ISI event in Blaine in February.
Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
More than 300 competitors will take to the ice at Doug Woog Arena for the National Synchronized Skating Championships, held 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 6. Teams are coming from Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin and across Minnesota to compete and South St. Paul-based ice-skating school Blades N Motion has 20 skaters representing Doug Woog Arena. The day will also feature the second-ever MinneShowdown, offering teams additional opportunities to show their flair on the ice. Admission is free.
The National Synchronized Skating Championships – Synchro Champs for short – is one of five national events held by the Ice Sports Industry. It’s a recreational competition so placing well doesn’t qualify teams for any further opportunities, but is a nice feather in their cap. Some skaters who participated in Ice Sports Industry events in their youth have gone on to join the United States Figure Skating competitive program.
“They’re going to have some of the Showdown in the morning, the synchronized events in midafternoon, and then finish up with the rest of the Showdown,” said Blades N Motion founder and coach Barb Yackel. “People are going to see great skating anytime they’re able to come.”
Synchro Champs will see nine teams of 8-32 skaters of any ages face off in two categories: short compulsory and long program. In short compulsory, each team must execute a variety of precise synchronized maneuvers including the circle, spoke, block, intersection and wheel. Each performance is typically 2-3 minutes long. The long program is a free skate with no required maneuvers; performances are usually around 4 minutes. Both categories allow teams to choose their own music and outfits. South St. Paul’s team consists of a group of adults who skated together as kids and decided to register for fun. They hadn’t had a practice as of press time, so be prepared to cheer extra loud if they win the event. Judging is done by a panel of 3-5 judges who give scores based on unison, technical difficulty, choreography, pattern and musicality. The top three teams will receive trophies and medals.
The MinneShowdown will see about 40 teams face off in ensemble and production events as well as another team compulsory event. Production and ensemble events don’t have required maneuvers and are scored based on performance value. Skaters of all ages can compete in each, but ensemble can only have seven or fewer skaters. Similar to Synchro Champs, teams can choose their own outfits and music, and performances are 2-4 minutes. South St. Paul’s ensemble team is robot-themed, and the production team is money-themed. The winning teams will receive trophies and medals.
South St. Paul didn’t have any skaters at Synchro Champs or the MinneShowdown when they were hosted at Doug Woog Arena back in 2019 so this will be a good chance to show off their hard work to the community. Dubbed “Team Woog,” the production and ensemble teams practice year-round and have skaters who participate in both events. The teams have some first-place finishes at local recreational events, including one in Blaine in February and one in New Ulm in November. Other Minnesota teams at the event will be from White Bear Lake, Woodbury, Hastings and Blaine.
For more information, visit skateisi.org.
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