Welcome to the world of Synchronized Skating—where precision meets performance and teamwork shines on ice. Whether you're watching your first competition or just curious about the sport, here are five things you need to know to become a true Synchro fan.

1. It’s Not Just Skating—It’s Skating Together

Team Berlin 1 (GER) at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 Helsinki (FIN)

Synchronized Skating is all about moving as one. Teams of 8 to 16 skaters glide, spin, and turn in perfect unison to music, creating a seamless flow of motion across the ice. Every step, every turn, every arm movement is timed to the beat—and to each other. The challenge? One tiny mistake, one skater even slightly off, can throw off the entire formation. That’s what makes it so captivating to watch. The sport demands not just technical skill, but razor-sharp focus, awareness, and trust between teammates.

Team Nova Senior (CAN) at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 Helsinki (FIN)

As you watch, keep an eye out for clean, geometric formations, perfectly mirrored arm and leg movements, and smooth transitions between elements. When done right, it’s like watching one body made up of many—graceful, powerful, and totally in sync.

2. There Are Signature Moves—And They’re Epic

Team Jingu Ice Messengers (JPN) performing a group lift at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 Helsinki (FIN)

You’ll quickly start recognizing the signature elements in a Synchro program—and once you do, you won’t be able to look away. What makes Synchronized Skating so unique is how it combines movements from Singles, Pairs, and Ice Dance, then jumbles them together into something entirely new. The result? A full-team discipline packed with high-speed formations, creative transitions, and breathtaking visuals. Here are a few to keep an eye on:

• Intersections: Two lines of skaters zoom toward each other and pass through—without crashing! It’s one of the most thrilling and high-risk moments in any performance.

• Blocks & Lines: Think straight lines of skaters gliding in perfect harmony. These elements showcase control, spacing, and perfect edge work across the team.

Team Zoulus (FRA) performing a block as part of their performance at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2024 in Zagreb, Croatia

• No Hold & Twizzles: Skaters aren’t holding on to each other, but still move as one unit—executing synchronized footwork and fast, one-foot turns (twizzles) with flawless timing.

Team Nova Senior (CAN) performing twizzle at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2024 in Zagreb, Croatia

• Group Lifts: Yes, they lift each other on the ice—and it’s as dramatic as it sounds. These moments combine strength, balance, and artistry as teams hoist a skater into the air mid-program.

Team Starlight Elite (SUI) performing a group lift at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 Helsinki (FIN)

• Artistic Elements: The creative heart of the routine. These moments include unique choreography, shapes, and transitions that bring the music and story to life.

Team Haydenettes (USA) performing at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 Helsinki (FIN)

• Synchronized Spins: The whole team spins in unison, matching speed, position, and timing. It's visually hypnotic and requires serious balance and control.

• Traveling Elements: Formations like wheels or circles that not only rotate but move across the ice at the same time—requiring edge precision and spacing.

Team Skyliners (USA) performing a traveling wheel at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 Helsinki (FIN)

Fun Fact: Every move you see is judged based on difficulty and execution. So while it may look like a beautiful performance, it’s also a complex puzzle of technical precision. One extra feature can add points—but only if it’s nailed.

3. It’s All About Precision—But Also Performance

Team Unique (FIN) at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 Helsinki (FIN)

Synchro isn’t just about landing clean edges—it’s about skating with expression, energy, and impact. While judges score every technical element, they also look closely at the artistry of the performance—how well the team interprets the music, connects with the audience, and delivers emotion on the ice.

The best teams go beyond choreography. They use facial expressions, musical timing, and dynamic movement to bring every note of the music to life. From powerful glances to flowing arm movements, nothing is random—it’s all part of the story they’re telling.

Team Unique (FIN) rehearsing at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 Helsinki (FIN)

These performances don’t just showcase skill, they evoke feeling. Some programs are bold and dramatic. Others are soft, lyrical, or playful. But the best ones? They stay with you long after the music ends.

4. Costumes, Music, Vibes? All Part of the Magic

Team Haydenettes (USA) at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 Helsinki (FIN)

From elegant spirals set to sweeping classical scores to fierce hip-hop routines packed with attitude, no two Synchro programs are the same. Each team brings its own personality to the ice, and much of that comes through in their music choices, choreography, and costumes.

Team Olympia of (CZE) at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2024 in Zagreb (CRO)

Look for: Costumes that help tell the story. Do they match the music’s tone? Do they enhance the skaters’ movements? Also, pay close attention to how the team interprets the music—not just skating to the beat, but reflecting the rhythm, accents, and emotion through their movement. Every gesture, every transition is crafted to fit the sound.

When all these elements come together—music, movement, and visual style—you don’t just watch the routine. You feel it.

5. Be Loud, Be Proud—Synchro Fans Know How to Cheer

One of the best parts of synchro? The electric energy in the arena.  It’s not a quiet, sit-on-your-hands kind of sport—fans are part of the show.

Clap during cool elements.
 Groove along if the music hits just right.
 Cheer when the team nails a big moment or strikes their final pose.
 And when the scores come in? Let the applause explode—the skaters can hear you!

Enthusiastic fans in the audience at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2024 in Zagreb (CRO)

Synchro fans bring the hype, the heart, and the support—and that energy fuels the athletes on the ice. Just remember: no matter which team you’re rooting for, every skater out there has trained for months, poured their heart into the program, and deserves your cheers. Respect the effort. Celebrate the moment.

That’s the spirit of synchro.

Bonus Tip: Know the Scoring Basics 

You don’t need to be a judge, but here’s the cheat sheet:

In most competitions, teams perform two programs:

1. Short Program – A shorter routine with required elements that must be performed in a set way. It’s about clean execution, precision, and showing off the team’s technical foundation.
2. Free Skating – A longer program where teams have more creative freedom to design their choreography and showcase their full range of skills, artistry, and expression.

Each program is broken down into two main scoring components:

1. Technical Elements Score (TES)
    Every routine includes a list of required elements (like intersections, blocks, no hold elements, lifts, etc.). Each element has a base value that reflects its difficulty. Want to boost your score? Add difficult features—like turns, direction changes, or complex transitions. But here’s the catch: It has to be clean.
2. Program Component Score (PCS)
    This is where the artistry comes in. Judges score the overall performance in three key areas:
   • Composition: How well the program is structured and uses the ice
   • Presentation: Performance quality, emotional connection, and musical interpretation
   • Skating Skills: Edge quality, speed, flow, and control

Once the Technical Elements Scores and Program Component Scores are added together, deductions (like for falls or rule violations) are subtracted. Then the final scores from both the Short Program and Free Skating are combined for the total competition score.

Welcome to the Synchro Fam 

Whether you're here for the sparkles, the drama, or the teamwork—Synchro has it all. Now that you know what to watch for, grab a seat (or a stream), bring your loudest cheer, and enjoy the glide.

Team Haydenettes (USA) at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2024 in Zagreb (CRO)