- Joined
- Oct 22, 2005
Spins weren't poor per se before, but there was less of a focus on them. The skaters who had the best presentation often picked their spins and positions to best fit the music and not concern themselves with whether they held it for 8 or whether the haircutter was a fist distance or less from the head, if they chose it. There are some very, very unattractive spin positions being attempted these days just for the sake of 1/2 a point or less (the bar stool/A frame spin is the first that pops in my mind, but some skaters' Bielman positions, some layover camels, the catch camel where it looks like the skater is attempting a quad stretch, pulling the knee in very tight to the the quad, and so on). Spins have become VERY cookie cutter in terms of the positions being chosen (camel with layover, change of edge, A frame, side layback, haircutter, Bielman, tuck behind sit, broken leg sit, cannonball position, twisted sit, donut, martini, Y position, I position, egg beater position, cross foot, cross behind spin) with several of these being repeated repeatedly as they are the easiest on the program energy level and many of them that shouldn't be attempted as skaters can't attain the position without it looking painful or to be a struggle, unattractive, or just not really fitting with the choreography but it "needs to be done to get the points". IMO, spins should have a BV around that of a L3 for each type of spin (CCoSp, CoSp, SSp, etc) as a base line as long as the minimum requirements are met for that type of spin (so, today's Level B), no features required, but judges should be HIGHLY encouraged (since you can't force them to do anything and they do what they want) to give +GOE based on the strength of basic positions, originality, speed, centering, revolutions beyond minimum, and choreographic fit of the spin and the +GOE should be worth double what it is now and -GOE should be encouraged to be given for spins that are unattractive, look like a struggle, don't center, just meet the minimum requirements, etc.