Though I will be on holiday soon and likely not checking into this thread often if it goes anywhere, I wanted to post an idea:
Cut down the number of required elements. More specifically/worded a different way, limit the number of jumping passes in the long program for singles skaters. Yes, one can argue the IJS was invented to up objectivity, and perhaps one way of thinking is that the more that is judged, the more quantifiable things become, but skating is not a 100m sprint. There's subjectivity anyway and numbers don't tell the whole story, so why not appease people like me who miss creativity and more emphasis on skating. I like jumping, but there's too much. I like footwork, but not lots and lots of footwork that is prescribed to be so long. As for spins, I don't have strong feelings on more/fewer spins.
For years, skating has gone in the direction of being too frenetic and "adding up points"-based (my opinion, of course). I really do think it's now at an extreme where I enjoy far fewer programs than I did in the past, especially without a broad pro scene.
Another thought that comes to mind is: why have so many jumping passes in the long program in the first place? There are six different jumps and yet men have eight jumping passes (ladies seven). Why would I want to see jumps repeated? I'd rather see interesting choreography. Also, with so many jumping passes, programs get cluttered and mistakes become less meaningful in final placements. For example, if men had six jumping passes and a man fell on two jumps, he would be penalized more than falling twice during eight jumping passes. I would rather see quality than quantity. It's not about expecting clean programs but cleanER programs. You missed your quad salchow? Well, that's too bad for you. Show me your next attempt next outing, not in this program.
Sure, lots of people can throw out reasons against this, including people who actually care about world records and personal bests; I'm sure they would say, "But then no one could ever reach that record." Still, I thought it would be interesting to let me fingertips do some thinking-to-forum work and put these ideas out there.
Cut down the number of required elements. More specifically/worded a different way, limit the number of jumping passes in the long program for singles skaters. Yes, one can argue the IJS was invented to up objectivity, and perhaps one way of thinking is that the more that is judged, the more quantifiable things become, but skating is not a 100m sprint. There's subjectivity anyway and numbers don't tell the whole story, so why not appease people like me who miss creativity and more emphasis on skating. I like jumping, but there's too much. I like footwork, but not lots and lots of footwork that is prescribed to be so long. As for spins, I don't have strong feelings on more/fewer spins.
For years, skating has gone in the direction of being too frenetic and "adding up points"-based (my opinion, of course). I really do think it's now at an extreme where I enjoy far fewer programs than I did in the past, especially without a broad pro scene.
Another thought that comes to mind is: why have so many jumping passes in the long program in the first place? There are six different jumps and yet men have eight jumping passes (ladies seven). Why would I want to see jumps repeated? I'd rather see interesting choreography. Also, with so many jumping passes, programs get cluttered and mistakes become less meaningful in final placements. For example, if men had six jumping passes and a man fell on two jumps, he would be penalized more than falling twice during eight jumping passes. I would rather see quality than quantity. It's not about expecting clean programs but cleanER programs. You missed your quad salchow? Well, that's too bad for you. Show me your next attempt next outing, not in this program.
Sure, lots of people can throw out reasons against this, including people who actually care about world records and personal bests; I'm sure they would say, "But then no one could ever reach that record." Still, I thought it would be interesting to let me fingertips do some thinking-to-forum work and put these ideas out there.