Above: Quinn McCormick competes with Teams Elite junior at an early fall event. Phot credit Cynthia Slawter.
By Marissa Pederson Blaeser
For Quintin (Quinn) McCormick, figure skating started as a tradition he shared with his mom. With weekly trips to his hometown rink in Antioch, Illinois, he first took the ice at just 4 years old. After a few years of lessons, McCormick’s skating journey took an unexpected turn when his best friend convinced him to try synchronized skating.
“I didn’t know what synchro was until my friend from Wisconsin told me to try it out,” McCormick said. “I joined Ice Stars for two years, then I moved to Wisconsin Edge out of Milwaukee for one year. Then I was on the Starlights pre-juvenile team for a year before I switched to Teams Elite on their juvenile team. And the rest is history.”
Now skating in his second season with the Teams Elite junior team, McCormick has dedicated his life to the sport, commuting to Milwaukee, Skokie and Northbrook over the course of his career. Unlike his time as a singles skater, synchronized skating has helped foster a sense of community and shared passion that has kept him hooked over the years.
“I’ve always been a creative person and I love how creative you can be on the ice,” McCormick said. “On the ice, you get to be whoever you want. With synchro, it’s not just me. I’m out there with a bunch of people who share the same passion. I’m a social person and I like to be around people who I trust. Being in an environment like that really matters to me.”
A self-proclaimed wandering spirit, McCormick credits the Teams Elite organization for pushing him to continue with the sport year to year. It didn’t hurt that many of those years ended with a national title and even a few undefeated records. He is a juvenile, intermediate, novice and junior champion, and now a proud member of Team USA.
“Being on this team has been so impactful for me,” McCormick said. “I fell in love with traveling; I had never been to Europe or really out of the country until I started going to international events. Competing against teams from other countries was a surreal moment for me. I think the team aspect really changes when you are competing internationally as well. I think people at this level are so connected to the sport and compete with passion.”
As anyone who has ever experienced the booming sold-out crowd at a U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships knows, the synchronized skating community is one that prioritizes sportsmanship and unconditional support. That feeling has been amplified for McCormick since interacting with teams all over the world.
“There is great sportsmanship in the synchro international community,” McCormick said. “Every team we meet wishes us luck and cheers us on. It is a compassionate and supportive environment. I love meeting people from other countries. From a young age I was fascinated with languages and different cultures. I love getting to know them and they have all been so welcoming.”
On top of the cultural exchange, McCormick was also pleasantly surprised to find more boys competing on teams at international competitions.
“I always knew there were some boys in synchronized skating domestically,” McCormick said. “There were always a couple at each competition, but not a lot. I didn’t know there were so many other boys that competed internationally and seeing them on the ice was groundbreaking for me. It was cool and encouraging to see that and it helped me feel less alone. I do hope that more boys try skating synchro, because it is so fun and a great opportunity to be on a team.”
As the number of boys participating in the U.S. and beyond continues to grow, McCormick hopes that his involvement can inspire more people to try synchronized skating and experience the family that is formed on a synchronized skating team.
“I hope that I can bring that sense of friendship and sportsmanship to the new people I meet through this sport,” McCormick said. “Synchro is an opportunity to skate with a team that you trust and admire, and you can’t really get from singles skating.”
Despite his inclination toward synchronized skating, McCormick’s skating heroes include iconic singles skaters who truly embody the artistry of the sport — Jason Brown and Adam Rippon.
“Jason Brown is hands down my biggest skating inspiration,” McCormick said. “He is my all-time favorite. He is so artistically brilliant and I think he is an amazing skater. I try to bring some of his artistry and expression into my own skating. That’s what I strive for.”
Brown also has ties to the Chicagoland area and even has a close personal relationship with Teams Elite head coach Danielle Ostrower. Like Brown, Ostrower is also known for her creative program choices and out of the box choreography. This season, Teams Elite junior team is skating to "Lacrimosa" by Mozart for their short program and music from Black Swan for their free skate.
“When the coaches are trying to convey a certain emotion or expression, they need to make sure it reads through each individual person,” McCormick said. “We each need to tap into ourselves to make the expressiveness work and we add our own ‘zhuzh.’ We take our own creative responsibility, which we call ‘skater’s choice’, to each movement and add our own flair.”
Teams Elite picked up their first medal of the international season at Santa Claus Cup in December and earned the title last week in Germany at the Dresden Cup. They are also slated to compete on home ice at the U.S. Synchronized Skating International Classic in Norwood, Massachusetts, next month. After a successful 2023–24 season, McCormick looks forward to continuing that progress in the final push of this season.
“I loved winning the Challengers Series last year,” McCormick said. “It is so cool that no other U.S. team has done that. Going to Junior Worlds was an incredible experience and we had so much fun. I hope I can share that experience with my team again this year.”
