Synchronized Swimming - 10/18/14

We found a great coach from the Pirouettes of Texas who let us join her girls for a long practice one Saturday in the fall.  The amount of time they put in to make themselves as perfect as possible is astonishing - we got there at 7am and left around Noon, but they had another couple of hours left.  And that's only on Saturdays - most meet at least two other days a week!

We first got in the water to get some instruction on just HOW you are supposed to suspend yourself in the water while sticking arms, feet or legs out - and make it look effortless.  We donned our new PTX swim caps and nose plugs and jumped in.  The motion you make with your legs was described like an old school egg beater - legs bent at the hips and knees, then rotating in small circles opposite directions.  Hands simply flat, with fingers together, elbows bent and making "parade wave" motions forward and back in unison.  Some of us got the hang of it quickly while others fought the very unnatural motion for most of the day.  We worked on the timing with the coach tapping on the edge of the pool so we could hear while under the water then the basic staggered formation the six of us would try to keep in the water.

Next we moved on to the basic movements we'd be making - "sail" arms while on our side that would start from parallel to our bodies to sticking straight out of the water perpendicular to our bodies; "sinking twists" with our arms straight over head while we turned like a screw down into the water; backward somersaults; "splashy kicks" on our backs with legs straight out; "pinwheels" on our backs, knees bent and turned such that one foot rested on the other knee, but all parallel to the surface of the water; "ballet legs" on our backs with knees first bent but sticking out of the water, then legs straight up out of the water; "clamshells" where we'd lay on our back, then fold at the waist, closing like a clam; and "barracudas" where we'd be upside down in the water and push our legs straight up and out of the water, to exposed knees.  We all began to wonder just what we'd gotten ourselves into - it had already been a couple of hours!

We took a quick break for our coach to show us the routine she had put together and diagrammed on paper.

Coach L showing us our formations

We jumped back in and went through the routine slowly a few times.  Then we took another break to get ready for our show.  We wanted to really get into the moment, so the coach and a couple of moms "knoxed" our hair for us.  Yes, "knox" as in Knox gelatin.  Since synchronization also includes everyone looking as exactly the same as possible, they use gelatin to slick their hair back into motionless helmets.  It's smelly, uses a million hair pins and nearly impossible to get out, plus we looked like rejects from a Robert Palmer video, but we all were glad we took the time for this step.

L2 getting some last touches

Back into the water to do our routine for REAL!  First we went as a group, then divided up to do doubles.  We worked out how to start since some of us were comfortable with diving in while others weren't.  I'm going to attempt to get an actual video uploaded, but for now, picture us being perfectly synchronized while perusing a few pictures!

All the PTX girls watched and cheered - here we're doing our "pinwheels"

Our "sail" arms

L1 & L2 diving in for doubles

K & M had the best "ballet legs"

R & J doing their "clamshell"

After a long morning, we climbed out of the water one last time to an ovation from the PTX girls and their parents.  They were all so kind and welcoming - and rather amazed at how much we had accomplished in a few short hours.  We were all so proud of ourselves!!!

Our starting pose - Synchro Swimming complete!

Although the pictures do it much better justice, here is the group routine video.  Enjoy!