Synchronized Skating - News & Announcements

~ as of May 4, 2010

Announcements

New ISU Communication

• ISU Communication 1623 - Synchronized Skating - replaces Communications 1503, 1532, 1574, 1587 - 43p, PDF, July 1, 2010 has been posted on the ISU site

Nexxice Senior Named Ontario Team of the Year 2009

The Team of the Year is presented annually at the Ontario Sport Awards by the Province of Ontario to Ontario's outstanding amateur sports team. Note Shelley Barnett, Nexxice Coach, was one of the top 3 finalists for Female Coach of the Year 2009.

• Announcement from Sport Alliance

Team Canada One Returns Home From the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

Nexxice (Senior) returned from Colorado Springs with a 5th place overall finish. Even though the team did not come home with the results they wanted, the defending World Champions represented Canada with style and class. Two falls in the short program proved to be costly, but they laid down an exquisitely beautiful long program and captured everyone's hearts in the arena, clearly the crowd's favorite! And the team received a perfect 10 score for performance from one of the judges. Congrats girls! We are proud of you!

A heartfelt message from a Nexxice Dad - Frank Lortiz

There's been a lot of chatter about was and wasn't accomplished this past year... but this is what I saw...

I saw an artistic vision come to life over the last few months through the work of a dedicated team of coaches, dance artists, and athletes all very talented in their fields. As a team they composed an artistic concept that was fleshed into a set of poetic movements on ice. This was then stitched into a whole to produce a seamless choreography of music, colour, and movement. They worked tirelessly to perfect the execution never losing the vision of producing a work of art. When the time came, they hid their toil and sweat behind smiling faces, dazzling dresses, and graceful dance manoeuvres. As the season progressed the spectacle delighted audiences for months. And in the end they did accomplish what they set out to do... to create a work of art that they would be proud of for life. The whole indeed was greater than the sum of its parts. Were they the best in the world at 6:05:32 pm on April 10, 2010? Some thought no, but they were very close. Now they will savour their successes, analyze their shortcomings and become ever more determined to better their work in their pursuit of excellence. Like standing on the head of a pin, perfection allows a good view for a brief moment but it's awfully unstable and you usually can't stay there too long. I believe that most of you will agree that its not perfection that's important but rather the pursuit of that ideal that really matters.

... that's what I saw happen this past year and as a parent I could not have hoped for a better outcome for my daughter.

Well done Team Canada 1 NEXXICE 2010. We all participated in an extraordinary chapter in our girls' lives and we have been enriched (and also de-riched) by the experience.

Nexxice Short Program

Nexxice Long Program ~ watch it on YouTube

Gotta love those Canadian Fans!

Photo credit - Skate Canada / Jim Coveart

WO Synchro Teams Win 4 Out of the 5 Categories at Nationals!

Another great National Championships for synchronized skating in Brampton, ON  on
March 4-6, 2010. 48  teams took part in the activities with 8 teams from WOS. Congratulations to all teams!

2010 Central Regionals Results

37 WO Synchro Teams participated in the Central Regional Synchronized Skating Championships on February 12-14, 2010 in Fort Erie.

18 teams came home with medals! 9 Gold, 5 Silver, 4 Bronze

Good luck to the teams going to the Synchronized Skating National and Adult National Championships!

Gold Medal Teams	• NEXXICE Senior • NEXXICE Junior • NEXXICE Open • Ilderton Silver Jets - Intermediate • Burlington Ice Image – Novice • London Synchronicity – Pre Novice • Plattsville B Pizzazzed – Juvenile • London Synchronicity – Adult SYS 2 • Ilderton Classic Jets – Adult SYS 1
Silver Medal Teams	• A-T Encore – Adult SYS 3 • Ice Breakers – Adult SYS 3 • London Synchronicity – Intermediate • Ilderton Precisionnaires – Novice • Plattsville Pizzazzed – Pre Novice
Bronze Medal Teams	• Classic Image – Adult SYS 3 • Ice FX – Adult SYS 2 • Innovation – Adult SYS 1 • Magic Blades - Elementary

Western Ontario Team Results

Senior	• Nexxice, KWSC / Burlington - 1
Junior	• Nexxice, KWSC / Burlington - 1
Open	• Nexxice, KWSC / Burlington 1
Intermediate	• Ilderton Silver Jets, Ilderton SC - 1 • Synchronicity, London SC - 2* • Innovation, WC St Catharines - 5 • Alvinston Ice Angels, Alvinston SC - 9
Novice	• Ice Image, Burlington SC - 1 • Ilderton Precisionniares, Ilderton SC - 2
Pre-Novice	• Synchronicity, London SC - 1 • Plattsville Pizzazz, Plattsville SC - 2 • Alvinston Ice Angels Brooke Alvinston - 4 • Ice Impulse, St. Thomas SC - 5 • Starlights, Amherstburg - 9 • Maple City Ice Crystals, Chatham SC - 12 • Dazzling Diamonds, South Dumfries SC - 13 • Oxygen, Jordan SC - 15 • Icebergs, Woodstock SC - 16
Juvenile	• B-Pizzazzed, Plattsville SC - 1 • Ice Image, Burlington SC - 5 • Ilderton Mini Jets, Ilderton SC - 9 • Synchronicity, London SC - 10 • Rose City Rhythms, Rose City Rhythms - 16
Elementary	• Magic Blades, Mt. Brydges - 3 • Petite Pizzazz, Plattsville SC - 4 • Waves, St Thomas SC - 6 • Ilderton Blue Jets, Ilderton SC - 10 • Alvinston Ice Angels, Brooke Alvinston SC - 11 • Ice Chips, Woodstock SC - 15 • Ice Picks, Petrolia SC - 16
Adult SYS 3	• A-T Encore, East Elgin SC - 2 • Classic Image, Burlington SC - 3
Adult SYS 2	• Synchronicity, London SC - 1 • Ice Breakers, Port Stanley SC - 2 • Ice FX, Watford SC - 3 • Tavistock Team Unity, Tavistock SC - 4 • South Coast Synchro, Langton SC - 8 • Ancaster Affinity, Ancaster SC - 10 • Blades N Sync, Parkhill SB - 11 • Crystal Formations, Brant SC - 14 • Diamond Divas, Amherstburg - 15 • Innovation WC, St Catharines - 16
Adult SYS 1	• Ilderton Classic Jets, Ilderton SC - 1 • Innovation, WC St Catharines - 3 • Team Velocity, Woodstock SC - 5 • Crystal Foundations, Brant - 9

Are You Interested in Becoming a Synchro Judge?

We're looking for present and former skaters who would be interested in becoming a synchronized skating judge. New synchronized judge clinic is being planned for early February 2009.

Criteria - The skater needs to have a skating background that includes:

• Any two of Junior Bronze free skate, dance or skills; or
• Any one of Senior Bronze free skate, dance, or skills; or
• Juvenile competitive test; or
• Any one higher test level

Interested??? Contact Sabrina Wong, WO Synchro Judges Rep. sabrinawong@cogeco.ca

Communication From Skate Canada Re: Clarification on the Summary of Calls for the NHB (No Hold Block) for the Junior Festival and Open Festival level Short and Free Program

With the team composition at the Junior Festival and Open Festival level having a range, some teams may have an odd number of skaters and should not be penalized when performing the NHB in either the Short and/or Free programs, as long as they meet the following criteria:

Free Skating Program
The closed block must consist of four (4) skaters in four (4) lines or the number of skaters in the 4 lines must be as equal as possible

Short Program
The closed block must consist of four (4) skaters in four (4) lines or the lines must be as equal as possible

Example: a team of 14 skaters
- Acceptable: 2 lines of 4 skaters and 2 lines of 3 skaters = 14 skaters in a closed block formation - no deduction would be taken.
- Not acceptable: 3 lines of 4 skaters and 1 line of 2 skaters = 14 skaters. The call would be the level of the NHB + DED 3 for NAR (Not According to Requirements) wrong shape.

Should you have any questions regarding the above please do not hesitate to contact us. From Meredith Warner, Skate Canada

Synchro Technical Info

Links to Skate Canada documentation and ISU Technical Communications are available on the WO Synchro Technical page. Information for the 2009-2010 will be added as available.

WOS Synchro Coaches - Videos of Synchro Events

• Synchro Nationals start from 1988, 1992 - 2004 recent
• Worlds 2000
• Precision Canada International - Toronto 1994
• Snowflake International - 1993, 1995
• various WO Sectionals, Gold Medallion competitions

Please note that we can no longer lend these videos due to copyright issues. However, these can be viewed on the premises by phoning ahead to set up a suitable day/time at the Section Office. Contact Lori, 519-686-0431 ext. 21 or memberservice@skating-wos.on.ca

Testimonial of a Synchro Skater

"First you are a part of it, then it becomes a part of you" (anonymous) For some, Synchronized skating is synonymous with commitment, unison, speed, teamwork, dedication and emotion. Having skated on a synchronized skating team for more than 13 years, I know it is so much more that that! A lot of my friends do question why I continue to subject myself to the early morning practices, rigorous workouts and the stress of competitions. I synchro skate because the support felt as 19 other skaters struggle with you overpowers the pain inflicted by the workouts. And I compete as a synchro skater because the adrenaline rush while competing and the feeling of joy when you are finished makes you forget the feeling of stress that was overpowering right up until the moment when the music begins. We may arrive at our practices from all walks of life, but when we step on the ice we are one, we move as one, we succeed as one, we are a team. Central to synchronized skating is friends and family; throughout these years I have been blessed with many long-lasting friendships that offer support and happiness. For me, my coaches, managers, teammates as well as their parents have become a second family whom I can rely on at any time. Synchronized skating has allowed me to continue to skate with my close friends well beyond when I stopped skating individually. In this aspect synchronized skating is a sport for all ages. The sport of synchronized skating itself demands that the skater is comfortable and confident with his or her own body image and this has to be portrayed on the ice. I am grateful for all the experiences and opportunities synchronized skating has to offer. My club's synchronized skating program provides a positive and fun environment for physical activity and exercise. Furthermore, I am indebted for the life lessons I have learned from my participation in the sport of synchronized skating. Balancing school, work and synchronized skating has required me to develop time management skills, which are invaluable life skills. I have also been taught perseverance, commitment, discipline and responsibility as well as the meaning of sportsmanship. These lessons will undoubtedly benefit me in every aspect of my life. Not only has synchronized skating provided me with an immeasurable amount of happiness and memories, but also I am confident it has also contributed to making me the person I have become. Finally, I feel this quotation captures the spirit of synchronized skating, "There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart… pursue those" (anonymous) ...from a Synchro skater

Team Number Splits for Synchronized Skating

• The following table is relevant for Festival Juvenile, Festival Novice, Festival Adult teams.