Synchronized Swimming Figures

A synchronized swimming meet will often have two very different parts to it – 1) a lively, loud, and colorful part where the athletes swim in teams to complicated and exciting choreography, and 2) a much slower, quieter part where the athletes, all dressed in black suits and white caps, individually perform a single move in front of a panel of judges.  This slower part of the meet is called the “figures” competition.  

Just what are “figures” in synchronized swimming, and why are they so important to spend time on and master?  ANA Synchro Head Coach Leah Pinette explains:

A figures competition involves athletes individually performing
 a single technical movement in front of a panel of judges. 

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Figures are the more technical side and skills-based side of synchronized swimming.  Routines are the more artistic side.  Figures help with movement, and they teach the athletes what they should be doing at each age level.  Our novices start with a simple back tuck somersault, for example, and the figures get progressively more difficult in the older age groups.  Ideally, figures will teach the athletes the progression of how to do certain skills so that, when they are older and ready to do the more complicated versions, they know how to do them.  In gymnastics, for example, you wouldn’t try doing a flip without first knowing how to do a front somersault.  It’s the same in synchro.  You start with something simple and build on it from there.   So, the real purpose of figures in this sport is to help build the athlete.

"Flamingo Bent Knee" is one of many figures in synchro.

ANA Synchro:  How many figures are there?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  We have a thick rulebook of many different figures.  Every four years, FINA (our international governing body) selects eight of them for each age group to focus on.  From these eight, there are two compulsories swum at every meet, and then two more are chosen randomly for each meet by the Technical Chair of the Region or Zone.  It used to be that athletes would know far in advance which figures would be competed at specific meets, so they’d just focus on those.  But today, we find out only 18 – 72 hours in advance of a meet what the figures will be.  This is better, I think, because then you have to know all the figures evenly.  It’s challenging to know all eight figures throughout the season!

ANA Synchro:  Why do the figures change every four years?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Different figures get athletes’ bodies to do different things.  A new set might include the same set of skills, just at a higher difficulty.  Or, maybe the people who run our sport will want athletes to focus on speed or agility, so they’ll add those qualities to the required figures.  If they want to see more flexibility in our athletes, they might put a split into a figure.  Today, we’re seeing figures that require more back and leg flexibility than we’ve seen in the past.  Athletes in the 13-15 age group, for example, are doing the “Ariana” figure, which is very hard and requires a lot of leg flexibility.  And, new for athletes in the 16-19 age group is the “Nova” position, which is a bent knee ballet leg position held in an arch, that uses more back and flexibility in the arms and legs.

Black suits and white caps for figures
enable judges to focus on the technique.

ANA Synchro:  Why do the athletes all wear black suits and white caps for a figures competition?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  It’s supposed to be for the judges so they can just judge the figure.  The idea is that if everyone looks the same, then it’s not so subjective.  The judges can evaluate an athlete just based on what their skill is on the figure, not on who the person is. 

ANA Synchro:  How are figures scored in competition?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Every athlete will perform a figure in front of a panel of judges.  If there are enough judges at a meet, there will often be four separate panels the athletes will rotate through, each one judging a different figure.  Each judge will rate the figure on a scale of 1 to 10. The high and low scores get thrown out, and the rest of the scores are averaged together and factored with the figure’s degree of difficulty for an official score. 

ANA Synchro:  Are figures treated as a separate event at meets, just like solos, duets, and team competitions?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Yes, figures is considered a separate event and athletes can earn awards just for their figures results.  However, figures scores in the US also count for 50% of the total routine scores.  As an example, and just to keep the numbers simple, let’s say a routine scored 60 points and the figures score was 40 points.  Their final score would be those numbers added together equally, for a total of 100 points.  Another team could have the exact same routine score of 60, but, if their figures score was higher – 50, for example – then they would win the competition with a total of 110 points.

ANA Synchro:  So, doing well in figures is really important for competition!

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Yes.  It can work both ways.  Figures scores have been known to pull people up in the final standings, but they’ve also pulled people down from where they would have been if you just counted routine scores.

ANA Synchro:  How are figures counted toward a final score when there are two people in a duet or eight people on a team?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  All the figures scores are averaged together.  The figures scores of the individual athletes are added together and then divided by the number of athletes in the routine.  For a duet, for example, you’d add both athletes’ figures scores and then divide by 2.  For a team, you’d add all the athletes individual scores and then divide by however many athletes made up that team. 

Being a technical swimmer herself,
Head Coach Leah Pinette enjoys
teaching figures to athletes.

ANA Synchro:  Were figure scores always weighted so high at 50% of the total final score?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  No.  I remember when the final score used to be 75% routine score and 25% figures score here in the US. We’ve seen a decline in figure ranking on the international level because we lost our focus on the basic technical skills of our sport.  So, USA Synchro decided to put 50% of the score on figures and 50% on the routines as a way to get athletes and coaches to work more on figures. 

ANA Synchro:  This emphasis on figures must be challenging for any coach because the girls probably prefer working on routines, right? 

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Yes, they do tend to want to work on routines!  I suppose I can understand that.  It’ harder, mentally, to work on figures and technical skills than a routine.  But if the girls want to have great routines, they have to be able to do a ballet leg correctly and know how to scull and spin correctly.  And the more advanced they get, the more critical it is to have a strong foundation of basics to be able to learn those harder technical skills.  So, every week when I write the practice plans, I put in there how much time we’re going to work on figures and how much time we’re going to work on routines so everybody knows the plan.  For Age Group athletes, it’s about 50-50.  For Intermediates, it’s about 75% figures and technical work, and 25% routines. 

ANA Synchro:  How did you feel about working on figures when you were an athlete? 

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  I really enjoyed figures because I was more of a technical swimmer.  I didn’t necessarily enjoy practicing figures though!  You don’t move around as much practicing figures so I was always cold and shivering!  But I loved doing them because they calm your mind and calm your heart rate.  I think I excelled at them because I could just focus on what I was doing at the time, at the slower pace, and think of what I could do to improve.  Now, as a coach, I have discovered that while I do love routines and the choreography side of synchro, I really love teaching the technical side of synchro.  I think the girls have figured this out by how much time we spend on them!  I still get the questions from them “when can we do routines?”, but all our work on basics and figures are paying off.  Everyone’s figures scores are improving, and I think the athletes are starting to make the connection that strong technical skills mean they’ll have stronger routines. This means they can do more advanced and exciting routines!

Stay tuned for our next installment of the figures topic where Coach Leah reveals the number one thing athletes can be doing to improve their figures score!

How to knox hair for synchronized swimming

We are about to enter a busy competition season, so we thought it would be a good time for a “How to Knox” blog post!  If you are new to knoxing, or just need some refresher tips, take a look below.  Our 13-15 Age Group team was kind enough to let us watch while they knoxed for their first routine meet of the year.

By knoxing their hair,
synchronized swimmers
keep their hair in perfect
place throughout a routine.

Why do synchronized swimmers knox their hair?  To keep it in perfect place while swimming a competition routine.  It is only done when swimming routines at meets.  At ordinary practices, or for figures only, synchronized swimmers wear caps.

Do you mean “Knox” as in the gelatin product you buy at a grocery store?  Yep!  The same thing!  It’s pretty gooey when it goes on, but it dries nicely to keep the hair in place.  And it’ll stay put throughout a day because the water in pools is usually only about 80 – 84 degrees, not hot enough to melt the knox.

How do the girls get it out?  It takes a nice, long hot shower after the meet is over to dissolve the knox away.  Tip for success:  Some girls like to use conditioner to keep the hair detangled while getting all the knox out.

1. Gather your supplies.  Tip for success:  Many girls like to build a little kit of supplies with the following items.  That way, everything is right there for every meet – no tedious searching around.

Supplies for knoxing hair.

• hair brush
• pony tail elastic(s)
• bobby pins
• hair net
• squirt bottle for spritzing hair
• 3-4 individual envelopes of Knox
• ¼ or 1/3 cup measure
• cup for mixing (some parents have a special plastic knox-mixing cup, and other parents use disposable coffee cups to simplify clean-up)
• plastic fork for mixing
• medium-sized comb
• paint or pastry brush
• towel for wrapping shoulders while painting on the knox
• smaller towel or washcloth for catching knox drips 

Good knox starts with a tight ponytail.

2. Pull the hair into a tight ponytail and secure with an elastic.  This step is critical!  The tighter the initial ponytail, the smoother, and prettier the knox will be.  Tip for success:  Dampen the hair to minimize flyaways and smooth out the hair from the start.








3. Make a bun with the ponytail. 

   

   Option 1 for thicker hair, split 
   ponytail into two sections, 
   then wrap each into the bun.

• For thin hair, simply twist the ponytail in one section until it naturally falls into a bun coil.  Secure the end with a bobby pin. 


• Option 1 for thicker hair:  Split the ponytail into two pieces.  Twist each section in opposite directions.  Coil one section around into a bun shape, securing the end with a bobby pin.  Then coil the other section around in the opposite way, securing that end with a bobby pin also.

Option 2 for thicker hair: 
make either 2 or 3 braids
before wrapping bun.

• Option 2 for thicker hair: Split the hair into two or three sections and braid each section.  Wrap each piece around into a bun coil, securing each end with a bobby pin.

4. Wrap the hair net around the bun.  It will go around 2-3 times.


5. Secure bun with bobby pins.  Overlap bobby pins at the base of the bun for stability.  You should be able to tug on the bun and know that it is secure at this point.  Use hairpins down the center if desired for thick hair. Please note:  some parents will put the hair net on first, then lock down the bun with bobby pins; others will lock it down without the net, then add the net.





Secure bun with bobby pins.



Wrap hair net around bun 2-3 times




6. If hair has started to dry out, give it a spritz all around and smooth it down with your hand or a comb.  Tip for success:  Be especially careful to dampen and smooth all the little wisps of hair that collect at that base of the neck and forehead.

Dampen and comb up all the little wisps before knoxing.

Now, get ready to knox!

7. Boil the water.  Tip for success:  The hotter the better; a hotpot will be fine; the coffee maker typically found in hotels for travel meets will be fine too.


8. Empty 3 or 4 knox packages into cup.  Use 3 packages for younger athletes and for those with thin hair; most everyone else will be fine with 4 packages, though we know of some swimmers who use more than that. 




9. Pour the hot water into the cup with the knox and mix.  Until you know and can eyeball the right consistency of the knox, try these ratios:  ¼ cup water for 3 packages knox; 1/3 cup water for 4 packages.

   

   With experience, you'll be able
   to eyeball the knox for the right
   consistency.

   Tip for success:  Resist adding more knox or adding more water after you’ve already mixed!  The consistency can change dramatically when you try to fine tune the mixture after the first mix, and no one wants to be that girl with the clumpy knox!  If you need more, simply mix up a new batch.


10. Starting at the center of the forehead, comb a layer of knox into the hair.  Dip your comb into the cup of liquid knox and comb it in.  Working quickly, go all around the head with the comb, dipping the comb in for more knox with each new section of hair. 

    

    Comb in a layer of knox all around the head.

    Tip for success:  Dampen a corner of your smaller towel with hot water before starting this step; this will be good for catching any drips of hot knox that fall on ears or exposed necks.





11. Next, dip your paint or pastry brush into the liquid knox and paint it on the surface of the hair.

    

    Paint the knox on the hair with
    a paint or pastry brush.

     
12. When you’ve gone all the way around the head with the brush, use the last part of the liquid knox to paint the bun.

    

    The bun is the last thing to paint.












13. Let the hair dry for about 10 minutes, and pin the headpiece on.  The hair will be just gooey enough to easily put the bobby pins in to secure the headpiece.  

    

    Pin headpiece on before knox dries.

    Tip for success:  If you wait too long, the knox will dry hard and it will be very difficult to get the headpiece in.

Combined "Combo" Routine

In  Part 1 of this 2-part article on “Combo” routines, ANA Synchro Head Coach Leah Pinette described for us what a Combo routine is and the choreography challenges and opportunities it presents.  She also gave us a glimpse of ANA’s Combined Combo this season with Cambridge Synchro and the North Shore YMCA Selkies.  In this second and final part of the article, Coach Leah tells us more about how that joint venture came about and how she and the two other coaches manage it all.

Head Coaches:  (l-r) Katie Rice of Cambridge Synchro,
Carrie Reynolds of North Shore YMCA Selkies,
and Leah Pinette of ANA Synchro.

ANA Synchro:  Why did ANA Synchro, North Shore YMCA Selkies, and Cambridge Synchro combine this year for a Combo? 

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Our three teams are combining for a Combo this year to give our older athletes a chance to work with others at their level and compete as one.  It’s really a unique opportunity in that these girls are swimming alongside girls they normally compete against.  That’s different because your competitors are who you watch – for years sometimes – and you look up to them.  Even though you’re competitors, you want to be able to swim with them too.  You want to be able to swim with the best in your group. 

ANA Synchro:  How do the rules allow for a combined Combo?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  I learned about the opportunity to join forces at our national USA Synchro Convention last September.  USA Synchro put this into place to accommodate smaller clubs.  In the past, if you were a smaller club, you might have put together a trio of similarly-leveled athletes, but we don’t have trios any more as of this year.  So, USA Synchro is allowing teams to combine to give athletes an opportunity to get involved in a bigger group.  I thought it would be a neat opportunity for our older girls, so I reached out to a few teams in our area. 

ANA Synchro:  What was their reaction?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Both Carrie Reynolds, Head Coach of the North Shore YMCA Selkies and Katie Rice, Head Coach of Cambridge Synchro thought it was a great idea.  We coaches then reached out to our athletes to see if there was any interest.  Initially, we had about 20 who at least wanted to learn more about it.  In the end, we had 11 (10 swimmers + 1 alternate) who were willing to make the commitment.  According to the rules, we couldn’t call the combined Combo any of our existing team names, so we’re competing under the name “New England Synchro.”

New friends are being made in the New England Synchro
Combined Combo.

ANA Synchro:  How is it going?  Are the girls meshing together?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  It’s going well!  It’s a huge learning experience for all of us, and I do find the girls are meshing.  They are not just hanging out with the girls on their own team.  All of the girls are open and welcoming, helping each other, and becoming a team.  Part of it, I think, is that all these girls really want to be here.  They had to consciously decide to commit to the extra practices, the driving to each other’s pools, and the time and expense of traveling to the bigger meets.  You don’t always get this full-on commitment with an ordinary age-group team, so having it with the Combo makes a real nice dynamic.

ANA Synchro:  How are the three coaches making it work?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  We had never worked together like this before, so we definitely had to find our groove as coaches.  We each have different styles, which I think is turning out to be a positive to the whole experience.  Carrie is probably the most artistic one of the three of us, so she has great vision with solos and the presentation of everything.  Katie is a teacher, so she’s a very good communicator and very organized.  She tends to be the planner of the group.  And Katie is patient, which balances my coaching style because I tend to be the taskmaster of the group.  (That probably comes from all those years as captain of the National Team!)  I think we are all learning from each other, and, together, we’re creating stronger athletes all around, not with just our own.  We might even be getting a little spoiled having three head coaches around to be more eyes on deck and to independently watch all the different parts that make up a Combo.

Three Head Coaches on deck means three pairs of eyes
to watch over all parts of the Combined Combo

ANA Synchro:  So the girls don’t look to just their own coach for leadership?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Not at all.  They’re very comfortable taking direction and correction from all three of us coaches.  I actually love this part of it.  It’s the same reason I love when our athletes go to different camps and clinics.  Sometimes another coach can tell my athletes the exact same thing I tell them, and it’ll just click with them because they’ll hear it in a different way.  So, by providing these different perspectives on the same athletes, the athletes are improving, and we coaches are improving too, just watching how each other operates. 

ANA Synchro:  What has been your biggest challenge with the tri-team arrangement?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  The biggest challenge is we don’t get together as a group as often as we would if it was just our own team.  So it’s January and the girls are still working on learning a couple of the laps.  Luckily, the season is young, and we have the flexibility to add more practice time if we need it as we get closer to the bigger competitions.  Another challenge is making sure the choreography is all connected, but that would be there regardless of whether we were doing a combined Combo or one with just our own team.

The Combo starts its Snow
White story on deck with a
dramatic portrayal of the mirror.

ANA Synchro:  How are the girls enjoying the storytelling nature of Combo choreography?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  I think they like it because it’s different than anything they’ve done.  Our story starts on the deck!  Even though deckwork is not supposed to be judged, it is still a great opportunity to make a strong first impression.  We have one girl portraying the evil queen, another portraying Snow White, and the rest of them portraying the mirror.  The whole storytelling concept is pretty new for them, so I don’t think they got the mirror concept at first, but when they did, we just saw it all come together.

ANA Synchro:  Has there ever been a multiple team effort like this before for a Combo?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Actually, ANA Synchro has done a combined Combo years ago with the New Canaan YMCA Aquianas when Eugenia Gillan was Head Coach.  (Genia is now coaching Boston University's Synchro Team.)  Genia and Krista Karwosky (formly Bessinger) from New Canaan were talking about how they were both going to US Opens one summer, and decided to join forces for a Combo.  Because she had first-hand experience with a combined Combo, I asked Genia her opinion and for any pointers. 

ANA Synchro:  Have you gotten any feedback from other teams about your combined Combo?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Yes.  I was asking a lot of questions about it at Convention, and the other coaches there were giving positive feedback.  Carrie attended a choreography clinic in Colorado Springs earlier in the season where she asked a lot of questions about it as well.  She also got a lot of support, especially from the smaller teams who had representatives there.  I think if we can show a good example of it, that we were able to come together and make it work, maybe other teams will try it too.  I know we’re not necessarily the smallest team, but we can still show how it can work.  And who knows, I wouldn’t be surprised if other teams, especially the smaller ones, are doing the same thing already and we’ll see them at nationals.

The Combined Combo is a great learning experience
for both athletes and coaches.

ANA Synchro:  So you foresee doing it again?

Head Coach Leah Pinette:  Sure!  We’re showing that it can work.  If there’s enough interest, you can get the athletes competing at the skill level that they should be swimming.  The bottom line for me is this is good for synchro in general.  Our combined Combo is helping to develop our own athletes.  It’s helping us coaches learn from each other and stretch ourselves with new techniques for choreography.  And, though ANA Synchro has a long history of attending national meets, that’s not the case with all the teams in the US.  A combined Combo may be the thing that exposes more clubs and more athletes to higher level meets than what is available in their own region.  I know when ANA sent their first group to a national level meet years ago, they witnessed the top teams in the country and came back fired up to get to that level too.  And now, years later, we have routines placing in finals at those same national meets.  So, who knows what this could inspire!  But I’ll be excited to see what unfolds!