Making Waves in Synchronized Swimming

The two swimmers slice through the water, raising their arms in a quick flourish and turning their heads in perfect unison before diving under the surface with a pointed-toe kick.

This is the nation’s top synchronized duet team, embodying the consummate combination of precision and Esther Williams-style showmanship. But this pair is causing a stir in the normally placid waters of the sport.

That’s because one of them is a man.

Bill May and his partner, Kristina Lum, won the U.S. synchronized swimming duet title earlier this year with their steamy routine to Ravel’s “Bolero.” Next month, they head to the Goodwill Games where they’ll perform for the first time on an international level, and on television.

It’s anyone’s guess how the judges will react to the duo, who are hoping for a lot more than good marks. They aim to diversify the heretofore women-only sport.

“We really want to change the way people look at synchronized swimming,” says Lum, 21, who hopes the addition of men will help it “evolve into a new event.”

In a sport that typically features sequined glamour as much as athletic prowess, May acknowledges that he confounds people when he says he’s a member of the Santa Clara Aquamaids.

Some say, “Wow! You get to hang around women in swimsuits all day? Cool!”

Then there are the kidding references to a years-ago skit on television’s “Saturday Night Live” about two men who were synchronized swimmers. One, played by comedian Martin Short, had to use inflatable water wings to stay afloat.

May thought the sketch was funny but shrugs off the comparison. Just as women have made strides in many sports--even boxing and hockey--May is determined to make some waves in synchronized swimming.

“I don’t feel like I’m discriminated against,” he says. “It’s just that people haven’t seen a male synchronized swimmer before.”

At this point, the Goodwill Games are the farthest May can go. He cannot perform in events leading to the Olympics because he is a man, and synchronized swimming is classified in most international competition as a women’s sport.

So the Goodwill Games, one of the exceptions, represent a big test. May and Lum have been working nearly nonstop in recent weeks to hone their two required routines.

Unlike most duets where the swimmers perform mostly in unison, May and Lum play off each other with dramatic lifts and embraces.

During a recent practice, coach Chris Carver scolded May for being late with a move, a subtle turn of the head. May, a perfectionist in a sport that demands perfection, got it right the next time.

May was a kid when he started synchronized swimming at the neighborhood pool, tagging along with his sister during the summer. A couple of other guys were in the program, but one by one they dropped out.

Three years ago, May decided to leave home and join the Santa Clara-based Aquamaids, who earned their sixth consecutive national team title in May.

May shares an apartment with two teammates and works at an ice cream parlor to make ends meet.

Carver approached Lum about a possible match-up with May. She warned Lum, who was established in her sport, that with May she wouldn’t be able to take part in some competitions.

But Lum jumped at the chance, and the two became trailblazers. They chose “Bolero” in a nod to the British ice dancing team of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and their memorable performance in the 1984 Olympics. The idea was that their routine would be seen much like pairs figure skating.

“I feel like it has the potential,” Carver says. “How will the international judges see this? It’s hard to say. But the potential is there.

“Bill has the opportunity to change the nature of the sport, I think, for the better.”