Synchronized Skating

East West Ice Palace Welcomes California Gold

The California Gold Synchronized Skating Teams are now training at East West Ice Palace.

Welcome!

Synchronized skating is an exciting part of the world of figure skating. It is governed as a competitive sport in this country by U.S. Figure Skating, and on an international and world level by the International Skating Union, just like the familiar competitions in singles, pairs, and ice dancing.

But instead of one or two skaters on the ice at a time, imagine large teams moving in perfect unison. Circles, lines, blocks, wheels, and intersecting formations are the basic elements, choreographed with music in endless variety.

California Gold is currently fielding two teams — one at the Senior level and one at the Novice level. The Senior team has been ranked fourth in the U.S. each of the last two years, and is designated as a member of Team USA, appointed to represent the United States in International competition. They are pictured above competing in Berlin, Germany in January 2008.

The teams are coached by Jillian Cipresso and Amanda Meyer.

Learn more at the California Gold website.

Synchronized Skating Off-Season Training

The current season reaches its climax the first week of March, when both the Novice and Senior teams travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the 2010 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships. Then the skaters get a break from regular team practice until the new season begins in August.

All is not idle until then. There will be a 6-week off-season training program on Saturdays from April 3 to May 8, 2010. Tryouts for the new season will follow immediately on May 15 and 16, 2010.

The off-season training program has three main goals:

1. To maintain and enhance the skating skills of current team members.
2. To provide an opportunity for prospective members to become aquainted with the team and to learn the fundamental skills of synchronized team skating.
3. To help everyone prepare for participation in the tryouts.

In addition, California Gold hopes to begin a new team at the Juvenile level this coming season. So there will be special sessions on Thursdays and Saturdays — introductory classes in synchronized team skating hosted by the East West Ice Palace Skating School and taught by the California Gold coaches.