Kalamazoo, Mich. – Kalamazoo has been selected as the site for the 2016 U.S. Synchronized Skating National Championships.
The event will be held Feb. 24 to 27 at Wings Stadium and is hosted by the Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association.
“The
Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association is proud and honored to have been
chosen to host this event, and we look forward
to sharing this amazing city with members of theskating community from
across the country,” said Jo Czuhajewski, president of the Greater
Kalamazoo Skating Association.
The
U.S. Synchronized Skating National Championships crowns the U.S.
champions at the juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior, senior,
collegiate, adult
and masters levels in addition to serving as the primary selection
event for the World Synchronized Skating Championships.
In recent years, the U.S. national championship has hosted approximately 94 teams and 1,500 skaters.
“Wings
Stadium is excited to partner with our local businesses and figure
skating communities as the host venue for this prestigious event,” added
Michael Mortlock, director of operations
for Greenleaf Hospitality Group, owner andoperator of Wings Stadium.
“We look forward to welcoming athletes from around the country into our
building and our city and will work hard to make this a memorable event
for everyone involved.”
The
Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association and Wings Stadium successfully
hosted the Midwestern/Pacific Coast Synchronized Sectional Championships
in
2013, an event that helped land the 2016 national championships.
“We
are excited the United States Figure Skating Association has entrusted
our community in hosting one of its most prestigious
events,” said Greg Ayers, president and CEO of Discover Kalamazoo. “The
success of the 2013 Synchronized Skating Sectionals, combined with the
efforts of the Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association, makes this award
possible.”
Synchronized skating consists of teams of 8-20 skaters, flowing as one unit at high speeds over the ice.
Spectators will be able to watch
skaters in eight competitive divisions ranging from juvenile (13 and
younger) to masters (35+) in the nation’s premier synchronized skating
event.
The Greater Kalamazoo Skating
Association hosts a number of local events including the annual Kick Off
Classic, which features up to 115 participating teams.
For more information, including how to become a part of the local organizing committee, visit the GKSA website at
greaterkzooskate.org.
To learn more about synchronized skating, visit U.S. Figure Skating at
usfigureskating.org.