Since its opening in June this year, the newly renovated Lee Valley Ice Centre has become well-known both in the local area and beyond as a state-of-the-art facility, boasting a gym, fitness studio and two Olympic-sized ice pads but it truly had its first outing this week as it held the Skate London Synchronised Skating Competition 2023!
In the original Lee Valley Ice Centre- which opened in 1984- was host to countless competitions and so it was only a matter of time until one would be held at the new site and this recent competition was most definitely a fantastic one to start the Centre’s competition hosting. Dozens of synchronised skating teams from all over the UK travelled to compete at this event on the 26th and 27th of November 2023, coming from as far as Solway and the Isle of Wight!
Synchronised skating is a discipline of figure skating which entails a team, usually of between ten and twenty skaters, perform a routine on the ice to music, largely in synchronisation (and often passing terrifyingly close to one another). Being able to watch teams in action is a real treat as the performances at the highest level can be truly exhilarating, what with all the close passes, lifts and other precarious moves; if one ever feels tired, but still has important work to do before bed, watching some synchronised skating can be an excellent way to get slightly back on edge enough to stay awake!
The recent Skate London Synchronised Skating Competition at Lee Valley had all the thrill of the skating, as well as a (dreaded for some) backdrop of Christmas music between events, which together made the new Lee Valley Ice Centre’s first competition a both festive and uplifting success!
Ted Howden Chalmers
