WPCNR RINKSIDE. By John F. Bailey. November 10, 2006: Over 200 parents, grandparents, friends and supporters from Westchester, New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut enthusiastically greeted the debuts of the Synchronized Skating programs of the 2006-2007 Skyliners last weekend at the team’s Annual Pep Rally introducing the five Skyliner synchronized skating teams, comprised of 76 young ladies from 6 to 18, held at Dorothy Hamill Rink in Greenwich. New York’s National Contending Synchronized skating team is back on the ice.
2006-2007 Skyliners. From front: The Beginners, The Preliminaries, The Juveniles, The Novice, and The Junior Teams and Coaches. 76 Girls Who Skate! The team takes ice in Plymouth, Massachussetts Saturday to begin the Synchro Season. Photo, WPCNR Sports
Four of the five teams of Ice Princesses debuted in their first competition of the season in Plymouth, Massachussetts at the Armstrong Arena in America’s First City on Saturday November 11, and skated terrific. The Juniors finished first of the pair of teams skating in the Junior division, the Juvenile team was awarded First Place over 7 other teams.
The biggest surprise was the poise, determination and smoothness of the Preliminary team skating their first ever competition to Anchors Aweigh and skating off with First Place. The Novice team was the only team to skate in the Novice Division and impressed with their sophistication and fabulous backward splice lunge (see picture below.)
The Thanksgiving Classic was the first of a series of competitions that will take them to the Dr. Porter Classic in Ann Arbor, Michigan, The Cape Cod Classic in Bourne, Massachussetts, The Colonial Classic in Lowell, Mass, The USFS Eastern Championships in Providence, R.I., The Connecticut Classic in Hamden, and the Lee Ann Miele event in Pawtucket, R.I. and hopefully the Nationals in Colorado Springs.
The Elegent Novice Team Executes the Backwards Splice Lunge perfectly, to the shock and awe of parents, grandparents and friends rinkside at the Skyliner Pep Rally in Greenwich last weekend. Photo, WPCNR Sports
Novices complete their program with a spectacular circle dip and spread eagles. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
The team, whic is "Presidented" by Larry Rosen, proprietor of The Athlete’s Foot in White Plains consists of 76 girls distributed by age, and technical skill levels into five teams: Beginner, Preliminary, Juvenile, Novice and Junior. Skyliners rosters skaters from the tri-state area and is extremely proud of its ability to attract competitors from such a large region. Formed as a parent owned and parent run organization the team was constituted in 2001 and has rapidly gained both local and national recognition. They are sponsored by the Skating Club of New York City and the Windy Hill Figure Skating Club of Greenwich.
The team is coached by the Canadian Junior Ice Dance Champion, Josh Babb, and his staff, Jenny Gibson, Sarah LeBlanc, the former Captain of The Haydenettes (The New York Yankees of Synchro) and Dianne McCray.
Mr. Babb and his staff orchestrated the most successful season of the Skyliners Synchronized Skating Teams, last year, culminating with the Novice team winning a medal at Nationals, after Junior, Novice and Juvenile took the Silver at Easterns and Preliminary took the Bronze.
This season (2006-2007) the teams started working on their programs in June, starting their four a week practice sessions in earnest. The team held a one week retreat in Burlington Vermont to launch the programs in late August. Next season for the first time we will also have a Beginner line, to build the Skyliner tradition established over five years.
The Skyliner Beginner Team Performing for the first time ever at Saturday's Pep Rally. What a Job...no falls...great execution of the wheel below, poise and charisma in one package. Photos, WPCNR Sports.
