Synchronized skating

Synchronized skating, often called synchro, is an exciting ice skating sport where teams of 8 to 20 skaters perform together. They move as one smooth group at high speed, doing special moves and steps on the ice.

This sport began in 1956 and was first named "precision skating" because it needs very careful formations and timing from every skater. Today, synchronized skating is popular in many European countries, and their teams often win big international competitions. By 2022, there were over 600 synchro teams just in the United States.

Details

Synchronized skating is judged in a way similar to other ice skating sports, focusing on skills, movement, performance, and the difficulty of the moves.

A synchronized skating program includes many shapes and formations like blocks, triangles, and lines, with skaters moving across the ice and turning. Teams compete at different levels, from beginner to senior. At the highest levels, teams perform both a short program and a longer free skate. Junior teams compete in the Junior World Synchronized Skating Championships, while senior teams compete in the World Synchronized Skating Championship.

History

In 1956, the first synchronized skating team was formed by Dr. Richard Porter. The 'Hockettes' skated out of Ann Arbor, Michigan and entertained spectators during breaks in games of the University of Michigan Wolverines hockey team. At first, this sport, called precision skating, looked like a drill team routine or a dance performance such as The Rockettes.

In 1974, rules for judging synchronized skating were created. During the 1970s, the sport grew very popular. Teams began performing more creative routines with faster skating, new moves, and skillful transitions. The first international competition happened in Michigan in March 1976 between teams from Canada and America. As the sport grew around the world, it focused more on speed, skill, and exciting elements like jumps and spins.

Elements and formations

Competition programs in synchronized skating include many different shapes and formations. Each element is scored based on its difficulty and how well the team performs it. The shapes are the foundation for most of the team's moves.

Formations

Some moves use special shapes or formations, sometimes changing from one shape to another to make them more challenging.

Block

A block is made when skaters line up in at least three straight lines forming a polygonal shape, like a pyramid or diamond. These shapes can be closed or open, with open shapes having empty space in the middle.

Circle

Circles are formed by skaters rotating around a common center, keeping an even distance from the center and from each other. Circles can be connected or disconnected, and different types include multiple circles or circles within circles. To make it harder, circles can include changes in place, steps, weaving, or changes in direction.

Line

Lines are important for many moves and transitions. They show the team’s skating skills and help build other formations like blocks and wheels. Lines can be connected or disconnected.

Wheel

A wheel is when every skater rotates around a common center point in connected lines. Teams can form wheels with two to five spokes or in a parallel shape. Each line (spoke) should be straight, and the team should lean toward the center. The difficulty can be increased by adding steps, changing direction, or changing the wheel’s shape.

Elements

Programs have a set number of specific elements that change each season. Currently, both junior and senior teams perform 5 elements in the short program. In the free skate, junior teams do 8 elements, while senior teams do 10.

Artistic element

Done in a circle, wheel, line, or block formation, this element should match the music or theme of the program without needing steps or changes of place.

Creative element

Each season, teams choose a creative element that gives a unique twist to other elements or formations, like a creative wheel or lift.

Group Lift element

All team members take part in group lifts, where skaters form groups and lift each other with at least two teammates supporting each lifted skater. Lifts can be gliding or rotational, with rotational lifts starting slow and then switching directions to turn the lifted skater.

Intersection element

An intersection happens when skaters move toward each other in lines and cross paths. Intersections can have two to four lines, forming triangle or box shapes. Making the entry harder can involve free skating moves, angles, or whips. At the point where lines cross, skaters can do turns or free skating moves to add difficulty.

Mixed element

This element has at least two different formations happening at the same time and interacting, like a circle inside a wheel or a line crossing a block.

Move element

This is a sequence of moves that includes free skating moves such as spirals or 180s. The team can split into smaller groups to add difficulty, like ducking under each other’s legs or changing positions.

No hold element

Done in a block formation, skaters stay disconnected but keep even spacing while doing steps and changing shapes.

Pair element

All team members pair up to do pair moves, free skating moves, and step sequences together.

Pivoting and linear elements

Done in block or line formations, these elements can be pivoting or linear but must be done in separate shapes. Pivoting elements rotate around a center point while staying connected, keeping shape and spacing. Linear elements move across the ice and can change placement or shape.

Synchronized spin element

All team members spin together, either alone or in pairs, in any identifiable shape on the ice. They keep the same spin position and move together from one position to another.

Traveling and rotating elements

Done in circle or wheel formations, these elements need rotation. Traveling elements move along a path while rotating, while rotating elements stay in one place. Both can use changes in position, rotation, and shape to increase difficulty.

Twizzle element

This element focuses on the twizzle turn, with the team doing two to three twizzles in any formation. Skaters must keep their shape or change formations while rotating. Difficulty can be added by changing place, configuration, or rotational direction, and using certain arm and leg positions.

Competitions

International

There are international synchronized skating competitions for Senior, Junior, and Novice levels, with Senior being the most elite. The International Skating Union held the first official World Synchronized Skating Championships (WSSC) in 2000 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Top Junior teams competed from 2001 to 2012 at the ISU Junior World Challenge Cup, held in different locations each year. In 2013, the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships were added, held every other year.

Other major international events include the French Cup, Spring Cup, Neuchâtel Trophy, Cup of Berlin, Zagreb Snowflakes Trophy, Leon Lurje Trophy, and Prague Cup.

ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

Main article: ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

The ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships (WSSC) are the world championships for synchronized skating. Held since 2000, the WSSC is an annual international event organized by the International Skating Union. Finland has been very successful, with teams like Marigold IceUnity, Rockettes, and Team Unique winning many medals. Sweden also has a strong team, Team Surprise. Other top countries include Canada and the United States.

ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships

Main article: ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships

ISU Junior World Challenge Cup

Main article: ISU Junior World Challenge Cup

The Junior World Challenge Cup was held every two years starting in 2013, alternating with the World Junior Championships, until it was discontinued after the 2015–16 season.

Finland

See also: Finnish Synchronized Skating Championships

The Finnish Figure Skating Association holds the Finnish Synchronized Skating Championships for Novice, Junior, and Senior levels. Teams from Helsinki, like Marigold IceUnity, Rockettes, and Team Unique, have often qualified for the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships (WSSC).

Finnish Senior Championships medalists

Finnish qualifications for the ISU WSSC

Teams qualify for the World Championships based on their performance in qualifiers and the national championships.

United States

In the United States, there are several age and skill levels for synchronized skating. The US Figure Skating Association sanctions divisions like Aspire, Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior, Senior, Collegiate, Adult, and Masters. The Ice Skating Institute also offers competitions in categories such as Formation, Skating, and Dance.

While most skaters are female, rules allow mixed-gender teams.

US Figure Skating Senior Championship

Main article: U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships

The Senior team level has 16 skaters, who must be at least 15 years old and have passed certain tests.

USFSA Collegiate Championship

The Collegiate team level includes teams of 12–20 Figure skaters who must be full-time college students. The Miami University Synchronized Skating Team has been a leader in collegiate synchronized skating.

Canada

See also: Canadian Synchronized Skating Championships

The Canadian Synchronized Skating Championships have been held annually since 1983 to determine Canada’s national champions. Since 2000, senior teams have used these events to qualify for the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. Since 2023, Junior and Senior level teams compete together in the Canadian National Skating Championships.

Present day

Although not currently an Olympic sport, synchronized skating has been reviewed for Olympic eligibility. In 2007, it was chosen to be part of the Universiade or World University Games as a demonstration sport. Teams from many countries competed in Turin, Italy, with Sweden, Finland, and Russia doing the best.

"Why Not Synchro" is a campaign on social media using the hashtags #whynotsynchro and #whynotsynchro2018 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This began at the Mozart Cup in Austria in January 2014. During medal ceremonies, teams stood on the ice to form the shape of the Olympic rings and shared the image online. They also created a petition on change.org asking the International Olympic Committee to make synchronized skating an Olympic event.

Because of COVID-19, the 2019–2020 season ended early to keep everyone safe. Top U.S. teams like the Haydenettes, Skyliners, and Miami university could not compete in other countries due to travel rules. The US Figure Skating Association made sure athletes stayed healthy.

Judging

The competitive levels of synchronized skating, like in other types of Figure skating, use the ISU Judging System that started in 2004. Each move in the performance has a set difficulty level and a base point value. Judges give each move a grade for how well it was done, called the grade of execution. The highest and lowest grades are removed, and the rest are averaged and added to the base points. All these scores together make up the Technical Elements score.

Judges also score three parts of the whole performance: skating skills, how well the team shows emotion and understanding of the music, and how the moves fit together. These scores are averaged and multiplied to balance with the technical score. The technical score and the performance scores are added together to get the segment score. The scores from all segments are added to find the total competition score, and the team with the highest score wins. If there is a tie, the team with the highest free program score wins.