The whole purpose of CoP is that that kind of variance of "taste" scores should not happen to a large extent; it is supposed to be a little more objective. Judges shouldn't be "looking for different things"; they should be open-minded as far as styles go but looking for the same indicators of quality.
I would find it a huge problem if a score like 6.0 was given for a PC and then another judge gave 9.25. One of these judges is extremely incompetent...or worse.
Yes, but many things make up PCS and every judge can perceive any of these things differently.
Let me back up may claim with an example. One of the PCS is Choreography/Composition of the programme. According to ISU website in when giving score for Choreography/Composition judges should look at:
- Purpose (idea, consept, vision, mood)
- Proportion (equal weight of all parts)
- Unity (purposeful threading of all movements)
- Utilization of Personal and Public Space
- Pattern and Ice Coverage
- Phrasing and Form (movement and parts are structured to match the phrasing of the music)
- Originalituy of Purpose, Movement and Design.
When judges look at Joannie's perfomance and then think of these criteria they don't have the same impression and it's difficult to expect every single judge to give her a similar score, let's say anything in a range from 8.00 to 8.75. I mean, how are they supposed to know that all those criteria in her programme equal 8.50. There is not any scale clearly determining that oh this move of her arm is a great example of Originality but this little twisting of her palm wasn't really porposeful so it does not fill Unity slot. Because it all so much subjective. And in the end it does come down to individual tastes.
One judge can think that Joannie's Choreography/Composition is generally good and her Pattern and Originality is simply superb and s/he will give her 8.75. Another judge can perceive her programme as well generally good, but some movement that are supposed to be original are in fact rather forced and not really purposeful and additionally the Proportion of the choreography is not that good either since her programme comes acroos as lacking in the choreography at the end. And s/he will give her 6.50 for Choreography/Composition. And I am perfectly okay with this.
But when every judge marks the same skater very similarly it seems a little bit fishy for me.