I didn’t love Frida & Skye’s “24 Robbers” routine when I first saw it. I liked it well enough, but to be honest I was a bit shocked to find out that it won at The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in 2007. Although no one was more surprised than Skye & Frida. We were not the only ones. There were some loud dissenting opinions in the aftermath of that event. People were saying that it looked too easy, it was too slow, there were no new kewl moves. How could this be first place at an event billed with the name “Ultimate?” The same event that spawned the legendary 2006 Liberation final just a year before. A look at the other couples in that division shows lots of speed and lots of air. In 2007, there was even a special performance recreating The Congaroos clip which is much faster than Hellzapoppin.
With a little perspective, it seems that the appeal of 24 Robbers is because it was none of those things, and that all the criticisms laid against it are what makes it such a strong performance.
