2021 Warsaw Cup: General Info

[icetug]

Anyhow, I'll make proper research from now on. They have some rules about venue capacity I have read, so maybe there will be tickets this year..? We'll see.

Some information about entering Poland:
you can enter Poland from any UE or Schengen zone country (or Turkey) if you have:
- a vaccination certificate (a vaccine must be approved for use in UE)
- or a healer's certificate (valid 6 months after the healing)
- or a certificate of negative C-19 test (valid 48 hours)
each document must be in English (or Polish).

If you are coming from outside Schengen zone, you need:
- a vaccination certificate (a vaccine must be approved for use in UE)
- or a healer's certificate (valid 6 months after the healing).

In other cases you stay for a 10-day quarantine (and the C-19 test is possible only after 7 days of the quarantine...)

If you have a vaccination certificate you can enter each venue avoiding a 50-percent capacity rule. It simply means that nobody cares about the actual number of people taking part in the event.

I can compare organization of JGP in Gdansk in 2019 and this year: the only difference was the better separation of audience and skaters (audience could enter one half of the rink while skaters/families/coaches the other half). Viewers were asked to use masks but in fact nobody checked if they cover their nose and mouth (I remember groups of students from a local skating school and their coaches who didn't wear masks at all). Nobody checked a number of viewers either.

The only problem is that the situation in Poland is recently getting worse (the number of infected is increasing) and nobody can guarantee that rules won't be changed.

 

[Azikin]

The only problem is that the situation in Poland is recently getting worse (the number of infected is increasing) and nobody can guarantee that rules won't be changed.

Yeah, it's getting worse here in central Europe, that's why lackluster measurements in Budapest made me really worried, hopefully no one got infected..

 

[cathlen]

No Mai -_- Aww.

I'm sad, she was the whole reason I wanted to go And yes, the covid situation is getting worse....

EDIT: I just saw Tarasova/Morozov are on the list! That's a very good reason to go. Also Kana & Daisuke!

 

[surimi]

Some information about entering Poland:
you can enter Poland from any UE or Schengen zone country (or Turkey) if you have:
- a vaccination certificate (a vaccine must be approved for use in UE)
- or a healer's certificate (valid 6 months after the healing)
- or a certificate of negative C-19 test (valid 48 hours)
each document must be in English (or Polish).

If you are coming from outside Schengen zone, you need:
- a vaccination certificate (a vaccine must be approved for use in UE)
- or a healer's certificate (valid 6 months after the healing).

In other cases you stay for a 10-day quarantine (and the C-19 test is possible only after 7 days of the quarantine...)

If you have a vaccination certificate you can enter each venue avoiding a 50-percent capacity rule. It simply means that nobody cares about the actual number of people taking part in the event.

I can compare organization of JGP in Gdansk in 2019 and this year: the only difference was the better separation of audience and skaters (audience could enter one half of the rink while skaters/families/coaches the other half). Viewers were asked to use masks but in fact nobody checked if they cover their nose and mouth (I remember groups of students from a local skating school and their coaches who didn't wear masks at all). Nobody checked a number of viewers either.

The only problem is that the situation in Poland is recently getting worse (the number of infected is increasing) and nobody can guarantee that rules won't be changed.

Thanks for all the tips! I'm from Czech republic, so I sympathize with the worsening situation in Poland. We are experiencing the same. Who knows what the situation is going to look like next month. I have seen on a website on entry to Poland that the current rules expire on Oct. 31. I'll need to make all I can cancelable in case the situation gets worse, and take a look at testing centers in Warsaw as I'm not vaccinated. I hope my test(s) will be enough, and proper mask wearing everywhere indoors is no issue for me... Do you happen to know if Warsaw Cup is going to have a website? I wonder about their ticket policy. While previously, the entry was free, I can't imagine how that would work if there are limits on the number of people. I'd hate to pay for accommodation and tests and train or plane, to find out the venue is full already and they don't accept any more spectators. I don't think this would happen, but who knows, this pandemic is so unpredictable.

 

[Wiggily]

I am also wondering about the tickets. Does anyone have any info on that?

 

[text_skate]

I'm also thinking about going. It will be 6 hrs by train. My only worries so far: No audience allowed. On the other hand, I haven't been in Warsaw for ages and I could at least explore the city. Guess it changed a lot in the last 15 yrs or so. Yesterday I booked a hotel. Refundable until some days before the event starts.

 

[surimi]

Rumor has it that there won't be tickets; free entry but there may be more eager visitors than available seats, especially with just half-capacity allowed. Well, queueing in front of the venue in freezing temperatures doesn't sound too appealing to me, and neither does spending a lot of money on a hotel and train/plane (and for some, on tests) only to learn, for example, that the venue has been occupied since 7 AM by crowds of Russians who want to see their stars, and I can wait if they leave, or go back to my hotel... I don't like that uncertainty. I suggest we all contact the organizers about it as it sounds like a huge injustice to people who aren't from Warsaw and its surroundings.

 

[Wiggily]

Rumor has it that there won't be tickets; free entry but there may be more eager visitors than available seats, especially with just half-capacity allowed. Well, queueing in front of the venue in freezing temperatures doesn't sound too appealing to me, and neither does spending a lot of money on a hotel and train/plane (and for some, on tests) only to learn, for example, that the venue has been occupied since 7 AM by crowds of Russians who want to see their stars, and I can wait if they leave, or go back to my hotel... I don't like that uncertainty. I suggest we all contact the organizers about it as it sounds like a huge injustice to people who aren't from Warsaw and its surroundings.

I agree that the uncertainty with tickets is not pleasant. I have actually sent a message to organizers on Facebook, but got no reply. There is also no info on their official website (Polish skating union), so I don't know what else to try. As to waiting outside, I think there won't be many Russian stars there apart from Tarasova/Morozov and Khromykh, so I am guessing there shouldn't be too many Russian audience there, but you never know.

 

[care bear]

There will be enough free seats. Torwar arena is big. Oh, guys relax.

 

[surimi]

That idea (about potentially not being able to accommodate everyone) doesn't come from my imagination, it was suggested by someone semi-official to a friend who asked. That's why I kind of freaked out. :]
Btw, poor men, finishing their SP after 22 PM and having FS practices starting at 5 AM. Isn't it said that 7 hours of sleep is the healthy minimum? A skater's life is harsh :/ Especially for the jetlagged skaters coming straight from NHK... well, I mean for Shoma. o_o

 

[synesthesia]

Judging by videos from previous years the attendance level is usually moderate but 640 seats are not that much, especially if run at half capacity and with names as big as Shoma, Dai or Tarasova/Morozov there it could get more crowded this time. I'd say arriving early for the events you're interested in is recommended.

Despite the risk, however, I'm going and have already booked the flights + the hotel, even though I'm aware that my top faves (Shoma and Kana/Dai) might withdraw due to the tight schedule with NHK (and in Shoma's case maybe the GPF). There are plenty other skaters I'd still be looking forward to.

 

[cathlen]

I am mostly worried about covid situation. So far no additional restrictions from government, but evey week more people are getting sick, so be prepared. I really hope the event will stay open for audience, but we can't be sure...
'

 

[surimi]

yeah, it's the same where I live. Big increases every week. :[ I'm prepared for both eventualities, though of course I am going to be so sad if I can't go, or if Team Japan WD in which case I am not going, either.

Some WD today - Gubanova for sure, and two more ladies (I think there were originally two Czech and Korean ladies while now there's one? I don't recall now). Also, one guy, I think it could be Hayrapetyan, I think he was in the original entry list.

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

Does anyone know if this will be streamed? I can't even find a link to the official website.

 

[surimi]

Does anyone know if this will be streamed? I can't even find a link to the official website.

It seems there isn't a website. Apparently there never has been one? Very impractical. Even small competitions like Coupe du Printemps have websites. The only means of contacting Warsaw Cup staff to find out anything is to send them an email to the address they have in the Announcement materials. And even that is unreliable. A friend sent them a brief question, and they replied in a few days. I sent them several questions, and no response so far. The audience-end organization of this event is .

 

[Wiggily]

It seems there isn't a website. Apparently there never has been one? Very impractical. Even small competitions like Coupe du Printemps have websites. The only means of contacting Warsaw Cup staff to find out anything is to send them an email to the address they have in the Announcement materials. And even that is unreliable. A friend sent them a brief question, and they replied in a few days. I sent them several questions, and no response so far. The audience-end organization of this event is .

Try their Facebook page and google translating the questions into Polish. That's how I communicate with them BTW, they wrote that the entrance to the event will be free, but there is a limited number of seats.

 

[text_skate]

Apparently there never has been one?

Last year there they had a website (no longer active). Possibly the'll set up one shortly before the event. Or we'll find the information soon on website of Polish fed. Hopefully.

 

[synesthesia]

I e-mailed the Polish skating federation in English about two weeks ago and they got back to me a few hours later: https://www.pfsa.com.pl/contact

I got more or less the same response as wiggily, however, I was not made aware of the reduced seating capacity, so I guess this decision was made more recently. Oh well, really gotta be at the venue early then.

Does anyone know if this will be streamed?

IFS magazine refers to the federation's official youtube-channel I linked to in my post above: https://www.ifsmagazine.com/2021-warsaw-cup/

In case they don't stream the competition live, at least it looks like they usually upload individual videos afterwards.

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

IFS magazine refers to the federation's official youtube-channel I linked to in my post above: https://www.ifsmagazine.com/2021-warsaw-cup/

In case they don't stream the competition live, at least it looks like they usually upload individual videos afterwards.

Thanks so much for the link! Some of my favourite skaters are competing at CS Warsaw Cup and I really wanted to make the trip to see them live. However, with the current rise in Covid numbers across Europe and the uncertain situation regarding audience at sporting events, my boyfriend said he felt really uncomfortable with me travelling there and I kind of see where he's coming from. So we opted to just go to the Austrian Challenger where we won't need to book a hotel at least.
The archived videos of past events from the Polish Fed's youtube channel seem to have very good quality, so I feel reassured that I'll be able to watch the performances at least, even if it's not live.

Have fun to all of you who are going to be in the audience and please cheer on all the skaters for me too!

 

[surimi]

I got a reply too They are saying there will be a free stream, and no tickets. The website is now up: http://cspol21.pl/index.php?lang=en
It looks like practices are not accessible to public, and no mingling of skaters and public is allowed. I wonder how I can give gifts to my two favorites - is anyone else planning to bring gifts? ... Still, if the numbers in my country keep rising as fast as they do now, then gifts will be the least of my worries