Sports & Activities
World OutGames: Sports roundup
Photo Credit: Andrew Delaware
We caught up with double silver medalist Stephen Houghton to find out more about his experience in the pool and about the sport of synchro.
Synchronized swimming looks like a fun, challenging sport.
I think anyone who has even the smallest inkling of doing synchro should try it. It's an incredible sport and a great workout.
So, for people who don't know much about synchro, what's involved and what makes it so challenging?
It's tough because it's partly presentation, partly swimming in three dimensions. Most swimmers are used to just going back and forth, but in synchro you have to contend with up and down, side to side, all while presenting a fun, smiling attitude to the crowd. It's difficult on a lot of different levels, both art and sport. You have to be super athletic.
What is involved in training for synchro?
Well, the highest level athletes, such as Olympic level athletes, will do plyometrics in the morning, some Pilates and a yoga class, then be in the water for several hours a day. After all that, they'll do some strength training. Synchro requires both strong legs and upper body strength to push yourself up out of the water when upside down. It's all dynamic blasting strength combined with grace and flexibility.
So what is involved in training at the level you are competing at or for someone who is interested in getting started in the sport?
Well, I am involved with the Tsunami, which is the gay and lesbian masters swim team in San Francisco. Our synchro team has 16 athletes on it right now. We practice twice a week, two hours on Wednesdays and three hours on Saturdays. On Saturday, we do one hour of land training before going in to the pool, working on our synchronizing and routines and some other exercises. It's a total of four hours a week in the pool. On my own, I do a little bit of yoga here and there to keep myself flexible. The body you see before you is pretty much just from synchronized swimming.
You put on a beautiful show tonight. What was the highlight for you in the water?
The highlight for me was doing a solo, period. I was originally going to just do a duet. Just holding my own in pool, re-purposing a routine into a solo so I could compete, was really great for me. I was able to connect with the crowd. I chose music which was far less traditional: Kid Rock and a couple bad AC/DC covers. Hopefully, it made people laugh as well as giving them a bit of what this sport could be about, rather than the traditional music with the flexed ballet hands. It's been fun to push the queer, campy edge of the sport in a different direction.
Synchronized swimming looks like a fun, challenging sport.
I think anyone who has even the smallest inkling of doing synchro should try it. It's an incredible sport and a great workout.
So, for people who don't know much about synchro, what's involved and what makes it so challenging?
It's tough because it's partly presentation, partly swimming in three dimensions. Most swimmers are used to just going back and forth, but in synchro you have to contend with up and down, side to side, all while presenting a fun, smiling attitude to the crowd. It's difficult on a lot of different levels, both art and sport. You have to be super athletic.
What is involved in training for synchro?
Well, the highest level athletes, such as Olympic level athletes, will do plyometrics in the morning, some Pilates and a yoga class, then be in the water for several hours a day. After all that, they'll do some strength training. Synchro requires both strong legs and upper body strength to push yourself up out of the water when upside down. It's all dynamic blasting strength combined with grace and flexibility.
So what is involved in training at the level you are competing at or for someone who is interested in getting started in the sport?
Well, I am involved with the Tsunami, which is the gay and lesbian masters swim team in San Francisco. Our synchro team has 16 athletes on it right now. We practice twice a week, two hours on Wednesdays and three hours on Saturdays. On Saturday, we do one hour of land training before going in to the pool, working on our synchronizing and routines and some other exercises. It's a total of four hours a week in the pool. On my own, I do a little bit of yoga here and there to keep myself flexible. The body you see before you is pretty much just from synchronized swimming.
You put on a beautiful show tonight. What was the highlight for you in the water?
The highlight for me was doing a solo, period. I was originally going to just do a duet. Just holding my own in pool, re-purposing a routine into a solo so I could compete, was really great for me. I was able to connect with the crowd. I chose music which was far less traditional: Kid Rock and a couple bad AC/DC covers. Hopefully, it made people laugh as well as giving them a bit of what this sport could be about, rather than the traditional music with the flexed ballet hands. It's been fun to push the queer, campy edge of the sport in a different direction.