SynchroNice / Third Edition / 2018

SYNCHRO NICE 175 Hello Mrs Oksanen, This specific line in your update sounds quite agitated; can you explain what you mean by this? Well, I believe that I’m for sure not the only one who’s concerned about this matter, but I am the one you hear talking about it with a raised voice, I am the one asking question all around, I am the one writing on this subject and now your eye happened to catch my post on Facebook earlier this week. I was already asking question last season… together with other coaches. We wanted to know where the sport is heading. Let me start by saying I treasure our sport more then anybody and I personally want to hold onto the traditional synchro part. (skating in holds and aiming for unison). Imagine, it’s not too long ago when highlighting of a skater wasn’t allowed at all (only in then called movement in isolation which currently is the creative element). Now some teams are doing highlighting of skater/skaters throughout the program. Any way the answer given to us on our question was that “the group skating / Theater on Ice is not the direction and there should be deductions made if teams skate solo too much” To me that is a clear answer, but... as seen in Mozart Cup we saw some very theatrical programs that included not only mainly solo skating, but also theatrically standing still (for over 30 second during the program time). And no deductions what so ever were given. So, if this direction that we don’t what our sport to head to, is still been given no deductions, then it really makes no sense to me anymore. What is your personal opinion on this matter, what should be done! Maybe there should be some kind of a percentage or time limit on how long the team can skate solo during the whole program if this trend continues. I also believe you have to pay attention to the list of the elements that are compulsory in the programs. There are currently so many elements that, due to the number of skaters and the speed are done in no hold. So, insist on having the kind of elements that require holds or even better make the holds a compulsory feature at least in some of them to avoid this solo skating. I believe many things can be done for the better. Nevertheless, this is something more coaches have good ideas and opinions on, so use our knowledge. Who do you think should take action or is responsible? I hope your questioning will help the technical committee to realize what is happening and I strongly hope they will take action in their new rule proposals for this summer ISU congress. But… if nothing happens, I for sure know how to do theater on ice just as easily... The main issue however is that we as coaches and choreographers know what is to be expected from us and what we are supposed to do. It’s vague and unclear at this point and that’s not good for the sport. This by the way…. doesn’t mean killing the creativity, but giving some limits on what should/shouldn’t be done, so that we don’t change or sport. Evolving and progression is a good thing, changing the sport isn’t. What is your main concern? My main concern is that we kill our sport, ourselves. If we allow group single skating and Theater on Ice to take over, then we can say goodbye to synchro and synchronized skating for good. From now on it seems we have to audition single skaters to our teams and say goodbye to those who have always wanted to be part of a team and have started their career as a synchronized skater. Soon they will no longer have the qualities and skills needed in this new sport, whatever it will be called in the future. Our sport is special and I hope we keep it that way. Something only a team can do and create together. Holding onto each other, making formations... Synchronized Skating you know. I Know Anu …. I know  OKSANEN Anu OPINION On a daily basis, we search the Internet and all Social Media pages for newsworthy updates… This week, just after Mozart Cup we did the same and this one post on Facebook caught our eye and attention and made us start wondering. Time to ask the account owner what she meant by her remark. “Watching the competition at times just made me wonder where are we heading with this sport. Synchro or theatre on ice... Team skating or group skating... Team unity or individuality... Would be nice to know as a coach and a choreographer what is valued and that those things would reflect in the given marks” - Anu Oksanen