Skating Synchrony: The Dedicated Young Women Of The Aviator Ice Dazzlers

“A little bit more speed and less scratching!”

Flora Magid, coach for the Aviator Ice Dazzlers, is guiding her team during one of their last practices before heading to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the 2016 Synchro Invitational.

If you haven’t heard of synchronized skating before, not to worry. The sport is extremely new.

At 6:00am sharp last Wednesday, 15 girls ranging from ages 10-14 glide towards the center of the ice rink. Just a moment before, they were lacing up their skates while holding animated conversations with their friends.

Their demeanor quickly shifts to that of poise and focus, as Coach Magid provides her opening remarks.

What happens next is a little tricky to describe. Picture all those graceful moves you may watching during figure skating competitions during the Olympics.

Now, picture 15 teammates gliding across the ice in unison.

The Aviator Ice Dazzlers formed about two years ago. At the outset, there were eight girls. Word-of-mouth and excitement quickly spread, and that one team of eight girls grew to the current four teams comprising 54 skaters.

The four teams — all called the Aviator Ice Dazzlers — are divided up by age group. And their first name comes from the practice facility they call home base: Aviator Sports and Event Center (located at Floyd Bennett Field).

The 15 skaters are from all over southern Brooklyn and elsewhere, including Sheepshead Bay, Mill Basin, Rockaway Beach, and Staten Island. And their schools are spread out as well: JHS 234/Cunningham, Mark Twain IS 239, PS 255, PS 100, Hebrew Language Academy, Poly Prep, and more.

While most teammates bring a skating background to their first practice, the discipline and collaboration necessary for this sport takes hard work and agility.

In one formation, the skaters glide swiftly across the ice with their arms touching. The synchronicity requires a concurrent self-awareness of their teammates as well as their own bodies and balance.

“Unity is so important,” says Coach Magid.

So far, Coach Magid — along with Coach Samvel Gazelian — are guiding teams that brings their work ethic to the many competitions happening around the Northeast. Last year, the team came in first place in a tournament held in Stamford, Connecticut.

13-year-old Nicole Zakharov tells us she’s been skating since she was six-years-old. “I love the competitions,” she tells us. “They are both exciting and scary.”

Zakharov also points out the community she has found when meeting skaters from other teams. “We have this tradition when we travel. We exchange our team pins with the other teams,” she says. “We have a chance to meet and talk.”

14-year-old Georgina Blackwell is the team captain. And it’s not just an empty moniker. Blackwell displays a subtle sense of leadership that she’s able to neatly fold into the team’s camaraderie.

Blackwell has been skating since she was three-years-old. “I’ve become attached to doing this,” she says.

And one has to become attached, because dedication to the rink is vital.

In addition to the team on ice, there are the parents. A large group of them quietly watched practice from one corner of the rink. There’s a particularly large amount of support from them. Since the sport is growing, they play a role in guiding the team as well.

Parent Igor Zubatov tells us that the sport comes with a fiscal commitment as well. “The skating equipment, uniforms, and space rental can be expensive,” he says.

Aviator Sports is also pleased by the progression of the team. “They have come such a long way,” says Director of Figure Skating, Slava Rozanski.

After the one-hour practice that morning, the team left the ice to ready themselves for the next part of their day: school. The skaters now dressed to be students, walking out into an early morning sky that had been dark when they first came for practice.

At the time of this practice, the team didn’t know they’d be returning the following weekend with something to celebrate. The Aviator Ice Dazzlers won the Silver Medal for their competition in Hershey.

“We’re really proud of what the team and the coaches have accomplished. And we’re only looking to grow it,” says Rozanski.

If you have an interest in supporting the team, you can contact Igor Zubatov at igorz88@aol.com.