Hannah Vogel ’21
When most people think of synchronized swimming, they envision flowery caps, neat side dives and a lot of floating in circles. While this may have been the true during the Esther Williams era of synchronized swimming, it most certainly isn’t indicative of the synchro world today.
Synchronized swimming is an intense sport — do not be fooled by the beautiful competition suits or waterproof make-up. Swimmers at the competition level often practice upwards of 20 hours a week, and practices are typically four hours long.
Athletes are trained in flexibility, strength and endurance. It is standard in synchronized swimming for one to hold their breath for at least 30 seconds while simultaneously completing highly difficult tasks like lifting a team member out of the water — without touching the bottom of the pool, of course.
A coach of the New Canaan Y Aquianas, a competitive Connecticut synchronized swimming team, explained the sport in a sentence, “Synchro is a sport where athletes strive for perfection, something that is unattainable.” In the world of synchro, a foot can never be pointed enough, a knee never extended to perfection and a routine can never be difficult and beautiful enough to earn a perfect score.
Additionally, synchronized swimming is a highly regulated sport. Athletes are penalized for touching the bottom of the pool, not being synchronized, staying on deck too long during deckwork and countless other infractions. No goggles are allowed while performing, so swimmers must also learn to adapt their eyes underwater and be aware of each other in order to stay in pattern. Yet, for all of the hard work and athleticism that synchronized swimming requires, it is so often scoffed at and ridiculed.
Smith College has its own club synchronized swimming team. The team is welcoming and open to people of all skill levels. In fact, most team members that join have no prior synchro experience.
Team members get to choreograph and swim a team routine, as well as small routines (for example, trios, duets and solos), to music that matches the theme picked out for the year; this year, the theme is “magic.” The synchro team has been an active club for many years and has several traditions it still honors today.
One tradition is called “Candle,” where teammates perform a fun, silly dance routine in the shallow end of the pool while holding candles in complete darkness. The team puts on two performances a year, one per semester.
