♪♪ >> CATHY: THIS WEEKEND, A MINNESOTA SYNCHRONIZED SKATING TEAM WILL BE COMPETING IN AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION IN SALZBURG, AUSTRIA.

SIXTEEN FEMALE SKATERS FROM THE NORTHERNETTES JUNIOR TEAM WILL BE REPRESENTING TEAM USA.

THE TEAM IS ONE OF NINE JUNIOR TEAMS IN THE NATION.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE WENT TO THE RINK TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS RISING SPORT IN MINNESOTA.

>> Kaomi: LEARNING HOW TO SKATE IS A RITE OF PASSAGE FOR MANY MINNESOTANS.

THE SOUNDS OF BLADES CRISS-CROSSING THE ICE ARE FAMILIAR.

BUT THIS MIGHT NOT BE.

>> SYNCHRONIZED SKATING, IT'S REALLY THE QUINTESSENTIAL TEAM SPORT.

YOU SKATE 16 ON THE ICE.

THERE'S NORMALLY 20 SKATERS ON A TEAM.

IT'S VERY DYNAMIC.

YOU'RE DOING LOTS OF LIFTS AND TRICKS AND INTERSECTIONS AND DIFFERENT FORMATIONS.

I TELL PEOPLE, IT'S LIKE DANCE TEAM ON ICE.

>> Kaomi: CHRISTY STARTED THE TEAM SEVEN YEARS AGO.

THEY'RE CALLED THE NORTHERNETTES.

>> SO WE HAVE IS00 -- 100 SKATERS IN THE ORGANIZATION.

THEY'RE AGES 8 TO 26.

SO WE HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT TEAMS.

>> Kaomi: WORD OF MOUTH IS SPREADING.

THESE SKATERS ARE PART OF THE JUNIOR TEAM, ONE OF ONLY NINE IN THE NATION.

>> SYNCHRONIZED SKATING AN OLYMPIC SPORT?

>> NOT YET.

THERE'S A COMMITTEE WORKING ON GETTING IT INTO THE OLYMPICS.

IT WILL GET THERE ONE DAY.

>> Kaomi: THE NORTHERNETTES JUNIOR SKATERS REPRESENT TEAM U.S.A. AND COMPETE INTERNATIONALLY.

LAST YEAR THEY TOOK FOURTH AT THEIR OVERSEAS COMPETITION AND SIXTH NATIONALLY.

SHE SAYS TEAMWORK AND CAMARADERIE TAKE CENTER ICE.

>> I THINK IN THE SEVEN YEARS OF COMPETING, WE'VE DEFINITELY BEEN A VERY CONSISTENT TEAM.

WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE OR SIX CHANCES TO GO OUT THERE AND SKATE YOUR PROGRAM, YOU GOTTA BE ON IT.

>> Kaomi: I'M HERE AT RIDDER ARENA, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, RIGHT NOW IT'S EMPTY, BUT IN A FEW MOMENTS, IT WILL BE FULL OF SYNCHRONIZED SKATERS.

♪♪ >> SO THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELEMENTS, BLOCKS, TRAVELING ELEMENTS, PIVOTING ELEMENTS, SYNCHRONIZED SPIN, MOVES IN THE FIELD, WHICH IS LIKE FLEXIBILITY ELEMENTS, AND THEN INTERSECTIONS, WHERE YOU'RE HAVING SKATERS LIKE INTELLECT THROUGH EACH OTHER, THOSE ARE THE HIGH-RISK, HIGH-REWARD ELEMENTS, IF YOU HIT THEM, YOU'LL GET A LOT OF POINTS, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE YOU MAY HAVE SKATERS FALLING ON THE ICE.

OF >> Kaomi: IT ONLY LOOKS EASY.

THEY PRACTICE THREE TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK FOR TEN MONTHS A YEAR.

>> REMEMBER ON THE DIAGONAL FOR THE TWO LINES TO GO BACK IN A LITTLE BIT AND CHILL OUT AND THEN THOSE BACK TWO LINES GO.

>> Kaomi: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

THERE'S ALSO FRIENDSHIP AND GIGGLES.

AND THE TEAM HAS A MASCOT.

NORMANS, THE FISH.

MOST OF THE TEAM TRAINED AS INDIVIDUAL SKATERS.

THEY SAY THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES, TO SYNCHRONIZED SKATING.

>> IT'S REALLY JUST GETTING IN UNISON, MAKING SURE THAT EVERY ARM, EVERY POSITION IS IN THE SAME AS ALL OTHER 16 BODIES ON THE ICE.

>> Kaomi: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE ATTENTION YOUR TEAM IS GETTING?

>> WE LOVE IT.

>> IT'S GREAT.

IT'S THE BEST.

>> Kaomi: THEIR TRAINING MEANS A LOT OF SACRIFICES, LIKE MISSING SCHOOL DANCES, AND BALANCING HOMEWORK.

BUT THE HARD WORK PAYS OFF.

>> NO REGRETS.

>> NO REGRETS.

>> IT'S ALL WORTH IT.

>> CATHY: IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TO AUSTRIA THIS WEEKEND, YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO WATCH THE NORTHERNETTES IN A FREE EXPEDITION PERFORMANCE, AT