Sync and Swim

Standing on the pool deck, they stretched their arms wide, quickly turned their heads skyward and gracefully leaped into the pool with barely a ripple.

As the theme from Disney’s “Dinosaur” blared through an underwater speaker, members of the senior girls synchronized swim team from Fernangeles Pool on Laurel Canyon Boulevard flipped over, pointed their toes and shot out of the water with arched backs and wide smiles.

With sexy swimsuits, gelled hair and carefully choreographed routines, synchronized swimming is clearly the glam event of amateur aquatics.

But the glitz belies the competitive spirit, dedication and athleticism needed to win.

Fernangeles team members will show off their blend of grit and grace today when they compete in the Amateur Athletic Federation’s Southern California championships in downtown Los Angeles.

“When people tell me this is not a difficult sport, I tell them to get in the water and try it,” said Brenda Erazo, the team’s coach and choreographer. “Synchronized swimmers may not be the fastest swimmers, but they are the strongest.”

Win or lose, team members say turning in a solid performance is what matters most. “I just want to do my best,” Nathalie Cano-Umana, 14, of Granada Hills said after practice Friday. “Going to the competition is a big accomplishment for me, because this will be my first year going to the championships.”

Although bringing home the gold would be great, team member Crystal Propst, 17, of Sun Valley, said she just wants to have a good time. “I love synchronized swimming. I do it for fun, not competition.”

To get to the championship round, Fernangeles bested teams from city pools in Reseda, Granada Hills and Sun Valley in the San Fernando Valley regional competition. The team then advanced to the citywide contest, where they beat opponents from Pacific and Metro public pools divisions.

Today, the four-girl Fernangeles team will compete as Los Angeles city champs against top squads from Santa Clarita, Valencia and Long Beach, among others. The meet will be at the Los Angeles Swim Stadium at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Synchronized swimming has grown in popularity--with the national organization’s membership up by 28%--since the U.S. Olympic team won the gold medal in 1996, according to U.S. Synchronized Swimming, the governing body.

First performed by Annette Kellerman in 1907, synchronized swimming is described as “ballet in water.” It was popularized by Esther Williams in MGM movies in the 1940s. The city Parks and Recreation Department offers an 11-week summer program for children ages 7 to 17, which culminates in division competitions.

Winners then move into regional and Southern California competitions. “The routines you see now are so much more physically demanding than anything done in the 1940s,” said Brian Eaton, spokesman for U.S. Synchronized Swimming.

“People still don’t understand the athleticism that is required to do the sport,” he said. “During a five-minute routine, 2 1/2 to three minutes is spent underwater. It’s like running a mile while holding your breath.”

Synchronized swimming combines elements from water polo, gymnastics, ballet and figure skating--performed in unison mostly underwater by two, four or eight people. The Fernangeles team started practicing in July for the Southern California meet, working out in the pool one hour each weekday.

“It’s extremely hard work. Your lungs get a workout,” said Jennifer Leuning, 14, of Sun Valley.

“And it keeps you in shape,” said her older sister, Heather, 17.

As the four girls practiced their routine Friday morning, Erazo stood at the edge of the pool and barked commands into a microphone.

She reminded them to keep count in the heads rather than rely on the music in case the tape jammed during the competition. She encouraged them to watch one another underwater. And, above all, she told them, “Keep smiling.”