Synchronized swimming

[Lucinda]

Synchronized swimming (“Synchro” for short) is a sport that's been, on and off, equated with mermaiding. But aside from breath-holding, sequins and wearing make-up in the water the two actually have very little in common. It's a very beautiful sport nonetheless. Anyone else a fan?

Since synchronized swimming contests were part of the 1st European Games, I figured I could take a look at the sport to see if there are any ideas mermaidy enough to steal…. ehem, I mean, be inspired by. :)

If anyone is interested, you can check out the synchro Youtube page for the European Games:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrXo-jJXpl8cuPFFVwUT1pDuYpT_HDw7o

[Mermaid Jaffa]

They are very graceful, those swimmers. I've watched them mainly to see the sculling action and, how they can move in the water just moving their arms and hands.

[Echidna]

I am a synchro swimmer, and I developed my mermaid waterballet from that :)

Less emphasis on speed and acrobatics, more elegance and otherwordliness.
And obviously, splits replaced with techniques doable in a tail xD

I also love watching the Olympic-grade swimmers. Thematic routines are my favourite.

Edit: I also get a bit ticked off when Wikipedia or such equates mermaiding with synchro swimming.
And allegations like "mermaids are also called water ballerinas" erm no, they aren't? Never heard of it.
If anything, synchro swimmers are called that. Tsss.

[Lucinda]

Yesterday, I left several responses to this thread. They seem to have vanished into thin air. I guess I'll have to redo them at some point. Anyone else missing any posts or uploaded pictures?

[Lucinda]

In regard to the European Games, I tried watching as much of the synchro competitions as I could. I wanted to see as many different outfits as possible and to see who were sporting the most mermaidy ones.
I think that award would go to this duo from the Netherlands:

30869

Wouldn't a mermaid top, based on the same design, be cool?

[Lucinda]

I am a synchro swimmer, and I developed my mermaid waterballet from that :)


Were you part of a synchro swimming team? (Just curious :) )

[Echidna]

those bathing suits :drool:
I want one!
The shimmery, fancy suits are usually worn for the competition only though.
That shimmery, shiny stuff doesn't hold up long :(


Were you part of a synchro swimming team? (Just curious :) )
Yes, but only shortly to pick up the techniques.

In Germany (where I'm now), there are very few synchro teams (I bet none of them ever reached olympic level either), most classes I found when looking for a team were catering to children and young teenagers.
It's not really a serious sport here like in other European countries.

That said, Romania abandoned synchro in 1957 due to the "high maintaining costs of swimming pools", so it wouldn't have been better there either :p

[Lucinda]

People might already have seen this video, but I think it certainly deserves to be here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7xObMOMBhY

[Lucinda]

I also love watching the Olympic-grade swimmers. Thematic routines are my favourite.


When you say thematic, do you mean the ones set to music? Those are my favorites too, espicially the group ones (the solo numbers and the duets aren't so fun IMHO, because they just seem to spend most of the time upside-down thrashing their legs in the air. The group performances seem much more varied in terms of lifts, jumps and formations).

[Echidna]

All synchro routines are set to music.

Thematic Routines are a theatrical act with loads of props (example: Greece did a Warrior and Siren one using a monofin and a floating island among other things, China played a pair of Flamenco dancers wearing a full flamenco set and only ditching the skirts when going into the water, and so on).

Synchro came from waterballet, and while it's cool to have all those intricate techniques (like literally a dozen different variants on how to lift one leg from the water :p ), I think waterballet in itself is so much better than being restricted by "this-and-this has to be done so-and-so".

There is so much fun stuff you see in aquatic musicals that cannot be done in synchro, be it props, special stunts, artistic figure swimming.

Edit: found the Greek thematic duet with the siren

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9P1JDvkkUE

[Lucinda]

Cool routine. It's a shame the audio won't play (due to copyright reasons). The scaly wetsuit is an interesting choice. I can't help but wonder though what she's supposed to be. The Echidna? Medusa? A mermaid? *scratches head*

[Echidna]

She's a siren ;)

[seakaren]

I love synchronized swimming. I was in a team for a short time when I was little.

[seakaren]

Oh wow the team still exists, that makes me so happy.

http://www.sf-merionettes.org