Introduction to Swimming Pretty by Vicki Valosik

Vicki Valosik’s captivating book, Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water, charts the evolution of women’s swimming and aquatic performance. As synchronized swimming celebrates its 40th anniversary as an Olympic discipline, Valosik’s work serves as a formidable tribute to the sport’s rich history. Drawing from her own experiences as a master’s synchronized swimmer, Valosik illuminates the journey of women in water, starting from her own initial curiosity that led her to mastering the sport.

Athletes or Performers? The Central Question

The central theme of Valosik’s book revolves around a pertinent question: “Are we athletes first, or are we performers?”. Esther Williams may be the most well-known synchronized swimmer due to her groundbreaking Hollywood career, but Valosik reveals that many skilled women preceded and followed her, continuing to challenge and redefine the boundaries between athleticism and performance in synchronized swimming.

Synchronized Swimming Through the Ages

Swimming wasn’t always a domain open to women. Initially, swimming was a male-only activity, with figures like Benjamin Franklin practicing “scientific swimming” in the early 1700s. By the 1800s, women entered the scene with “ornamental swimming” in tanks becoming popular entertainment. The Australian champion and stuntwoman Annette Kellerman, often referred to as “the mother of synchronized swimming,” rose to prominence in American vaudeville in the early 1900s. Interest in the sport soared through subsequent decades, marked notably by Esther Williams’ midcentury “aquamusicals” and the eventual inclusion of synchronized swimming in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

The Ongoing Evolution of the Sport

Even as synchronized swimming, now termed “artistic swimming,” has grown globally, discussions about the sport continue. The inclusion of male competitors by 2024 marks a significant evolution. Through her thorough research and engaging narrative, Valosik brings to light the profound influence of women in water on history, culture, and athletics. She inspires readers to see synchronized swimming in a novel perspective, encouraging them perhaps to attempt a “rocket split bent knee twirl hybrid” themselves.