"ISU Challenger Series Figure Skating" - per Communication No. 1854 | Golden Skate

"ISU Challenger Series Figure Skating" - per Communication No. 1854

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avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Feb 27, 2012
"ISU Challenger Series Figure Skating" - per Communication No. 1854

"ISU Challenger Series Figure Skating" - per ISU Communication No. 1854

Wonder what the following means :think::

ISU Challenger Series Figure Skating

Mindful that the ISU support towards the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating is restricted to a limited group of organizing Members, to a limited number of skaters and to a limited number of Officials, the ISU Council agreed to financially support a group of identified Members traditionally staging International Figure Skating Competitions starting with the season 2014/15. This ISU support has the objective to ensure the proper and consistent organization and conduct of the identified International Competitions, to give adequate opportunities for all skaters to compete at the international senior level and earn World Standing points and to increase the opportunity for Officials to officiate at an international level. Full details of this ISU support and related conditions are under preparation and will be published in a separate Communication.


http://static.isu.org/media/139410/1854-decisions-of-the-council-sochi.pdf (Mar 6)​

[Unrelated FYI from the same document:
The ISU has allotted the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (junior & senior) to the Spanish Ice Sports Federation, to be held on December 11-14, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain.]

ETA, the requirements for the events in the Challenger Series were announced in ISU Communication No. 1858, published on Apr 4. (Thx, GF2445.)

ETA:

The eleven events in the Challenger Series were announced on Jun 25 (thx again to GF2445):

- U.S. International Figure Skating Classic
The United States Figure Skating Association to be held in Salt Lake City, USA on September 10-14, 2014.​
- Lombardia Trophy
Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio to be held in Sesto San Giovanni (Milan) on September 18-21, 2014.​
- Nebelhorn Trophy
Deutsche Eislauf Union e.V. to be held in Oberstdorf, Germany on 24-27 September, 2014.​
- Ondrej Nepela Memorial
Slovak Figure Skating Association to be held in Bratislava, Slovak Republic on October 1-5, 2014.​
- Finlandia Trophy
Suomen Taitoluisteluliitto to be held in Espoo, Finland on October 10-12, 2014.​
- Autumn Classic International
Skate Canada to be held in Barrie, Canada on October 14-17, 2014.​
- Volvo Open Cup
The Latvian Skating Association to be held in Riga, Latvia on November 5-9, 2014.​
- Triglav Trophy
Slovene Skating Union to be held in Jesenice, Slovenia on 6-9 November, 2014.​
- Ice Challenge
Ӧsterreichischer Eiskunstlauf Verband to be held in Graz, Austria on November 13-16, 2014.​
- Warsaw Cup
Polish Figure Skating Association to be held in Warsaw, Poland on November 20-23, 2014.​
- Golden Spin of Zagreb
Croatian Skating Federation to be held in Zagreb, Croatia on December 4-7, 2014.​

The ISU event page for the Challenger Series as a whole:
http://www.isu.org/en/single-and-pair-skating-and-ice-dance/series/isu-challenger-series (scroll down for links to individual ISU pages for the eleven events)​

ETA:

The rules allow JGP competitors to enter the Challenger series of Senior internationals, AFAIK. (The issue came up in a JGP thread.)

The excerpt below is from Page 3 of ISU Communication No. 1858, "ISU Challenger Series in Figure Skating." (Emphasis added.)
Participation is open to all Skaters/Couples of ISU Members, who are eligible for International “Senior” Competitions by age (Rule 108) and by citizenship (109), and entered through the respective ISU Member. There is a limitation for the Skaters/Couples to three (3) participations in the events of the ISU Challenger Series. Participation in any of an ISU Junior Grand Prix event or a (Senior) Grand Prix event does not limit the participation in events of the ISU Challenger Series. However Skaters having participated in the Junior and/or (Senior) ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating during the same season should not have priority to enter events of the Challengers Series.
 

GF2445

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
I am really happy to see that the ISU are taking these steps. Its seems that Sochi has woken them up and made the, realise that ice sating sports accross all areas need to be more attractive and marketable and that they need the take control of those senior b competitions and make them more official instead of a scattering.

I still suggest that like grand prix, in the senior divisions of the contest there should be tier levels based on 1. Ranking and 2. National skaters (skaters of the nation hosting the event). E.G.

The highest level of competition would be the Grand Prix of Figure Skating
Then have three tiers of senior internationals with cut offs based on ranking and like the grand prix events invite home nation skaters. The higher the tier is, the higher the world standing points and Prize money should. The world standing points and prize money should be consistant.

Currently, a skaters/couples can earn world standing points from the highest they earned at an ISU championship (Olympics, Worlds, 4CC, Europeans or Jnr Worlds), their two best results for either the jnr. or snr. GRAND prix and the two best results from a senior international B.

Maybe they can readjust it. They can change it so maybe a skaters/couples can make world standing points from.
1. Their best ISU Championship result
2. Their three best Grand Prix/ISU challenger series results (senior international B)
3. One other result either from an ISU Championship or ISU Grand Prix/Challenger series (due to technical minimums some skaters do not end up at worlds or any isu championship so for some, snr. Bs are their only shot for points and so they can earn a little more points through this)

In saying this, they need to include all current competitions and ensure that there are an even amount of events for each discipline. It would be sad if they left out some competitions from this challenger series.

Any change is good change.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
It will become more important than ever for feds outside of Europe to hold some Senior Bs, I suspect.
 

FSGMT

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
Spain hosting such an important event is really wonderful! :yes:
 

GF2445

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
ISU COMMUNICATION ON THE ISU CHALLENGER SERIES

"As announced in ISU Communication No. 1854 and mindful that the ISU support towards the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating is restricted to a limited group of organizing ISU Members, to a limited number of Skaters and to a limited number of Officials, the ISU Council agreed to financially support a restricted group of identified ISU Members traditionally staging International Figure Skating Competitions being part of the ISU Event Calendar.

This ISU support has the objective to ensure the proper and consistent organization and conduct of up to eleven (11) International Competitions linked together as a new ISU Series giving adequate opportunities for many Skaters to compete at the international senior level and earn World Standing Points and to increase the opportunity for Officials to officiate at an international level.

The International Competitions (events), which are included into this international Figure Skating ISU Series named “ISU Challenger Series”, must fulfil specific requirements which are summarized in this Communication.

Subject to a sufficient number of organizing ISU Members applying to participate in and able to comply with the requirements for this new ISU Series, it will start with the season 2014/15."


http://static.isu.org/media/142889/1858-challenger-series-version-april-1-2014.pdf
 

Snow63

Pray one day we'll open our eyes.
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 26, 2014
Well it's great. I wonder which countries will be hosting Challenger events next year.
 

breathesgelatin

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 12, 2013
Any updates? When might we know which events will be included? Will this encourage more entries in Senior Bs? I'm hoping, for example, more second tier US skaters will travel to some of these events... any thoughts if that might pan out?
 

sunnystars

#teamotherskaters
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 14, 2014
This might sound weird but I sometime wish that more top tier skaters participate in the challenger series.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Some events will be new, but most of the Challenger events will be existing B events. To get Challenger status, there must be sufficient entries in each of the disciplines.
 

GF2445

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
The events for the challenger series have been released in a recent isu communication on the isu website.

Sorry for not posting a link. Im on my phone so copy and paste is almost impossible
 

NMURA

Medalist
Joined
Jul 14, 2010
Events List 11 events

U.S. International Figure Skating Classic 10 - 14 Sep 2014 Salt Lake City United States
Lombardia Trophy 18 - 21 Sep 2014 Sesto San Giovanni/ Milano Italy
Nebelhorn Trophy 25 - 27 Sep 2014 Oberstdorf Germany
22nd Ondrej Nepela Memorial 1 - 5 Oct 2014 Bratislava Slovakia
Finlandia Trophy 9 - 12 Oct 2014 Espoo Finland
Skate Canada Autumn Classic 15 - 18 Oct 2014 Ontario Canada
25th Volvo Open Cup 5 - 9 Nov 2014 Riga Latvia
Triglav Trophy 6 - 9 Nov 2014 Jesenice Slovenia
Icechallenge 11 - 16 Nov 2014 Graz Austria
Warsaw Cup 20 - 23 Nov 2014 Warsaw Poland
Golden Spin of Zagreb 4 - 7 Dec 2014 Zagreb Croatia
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
The events for the challenger series have been released in a recent isu communication on the isu website.

Sorry for not posting a link. Im on my phone so copy and paste is almost impossible

Events List 11 events

U.S. International Figure Skating Classic 10 - 14 Sep 2014 Salt Lake City United States
Lombardia Trophy 18 - 21 Sep 2014 Sesto San Giovanni/ Milano Italy
Nebelhorn Trophy 25 - 27 Sep 2014 Oberstdorf Germany
22nd Ondrej Nepela Memorial 1 - 5 Oct 2014 Bratislava Slovakia
Finlandia Trophy 9 - 12 Oct 2014 Espoo Finland
Skate Canada Autumn Classic 15 - 18 Oct 2014 Ontario Canada
25th Volvo Open Cup 5 - 9 Nov 2014 Riga Latvia
Triglav Trophy 6 - 9 Nov 2014 Jesenice Slovenia
Icechallenge 11 - 16 Nov 2014 Graz Austria
Warsaw Cup 20 - 23 Nov 2014 Warsaw Poland
Golden Spin of Zagreb 4 - 7 Dec 2014 Zagreb Croatia

Thx to GF2445 and NMURA.

FWIW, little caveats for anyone planning to attend in person:
For some of the eleven events, slightly different dates are listed in today's ISU document (Communication 1876).

- Nebelhorn Trophy
Deutsche Eislauf Union e.V. to be held in Oberstdorf, Germany on 24-27 September, 2014.

- Finlandia Trophy
Suomen Taitoluisteluliitto to be held in Espoo, Finland on October 10-12, 2014.

- Autumn Classic International
Skate Canada to be held in Barrie, Canada on October 14-17, 2014. [Note the specification of Barrie, Ontario.]

- Ice Challenge
Ӧsterreichischer Eiskunstlauf Verband to be held in Graz, Austria on November 13-16, 2014.​

ETA, it's weird that the ISU's information is not consistent. I now realize that NMURA's post prob. was based on the event list at the bottom of the ISU overview page on the Challenger Series.
 

SamuraiKike

Medalist
Joined
Jan 26, 2008
Surprised to NOT see Coupe de Nice or NRW Trophy among the challenger events. They are two of the largest Senior B's around.
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
The Salt Lake City event will probably be shown on IceNetwork. Probably not the overseas events.
 

gold12345

Medalist
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Definitely surprised Coupe de Nice didn't do what they had to do to meet the criteria to be a part of this series. Surely they would meet the requirement in terms of number of entries. It didn't seem the other requirements were all that difficult to fulfill, but I guess they were.
 

SimplyAFan

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
I was happy to see that Canada has one in addition to the US. That's nice for skaters training in North America. I really like that we have more competitions to follow. I'm interested to see if this helps some skaters transition to the senior GP from the junior GP. There are so many talented skaters who never get a GP invite, so maybe this will make more skaters visible to the public eye (which IMO is never a bad thing).

Any idea on when we might hear about who is being assigned to events? I hope the US actually gives some senior level skaters the chance to develop internationally by sending them to these comps. Skaters like Hannah Miller, Ashley Cain, Barbie Long, and Mariah Bell who are aging out of junior could benefit. It could also help new pairs gain international experience. Looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

If someone could explain something to me, I'm a little confused though. Is there an overall prize? Since it's a series, I would think there would need to be some incentive, besides prize money at individual events, to compete in multiple events.
 
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