The Bainbridge Island Rope Skippers recently showed off their skills in-front of a sold-out crowd at the Seattle Storm WNBA basketball game.

An audience of nearly 9,000 fans packed Alaska Airlines Arena at the University of Washington for the Aug. 18 game and cheered on the rope skippers as they performed a 6-minute halftime show featuring single rope, double dutch, and long rope tricks.

With the average age of the team being just 12 years old (and with jumpers as young as 10 in attendance), their competition experience provided them with confidence to put on an outstanding show for the Storm fans, team officials said.

While former members of the team have performed for crowds as large as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the Rose Parade in Pasadena, and international-level competitions, this was the largest performance for the next generation of rope skippers.

“I was so nervous before the show but while I was jumping, I couldn’t stop smiling,” recalled 11-year-old Georgia Lou Martic. “It’s an experience I’ll never forget.”

Coach Lizzy Sharman applauded their efforts from the sidelines.

“I was so impressed with the girls composure on the floor in front of such a large and loud crowd. They only had a few days to put the performance together as it fell during their summer vacation and I’m so proud of the hard work they put in to make it such a successful show,” Sharman said.

Team members in attendance were Taylor Adcock, Jasmine Barela, Georgie Becker, Ava Buffkin, Elle Buffkin, Isla Buffkin, Marina Correa, Bianca Daniels, Kinsley Griffith, Stephanie Hart, Elly Kingrey, Georgia Lou Martic, Avery MacGregor, Carys Shepard, Olyvia Shepard, and Saylor Thielman along with coaches Sharman and Amanda Stevenson.

For more information on the Bainbridge Island Rope Skippers, visit the team’s website at www.biropeskippers.org