Prince George is diving back into synchronized swimming. Call it one of the benefits of the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
Synchronized swimming is one of the sports in the 2015 Games, so organizers thought it would be appropriate for the sport to make a return to the northern regions of British Columbia where it hasn't surfaced above water since a brief resurgence in the mid-90s.
Lynn Barager, a sport leader for Synchro for the 2015 Games and a coach with the Prince George Water Lilies Synchronized Swimming Club, said it would've been embarrassing to showcase a sport not available in the north.
"You're going to have a Canada Winter Games and we don't have the sport in this town, it's kind of sad," said Barager.
So with the support of the 2015 Canada Winter Games organizers, Synchro BC applied for, and received a grant to host various camps and See It, Try It events in the north until February 2015. One of the benefits of the grant had two Synchro BC coaches Samantha Lankmayr from the BC Aquasonics Club in Surrey and Kessia Derks from Victoria Synchro in Prince George giving a lesson Friday at Four Seasons Leisure Pool for eight girls who signed up.
"Hopefully when the Games are over we'll have syncro representatives from the north and it's a sport that's actually carried through," she said.
Barager, along with fellow coaches Karen Welch, Nicole Barager and Maureen Evanson are starting up the Water Lilies club in the fall to see the sport thrive once again.
"We used to have some very active synchro teams in Mackenzie, Quesnel and Smithers, everywhere and now it's just sort of died down, so we want to get that going again," said Barager.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Barager said she took part in the sport when it was a part of the Prince George Barracudas Swim Club, but eventually synchronized swimming was dropped so the club could focus on other strokes.
Barager said a lack of experienced coaches and pool availability are the main reasons the sport died in northern B.C.
"That's the big part of the legacy from the Canada Winter Games is that whole knowledge of the sport is out there," said Barager. "It's a tremendously difficult, exact sport. There's so many aspects in it. There's a bit of a dance, total breath control, muscle, strength. It's just an amazing sport that uses so many aspects."
Abby and Anna Worthington were two of the swimmers who tried out the Friday lesson and for 12-year-old Abby it was everything she knew it would be.
"Synchronized swimming is awesome and people should get more interest in it. I don't know why people wouldn't want it up here," said Worthington. "We watched a whole bunch of synchronized swimming videos this morning before we came because we've got to be prepared."
Before they were able to take a lesson, the Worthington sisters would make up synchronized swimming and diving routines in their dad's pool, which caused him to push the girls to take lessons.
Abby said she going to tell her mom she wants to sign up for the lessons, which will be held in two seven-week blocks from September to December at a starting cost of $55 for each block. There are two sessions being offered, the Aqua Squirts for beginners and a Stars program for more advanced swimmers.
Anyone interested in trying out the sport is welcome to drop by the Prince George Aquatic Centre, Aug. 24 between 1-2 p.m. for a See It, Try It event. The only cost is the pool admission.
To sign up for synchronized swimming or for more information email [email protected] or stop by the Water Lilies booth at the Active Living market Sept. 7 and 8.
