FEATURE Sports Complex Out in Synch: Synchronized Swimming, the Little Sport That Could Jim Provenzano | August 01, 2005 Paris Aquatique's synchronized swimming team at IGLA 2004 in Ft. Lauderdale - Photo: www.parisaquatique.org It's a sport often maligned for being choreographed and perhaps a bit too festive. Synchronized swimming leaves even some diehard aquatics fans asking, "Is this a real sport?" But GLBT synchronized swimming teams in California and France strongly believe in their efforts, and they have high hopes for 2006. Already accomplished swimmers and water-polo players, they want synchronized swimming to get a little respect. Members of the recently formed Tsunami Tsynchro, a San Francisco synchronized swimming team, say that their efforts to add an event in Chicago's Gay Games VII, to be held July 15-22, 2006, may not be taken seriously. Montreal's OutGames will include synchronized swimming as an exhibition match, and Gay Games VII's host, Chicago Games, Inc. (CGI), is considering it. This is not because of a dismissal of synchronized swimming as a serious sport, but because of the limited roster of about 30 competitors. The push for synchro's inclusion began at 2004's IGLA tournament, after the San Francisco and Paris teams had an exhibition match. The 20-member Paris Aquatique team competed at the recent Tournoi International de Paris, held May 13-16, and at the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) Championships in Atlanta July 20-25; it will compete Aug. 16-21 at the European Masters Championships in Stockholm. Paris Aquatique's team was created in 1998 by former champion synchronized swimming coach and choreographer Frank Lahanque, whose water-ballet number for the Pink Flamingo exhibition events at Gay Games V in Amsterdam took top honors. With its campy origins at costumed party-like events, which are not sanctioned competition, synchro remains an exhibition sport. IGLA's 2003 tournament, hosted by Team Tsunami and Tsunami Polo at Stanford University, in Palo Alto, Ca., included an exhibition by a local synchro team, the Hayward Water Sprites. That team includes seven women and one man. From Olympic to youth levels, synchro swimming competitors are all women, with one exception. Conversely, the two gay teams are mostly men. Therefore, the inclusion of synchronized swimming would be pioneering, says Brad Hise of Team Tsunami. "Synchro is, almost by definition, a discriminatory sport in that men are not allowed to compete at the international level," he adds. "Sponsoring a high-profile competition would be an important symbolic act." A similarly symbolic defiance of gender discrimination has taken place at Gay Games events since 1994, with same-sex figure skating competitions. International skating rules prohibited competition, and Gay Games events have had varying results in getting waivers, but no clear change of international rules. Although the majority of synchro swimming participants from the IGLA teams are men, Hise hopes many women already competing in the sport will be drawn to compete in a well-organized, competitive event, regardless of their sexual orientation. Hise wants their events to be promoted among United States Synchronized Swimming Association teams. International governing bodies for each sport will sanction all sports at Chicago's Games and expand regulations. While the IGLA board decision stressed concerns about the male-female ratio of athletes, "The argument that synchro is not gender-inclusive is frankly infuriating," says Hise. “Just because Tsunami and Paris Aquatique are predominately male does not mean that there would not be equal gender representation at the Gay Games. When Tsunami hosted IGLA 2003, we had several local women participate.” Members of Tsunami's synchro squad and the synchro team affiliated with Paris Aquatique sent a letter to the IGLA board in November 2004 asking for the inclusion of synchro in Chicago. They received a polite response, but the IGLA board, which sanctions its own annual tournament, made no official decision. By April 2005, synchro enthusiasts were told via an IGLA statement that since their sport was not included in the last bid to host the seventh Games, it would most probably not be included, despite other events being added after Chicago signed the host contract. "Synchro has only gained popularity in the last few years, and so it is understandable why it was not included in the initial planning," says Stuart Hills, who is both a Tsunami and IGLA board member. "Chicago's arguments for not adding it at this point are flawed. (CGI) added an open-water swim despite it being a new sport with a short IGLA history." He adds that synchro organizers even formulated a budget for additional equipment, such as underwater speakers and additional pool time. "The entry fees of just Paris and Tsunami would more than cover the rental." Jon Bauer, IGLA delegate to the Federation of Gay Games (FGG), defended the Chicago decision to exclude synchronized swimming. "CGI is doing a lot for aquatics, especially in their attempt to accommodate swimming at an outdoor swim venue," he says, noting that the open water swim was added because of its low cost and co-gender inclusion. "Synchro would have to be approved by the FGG Host Advisory Committee (HAO) and recommended to Chicago, probably as an exhibition if at all. Even if it's recommended again, synchro was not on the original contract." At IGLA's tournament this summer, the two fledgling men's teams performed solo, duet, and group routines to appreciative audiences. By press time, synchronized swimming was on the verge of being approved by the FGG and recommended to Chicago as an exhibition match event, and possibly a sanctioned competition. Jim Provenzano is the author of the novels PINS and Monkey Suits. Read more sports articles at www.sportscomplex.org Related stories Faking the Team: Questionable Recruitment for OutGames [18/07/2005] Gay Games 2010 bid – latest update [13/03/2005] For more info on Gay Sport in South Africa contact Gay Sport SA