Raising the Skates

Raising the Skates Synopsis

It's 5:30 on Saturday morning at the Glacial Gardens skating rink; most of the outside world is still asleep. But in the rink, a world has come alive, where members of the California Gold synchronized skating team are well into their 5 am practice. As their music plays over the loudspeakers, 19 high school and college-aged figure skaters fly across the ice at high speeds, performing quick turns and formations in unison.

Their coach, Jill, is a tough-love coach; she believes her skaters are elite enough to qualify for international competitions and pushes them to live up to their potential. Katie is one of the most talented skaters on the team, but has a tough time following the rules. Yael loves to skate more than anything. David is the only guy on the team.

How will 19 individual skaters come together and learn to work as a team? The team has skaters ranging from ages 14 to 21. Team members commute as far as 2 hours for practices. But, with 19 skaters for 16 spots, not everyone will get the opportunity to compete. With four weeks to go before the first competition, Jill will have to decide who will be the alternates. Now, Katie, David, Yael and their teammates must push themselves both on and off the ice to earn a spot in the program.

From 4am wake-ups to mile runs, team cheers to disagreements, speed drills to broken bones, these skaters will learn that it takes more than just skating skill to be a team player. As California Gold prepares for their first competition of the season, one question remains on every skater's mind: who will make the cut?