WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. April 1, 2006: While you were watching the Olympics, in a posh rink on the other side of the world, figure skating’s greatest secret: the growth of synchronized team skating was being displayed for all to see at the US Figure Skating Synchronized Team Skating Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Skyliners Skating their Long Program in spiral Block at the Synchro National Championships in Grand Rapids Michigan. Photo, WPCNR Sports
The Skyliners Junior Team (25 girls, aged 12 to 18) of the Figure Skating Club of New York and Windy Hill Skating Club (CT) finished sixth of 13 teams, skated their final synchronized skate of the season Saturday night in Shelton Connecticut at “the Skate for the Cure” Show as part of a program to raise funds for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation International.
The Skyliners shared the ice with World Bronze Medalist Caryn Kadavy, and US. Olympic Pair, 3-time US National Silver Medalists, Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov.
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Far from Torino in the “Valley of Synchro,” the Middle West, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the 2006 US Figure Skating Synchronized Team Skating Championships featuring 86 teams from coast-to-coast showcased 2,500 fearless femmes and gents of the ice in competition that dazzled, amazed, and made you catch your breath.
Look Out! The Skyliners Execute the "Blades of Death," otherwise known as the backward Splice Lunge in their Long Program in Grand Rapids. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
The Skyliners, the tri-state area skating team of skaters from Westchester, New Jersey and Connecticut; Team Image from Yonkers, N.Y., Ice Magic from Katonah, the Ice-Alantics of New Jersey and Team Millennium of Connecticut, competed and held their own against the elite middle west teams and up-and-coming teams from the South and West Coast.
The skating was inspired and inspiring. The effort relentless and daring, the programs breathtaking and emotional, packed with high risk and embellished with the grace and beauty of fearless accomplished skaters.
Skyliner Juniors hold on, rank 6th of 13 Nationally, 2nd among Eastern Teams.
Friday evening the suspense of the afternoon became downright tension as the Junior Division’s 13 teams from coast-to-coast skated their 4-minute Long Programs in order of the Short Program finish in three separate groups. As each team takes to the ice, they know what they need to improve their standing. Then after they skate they stand in the entryway and wait up to five minutes for their score under the new International Judging System.
Skyliner Juniors Skate Listen to Your Heart their Short Program in Grand Rapids, February 23 nailing it Thursday night. They skated it for the final time Saturday night in Shelton, Connecticut. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
The Skyliner Juniors who had not skated their Short Program to “Listen to Your Heart” to its fullest potential all season nailed it in Thursday’s skate. They skated second after the defending champions, The Hockettes from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and turned in a fourth place finish on the strength of their technical score (execution of footwork and formations), putting up a 33..07 compared with the Hockettes 39.82. The Skyliners Techinical was a mere 1 point off the Hockettes technical score. Eleven more teams skated and the Skyliner score held up, creating a proud moment for the team and saying the Skyliners had arrived as genuine contenders nationally.
The electrifying Splice Coming Together in the Short Program Thursday afternoon. Photo, WPCNR Sports
Juniors Finish 6th Nationally.
The Friday night long program skate for all the ice chips, with the Skyliner Junior Team scheduled to skate next to last of 13 performances was high drama which intensified with each posted score as one great skate after another was turned in.
One by one teams from Illinois, Minnesota, California, Massachusetts, Michigan skated, yet still the Junior team was not eclipsed out of Fourth Place until a flying, powerful, confident and elegant skate to “Man of La Mancha” by Team Braemar of Minnesota skating 9th, turned in a 65.43 nosing the Skyliners out of 4th place by an ice flake. The Skyliners had to turn in a 66 when they skated.
The Hockettes and the Chicago Jazz went blade to blade in the 10th and 11th skating positions for the lead. The Hockettes, the 2005 National Junior Champions showed how demanding synchro is by experiencing two unfortunate falls in a formation and a line that cost them the championship. The Hockettes carded a 67.85 losing 4 points on mandatory deductions that dropped them to third with 107 points.
The Chicago Jazz took the ice next and flew into First Place for their third Championship of the 2006 Nationals with an unbelievable 79.85 score on their long program. The Jazz also one Novice and Intermediate Divisions.
Spinning Tops: Juniors Finish with a Flourish in their Long Skate Good enough for 6th in the Nation February 25. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
It is a pressure thing to follow the two best teams in Junior Division, but that was the Skyliners’ fate. They took to the ice, knowing they needed a 66 Score to capture the 4th place medal.
They performed their program firmly with heart, a little tentative, but no falls, no mandatory deductions – lines, blocks were strong, intersections and splices clean, no technical deductions. Team Braemar’s lead could not be overcome when the score went up the Skyliners carded a 58.86 for a total score of 91.93. Not enough for the pewter prize (4th Place).
The Colonials from Massachussetts skated last and turned in a total score of 111.31 for second place nosing out the Hockettes for second place.
The Skyliners Junior Team held up beautifully under the pressure of a medal skate, and all the girls are better for it. By finishing sixth nationwide they finished as the 2nd best team from the East behind the fabulous Colonials The Skyliner Juniors showed they were competitive with the Midwest “Valley of Synchro” clubs, from Wisconsin and Minnesota, stepping up to another level in figure skating accomplishment.
Josh Babb and Jenny gibson, coaches of the Juniors said they had worked the girls on improving their footwork all season to bring technical scores up, and that next season they would be dealing with the posture and upper body attitudes required to score higher in the artistic element of the Free Skate.
The Skyliners Brain Trust: Larry Rosen, left owner of The Athlete's Foot, White Plains, Club President. Josh Babb, Coach, second from left, Jenny Gibson third from left, Tina Staples, fourth from left and Ena Shae, line mothers. Photo, WPCNR Sports
In synchronized skating, every team member has to be good. One off performance wrecks the whole performance. It is the truest team sport.
They skated for the final time this season in Shelton Connecticut at a jam-packed Skate for the Cure Saturday night performing both the trademark Listen to Your Heart program and their long program at The Rinks arena in Shelton, CT .
