synchro and Kaleidoscope On Ice. DC Edge did make it into the FOX broadcast! It helps to skate to an American Idol live performance and open for Ashley Wagner! Enjoy a tiny bit of adult synchronized skating and have a Merry Christmas!

Miami RedHawks Synchro Exhibition

Last Saturday I had to trek to West Chester, OH to return some items to IKEA. Oxford, OH and Goggin Ice Arena are just up the road about 20 minutes away. This gave me the opportunity to see the Miami University RedHawk Synchronized Skating teams perform in an exhibition to kick off the 2009-2010 season.

All three teams, Collegiate, Junior, and Senior, showed off their skills by running through some team drills and moves-in-the-field together. Then each team performed their programs as a bit of a tune up prior the Dr. Richard Porter Classic the first weekend in December.

The five-time defending National champions at the Collegiate level are skating to music from "Sex and the City" this season. I thought it was a fun and well-paced program.

Miami Collegiate Synchro

Next, the defending National Champion Senior team debuted their short program with a Romeo & Juliet theme. The music selections came from Prokofiev's "Montagues and Capulets" and both Nino Rota's and Baz Luhrman's movie scores.

Miami Senior Synchro - Short

This was a strong senior program. I enjoyed watching their intensity and think this will be a great short for them for this season.

The Juniors came out for their short program debut to music from Moulin Rouge. I think their program will grow over the year. They opened with an excellent circle footwork sequence.

Miami Junior Synchro - Short

The senior team then treated the audience to a warm up of their lifts. While interesting to see them practice their lifts, it made me realize how much these varsity teams have to learn in practice in a short amount of time.

Miami Senior Warming Up Lifts

Since Miami is a varsity team, their practices start in the fall as the academic year begins. They hold their tryouts and assign teams in August and September. Most of the internationally competitive teams start the process of organizing the team and new programs in April and May! These teams are learning new routines and lifts just a few months away from competitions.

I think this is a reason why the Junior team is still searching for its first National title. The Junior team follows the ISU age levels, so the skaters are 18 and under. At a college level, this generally creates a freshman only team. (There may be a sophomore here and there who has a late fall birthday and turn 19 as the season starts.) The team only gets one season to gel. The Senior and Collegiate teams consist of skaters who skate together for at least two seasons.

I also wondered if the Senior team has several new faces on the team. Lifts are only allowed at the senior level, so maybe they needed some extra warm up with several skaters making the team after being on the Junior and Collegiate teams.

The Senior long is a medley of 1940s music from Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Cole Porter. The choreography reflected the upbeat tunes. The skaters seemed a little slow at times and the program wasn't polished yet. I'm looking forward to seeing this program grow as the skaters get familiar with the routine with time and really begin to perform and skate with the music.

Miami Senior Synchro - Long

The Juniors wrapped up the evening with their long to "Bohemian Rhapsody." Again, I thought the skaters had just learned all the choreography, but the program will be competitive throughout the season.

Miami Junior Synchro - Long

Synchro vs. Figure Skating

I loved this video posted on YouTube from Audrey in Hungary. The title is "Synchro Skating at the Olympics?"

While synchronized skating is often referred to as one of the fastest growing winter sports along with snowboarding, it's not an Olympic event like snowboarding. I believe synchronized skating will be included in the Olympics in the next decade, probably by 2018.

It takes a little bit of time and politicking to get a newish sport on the Olympic roster. Consider another International Skating Union governed sport: short-track speedskating. It became organized and officially sanctioned in the 1970s. It became an Olympic sport in 1992.

It will be fun to add synchro to the Olympics Figure skating fans will find it enjoyable to see their favorite skating moves completed by 16 skaters together. The average viewer who only pays attention to skating during Olympic years will find even more action in synchro.

Here's a preview of what to look forward to for skating fans:

Smells Like Synchro Season....

I've been noticing more postings across the "Internets" related to synchronized skating. Yeah!

Here are some of my favorite discoveries:

DC edge performed with Scott Hamilton and Dorothy Hamill in Kaleidoscope On Ice. They performed in the same costumes they skated to Van Halen and medaled at Nationals. Kaleidoscope On Ice will be broadcast on Thanksgiving on Fox at like 4 or 5. I wonder if the world will get a glimpse of synchro-fun before dropping into a Turkey-induced doze.

Another fun find, the Haydenettes new programs debuting at Bryant Park! (For some reason, I can't get the vids embedded, but they should be hyperlinked).

Short Program - Skating to What a Wonderful World

Long Program - Skating to West Side Story

Hearing the first strands of Maria was a bit of a bummer since West Side Story themes are used so often in skating. However, this is an excellent program. I love the no hold footwork block. They threw some difficult intersections into that block too.

I also found some predictions for the adult teams at the Dr. Richard Porter Memorial next month in Ann Arbor, MI. Apparently, the posters think Louisville will be last. There is a history of last places finishes in Louisville synchro, however they don't know Louisville is fielding a coaches team at the Masters level this year. Since no one reads this blog, they'll be in for a surprise! Go Louisville RiverStars!