Show National Swim Meet With all the talk about the National AAU Synchronized Swimming Championships at atthe atthe atthe the Deseret Gym this week and with all the excitement building to a high pitch by those concerned concerned concerned con con- with it it seems in order order order or or- der to explain what Synchronized Synchronized Synchronized Swimming is all about SYNCHRONIZED swimming has been dubbed by local synchronizer synchronizer synchronizer syn syn- Mary Landen as a Sport art or Dancing in the Water She backs her claim to its being a sport because it utilizes deCini te athletic swimming swim swim- ming ability swimming ability swimming being a sport As a sport it con con- conI I sf fitness cooperation tion I team spirit and other sp sportsmanlike sportsmanlike sports sports- I manlike qualities She says it is art because I like dance it uses the water rather than the floor or stage as its medium UNLIKE many muscle and speed type athletic activities a synchronized swimming meet has aesthetic and spectator apal appeal ap ap- ap- ap peal al in addition to the excitement excitement excitement excite excite- ment thrill and close finishes common to athletic contests Com Competitions peti are conducted on the order of figure skating gymnastic gymnastic gymnastic gym gym- and diving events with judges' judges scores being given for style synchronization choreography choreography choreography chore chore- interpretation of theme and music costuming originality original original- ity audience appeal and execution execution execution exe exe- cution technique perfection perfection perfection per per- etc These scores are averaged with those received in the figure competition to determine determine determine de de- de- de termine winners in solos duets and teams SYNCHRONIZED swimming calls upon all the reserve stamina stamina stam stam- in ina strength skill coordination coordination coordination tion and dedicated effort that speed swimming does plus I more The synchronized swimmer must have a feel for the muI music music mu mu- I sic good rhythmic response I poise to appear and entertain inI in I public and a flare of imagination imagination imagination for maximum success I either in competition or in show performance I The top National Champions who are winning at the Deseret I Gym spend 3 to 4 hours daily in practice They do many lengths of plain swimming kicking kicking kicking kick kick- I ing and pulling along with the their l' l speed swimming counterparts INSTEAD of practicing starts and turns with the racers they practice more lengths of sculling sculling sculling scull scull- ing a basic skill Then when the speeders head for home the synchronizers stay for another hour going over and andover andover andover over their routine to perfect the numerous fine points that make the big difference in the judges' judges scores and control on figures split sec sec- ond and d exact with music and teammates uniformity uniform uniform- ity with them on style audience audience audience audi ence personality projection stage presence etc Then the synchronizer goes home chlorine-bleary chlorine eyed and after getting in homework and dinner may stay up late sewing ewing sewing sew sew- ing her costume and making minute changes in her routine for that final spit and polish of a really finished perform perform- ance |