February 18, 2004
Skate teams stay in step
Twin Bays Skating Club hosts Tri-States Synchronized Skating Competition
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
"Smile! Eyes up, eyes UP!"
"Neat arms, sister!"
Bellows of coaches on the practice ice reverberated through one rink at Center ICE Saturday as 42 synchronized skating teams from Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Canada faced off in the other rink for the 29th Tri-States Synchronized Skating Competition.
Hosted by the Twin Bays Skating Club, members of the Northern Lights Synchronized Skating teams also competed in the event. The junior classics and the youth girls teams both took third place, while the Masters 35 and older team garnered a second place finish.
Stephanie Miller, a veteran skater, coach and costume designer, guided the Northern Lights teams.
"It's nice to be in their hometown," said Miller, who is a former competitive synchronized and single skater. "The teams are skating a routine that we've been doing since August, but as they get better, you add things and change things."
More than 50 volunteers drawn from the Twin Bays Skating Club helped manage the event. With computer printouts, clipboards and wireless communication, these volunteers kept the practice ice, competitive events, awards photos and all the other details running smoothly.
"Some gave an hour, some gave two hours and some gave three days," said Nancy Chereskin, office manager of the Twin Bays Skating Club who said the club was awarded the competition last June. "This is the first time that we've hosted the Tri-State competition, it is a traveling competition. You have to bid on it and show that you can put on the program."
Synchronized skating teams fielded 20 skaters at a time, as ice dancers spun complex patterns to music. The most dramatic moments of either the short routine (two and a half minutes) or the long routine (four minutes) were when multiple lines of skaters pass each other at high speed. These moves elicited audience applause every time.
The sport requires teamwork and split-second coordination, in addition to all the standard skating skills.
"You have to pay attention to everyone out there when you're performing," said Amanda Shoemaker, a member of the Northern Lights youth girls team. "But it is fun to have fun out there with all your friends."
Before joining a synchronized skating team, a skater must first have mastered all aspects of ice skating, from locomotion to jumps to spins. Clubs typically perform and practice one routine a season, honing and refining it as the months progress. These routines take basic skills and put them together with 20 other zooming skaters on ice at the same time.
"You have to know how to do individual skating before you can do synchronized skating," Nikki Helmbuldt said.
Helmbuldt is a member of the Northern Lights youth girls team and has been skating since she was three. She joined the synchronized team three years ago and competes in both sports, individually in freestyle events.
"It has improved my synchronized skating to be in single and it has helped my single skating because I learn stuff in synchronized," she noted.
This Saturday could have been confused with an look-alike convention as girls in identical costumes or warm ups, plus hairstyles, accessories and make up, gathered in groups between their ice time to eat, socialize or watch other teams.
Being part of a group makes competing easier for Amanda Bruening, a high school senior from Rockford, Ill. Bruening is a member of the Naperville, Ill., Skating Club and practices with the team most weekends when they not competing.
"I was nervous about performing so I came to the team to skate," she said. "Synchronized is so different because you have a whole team to skate with, to worry about; everybody is relying on you."