Synchro skating on campus

Elizabeth Pacheco Sports Editor

Swizzle, choctaw and mohawk may sound like the newest dance moves, but they are simply technical terms in Vassar’s newest sport on campus, synchronized ice skating. Cleverly named Iced Brew, the team is the brainchild of Hannah Erdheim ’10. Although still awaiting official approval from the Vassar Student Association, the team has begun to organize.

Before coming to Vassar, Erdheim was part of a synchronized skating team in New Jersey for nine years. Longing for her former pastime, she decided to begin a team at Vassar. Erdheim hopes to use the McCann Ice Arena in Poughkeepsie and plans to start practicing on ice by the end of the month. Hoping to recruit a minimum of 12 skaters, Erdheim said there’s no limit for the number of participants, and no previous experience is necessary.

The team will begin competing in the open collegiate level, the sport’s lowest division. The season runs from November to February and will culminate in the sectionals competition held in Virginia this winter. To be eligible for sectionals, Erdheim must register her team with the USA Figure Skating Association by Oct. 15. If interest is high, the team will then compete in at least two local competitions.

Erdheim will act as the team’s primary coach, but she has contacted Deidre Bonanno, a coach for local Hickory Hill Figure Skating Club Synchronized Teams. “[Bonanno] has offered to help us choreograph the program if we need some more experienced help,” said Erdheim.

Synchronized skating is gaining popularity on college campuses, and Iced Brew would join the approximately 30 colleges and universities across the country already competing. “There are certain areas in the country where the sport is definitely more popular, such as New England, the Midwest and Chicago,” said Erdheim. “Miami University Ohio actually has three teams, one of which is ranked second in the world” after competing in the World Championships last season.

Synchronized skating originated in 1954 in Ann Arbor, Mich., when a team performed during the intermissions of University of Michigan’s men’s ice hockey games. In a synchronized program, teams must skate a choreographed routine as a unit to highlight their speed, footwork, ice presence and overall skating skills. While squads are typically all-female, teams may be mixed-gender.

The sport is currently vying for recognition as an Olympic sport, and Miami University’s coach is seeking acknowledgement from the National Collegiate Athletic Association as well. As synchronized skating grows in international popularity, Erdheim hopes Vassar students will follow the trend and help to make Iced Brew a success.