Magazine
The biggest synchro fan is… a cat!
Magazine
The biggest synchro fan is… a cat!
Mushu is the only synchro fan... who is also a great mouser!
Mushu is Hannah Slagle’s cat and she’s amazing. Do you know why? Because when Hannah watches synchro livestream, she sits with her and watches also the entire event. "She recognizes the sounds that are heard at every competition," explained this synchro fan who lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Hannah Slagle just turned 16 years old and is in High School. She has been playing the cello for 8 years and play in one of her school’s orchestras. "I also love books and reading as well as movies, especially Marvel, Disney, and Harry Potter", explains this young skater who lives in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
She discovered synchro skating when she was 9 years old. She first saw this discipline in a gala. "It was love at first sight! I was mesmerized. I turned to my mom & dad sitting next to me and announced, “I HAVE to do THAT!”
Hannah had to wait half of a year for the summer camp and clinics in order to try skating synchro for the first time and then joined the introductory synchro skills Chiller Synchronized Skating team. "It was worth the wait! Five years later, I am even more passionate about synchro and I have even converted my mom from hockey to synchro! We are definitely a synchro family," comments Hannah.
She discovered synchro skating when she was 9 years old. She first saw this discipline in a gala. "It was love at first sight! I was mesmerized. I turned to my mom & dad sitting next to me and announced, “I HAVE to do THAT!”
Hannah had to wait half of a year for the summer camp and clinics in order to try skating synchro for the first time and then joined the introductory synchro skills Chiller Synchronized Skating team. "It was worth the wait! Five years later, I am even more passionate about synchro and I have even converted my mom from hockey to synchro! We are definitely a synchro family," comments Hannah.
Hannah has two cats: Moo and Mushu. Moo is the largest with short white hair and black spots, just like a cow. Mushu (on the left) is the tiniest.
Mushu, the "skating cat"
And even their cat is a “skating” cat. Mushu was the tiniest little kitten in the litter but she has the biggest personality. "She is a true tuxedo cat and has long fur and super fluffy feet that are so cute!", adds Hannah. Mushu was named after the little, funny dragon in Disney’s animated movie Mulan because she is fearless, funny and always sitting on the shoulders. She has the loudest purr and it sounds like a dragon.
"Shortly after we got Mushu’s litter to foster we noticed that her favorite thing to do was to run at full speed through the house and then slide across our wood floor. She even figured out how to spin herself around so that she starts facing forward but ends up sliding backwards through the room. Mom always said it was fitting that my cat “ice skates” across the wood floor just like I do at the rink", says Hannah.
"Shortly after we got Mushu’s litter to foster we noticed that her favorite thing to do was to run at full speed through the house and then slide across our wood floor. She even figured out how to spin herself around so that she starts facing forward but ends up sliding backwards through the room. Mom always said it was fitting that my cat “ice skates” across the wood floor just like I do at the rink", says Hannah.
Mushu watched the entire California Cup competition a few weeks ago, "lounging like a little furry human".
"She jumps right up on the desk to have a front row seat"
As the family’s passion and interest in synchro have grown, they have had to search out competitions and things to watch on the internet. "This means we watch a lot on our computer. We’ve also been known to watch competitions while standing in line for a ferry to tour Alcatraz Prison during our vacation in San Francisco, California as well as standing in line at Disney World. We are hooked," explains Hannah.
And because Mushu goes where the family go, she started sitting with them and watching the skaters in their sparkly costumes glide across the ice. "Mushu started to recognize the sounds that are heard at every competition (short songs, announcers talking, Zambonis cleaning up the ice, cow bells) and she jumps right up on the desk to have a front row seat. In November we were watching the California Cup Challenger Series and she climbed into her bed stretched out on her back and watched the entire competition lounging like a little furry human," adds Hannah.
And because Mushu goes where the family go, she started sitting with them and watching the skaters in their sparkly costumes glide across the ice. "Mushu started to recognize the sounds that are heard at every competition (short songs, announcers talking, Zambonis cleaning up the ice, cow bells) and she jumps right up on the desk to have a front row seat. In November we were watching the California Cup Challenger Series and she climbed into her bed stretched out on her back and watched the entire competition lounging like a little furry human," adds Hannah.
Hannah on the ice with her team, Chiller Synchro.
A favourite synchro team?
The Finnish team Marigold IceUnity has been Hannah's favorite synchro team for the longest amount of time. "I fell in love with them when I saw their Matador short program," she remembers. With MIU, The Haydenettes (USA) are currently sharing her top favorite spot.
"Mushu agrees with these same teams but she puts the Helsinki Rockettes in her top favorite spot. She feels their long program Radio Waves had the best choice of music with Janet Jackson’s song “Burn It Up”. You know, the one that goes “Kitty kat, meow, meow, meow…” I’m sure that my excitement about learning from coach Kaisa Arrateig at the One Team Movement Montreal camp also helped sway Mushu’s decision," explains Hannah.
Mushu also believes that any team with her favorite human on it is the best team to watch! So, she has Chiller Synchro Open Juvenile right up there at the top of the list.
"Mushu agrees with these same teams but she puts the Helsinki Rockettes in her top favorite spot. She feels their long program Radio Waves had the best choice of music with Janet Jackson’s song “Burn It Up”. You know, the one that goes “Kitty kat, meow, meow, meow…” I’m sure that my excitement about learning from coach Kaisa Arrateig at the One Team Movement Montreal camp also helped sway Mushu’s decision," explains Hannah.
Mushu also believes that any team with her favorite human on it is the best team to watch! So, she has Chiller Synchro Open Juvenile right up there at the top of the list.
