Synchronized skating is a fast growing discipline of figure skating.  It is a highly technical form characterized by speed, accuracy, intricate formations and breathtaking transitions performed by teams of 8 to 20 athletes.

With music, costumes, and fun choreography,

skaters perform five required elements: kick lines, intersections, circles, blocks, and pass-throughs. The main focus is to move as "one".

Synchronized skating began in the 1950s at the University of Michigan where a group of skaters performed at hockey games. it has grown into a competitive sport with thousands of athletes from all over the world. In 2008, there were 42 collegiate teams in the US. Synchronized Skating has become an emerging NCAA sport for women, an important disctinction to allow for more varsity teams and fundting.

What about the Olympics? Many hope that synchronized skating will be a demonstration sport in 2010.

Click here to download US Figure Skating's full-length article on Synchronized Skating.

For more information, visit usfigureskating.org.