59th ISU Congress: Watch and Discuss

[Jumping_Bean]

Proposal 45 - Junior age limits for ice dance and pairs. Japan wants the reasoning for the 7 years age gap, Benoit Lavoie says it's for safeguarding issues and to prevent extreme age difference. Large majority are for it, 3 against, 2 abstentions. Proposal approved.

Obviously, all pairs teams that would have aged out now remain Junior-eligible for two more seasons, but only a few Ice Dance teams will immediately profit in the coming season:

Charlotte Chung / Axel MacKenzie (CAN)
Chloe Nguyen / Brendan Giang (CAN)
Yufei Lin / Zijian Gao (CHN)
Eliska Zakova / Filip Mencl (CZE)
Eva Bernard / Amedeo Bonetto (FRA)
Lilia Schubert / Nikita Remeshevskiy (GER)
Noemi Maria Tali / Noah Elias Lafornara (ITA)
Kaho Yamashita / Yuto Nagata (JPN)

Nguyen/Giang and Tali/Lafornara will certainly be gunning for the podium spots on the JGP circuit, and many of these teams will be very happy to be able to stay in Juniors

 

[TallyT]

Manufacturer marks on figure skating costumes (Urgent Proposal 11) - they're looking at having an approval panel like for speed skating. Proposal has been approved.

Not sure what that means?

 

[saine]

Not sure what that means?

They're allowing logos on costumes with the idea that it's a way for skaters to have revenue from sponsors.

 

[Marty McFlip]

They're allowing logos on costumes with the idea that it's a way for skaters to have revenue from sponsors.

It wasn't just about logo on skates ?

 

[saine]

Going back since I stepped away a bit for some of the other proposals:

Proposal 27 (date for technical rules to be published) - Canada amended to May 31 instead of April 15 in consultation with the Technical Committee. Only one against, it passes.

 

[saine]

It wasn't just about logo on skates ?

That was originally Proposal 37 from the Netherlands. The ISU made Urgent Proposal 11 which included the figure skating costumes. They also want it to engage the fashion industry. They specifically said it was to be the manufacturer of the costume on the costume or the manufacturer of the skate on the skate.

 

[Marty McFlip]

That was originally Proposal 37 from the Netherlands. The ISU made Urgent Proposal 11 which included the figure skating costumes. They also want it to engage the fashion industry. They specifically said it was to be the manufacturer of the costume on the costume or the manufacturer of the skate on the skate.

If that can help some skater to won some money it's a good thing. But obviously I don't really want to see a logo in a figure skating costume. Instead, they can put some logo on their jacket or training outfit

 

[Mathman]

Who are you wearing for the free skate? Versace?

I heard that when they let race car teams decorate their cars with advertising logos one dirver was a French snail. He painted a big letter "S" on the side of his car. That way, he reasoned, the people would shout, "Look at that S-car go!"

 

[Magill]

That was originally Proposal 37 from the Netherlands. The ISU made Urgent Proposal 11 which included the figure skating costumes. They also want it to engage the fashion industry. They specifically said it was to be the manufacturer of the costume on the costume or the manufacturer of the skate on the skate.

Who are you wearing for the free skate? Versace?
"

I wonder though if there was a real life inspiration for this novelty with Yuzuru Hanyu becoming the Gucci Brand Ambassador recently, which brought about some splendid photoshoots, two covers ("Elle" and "GQ Japan"), two exhibitions in Gucci Ginza Gallery in Tokyo, including the galery opening exhibition, and - yes! - Yuzu wearing a Gucci logo-displaying jacket to Notte Stelatta show rehearsals for TV cameras filming there (although no logo on his skating costumes as yet ) . Plus some wild speculations on possible ways of him sporting this ambassadorship as the 2 x OGM at the OG in Milano, as Gucci is an Italian brand. The point is some of the photos were truly spectacular and could really showcase what you can achieve with a skating star as a high fashion brand, as did some hard sales results for Gucci in Japan as well. I wouldn't be surprised to learn someone has used it to try to make such a case on a broader scale and facilitate / promote such types of collaborations.

 

[Alex Fedorov]

Who are you wearing for the free skate? Versace?

I heard that when they let race car teams decorate their cars with advertising logos one dirver was a French snail. He painted a big letter "S" on the side of his car. That way, he reasoned, the people would shout, "Look at that S-car go!"

 

[saine]

I wonder though if there was a real life inspiration for this novelty with Yuzuru Hanyu becoming the Gucci Brand Ambassador recently, which brought about some splendid photoshoots, two covers ("Elle" and "GQ Japan"), two exhibitions in Gucci Ginza Gallery in Tokyo, including the galery opening exhibition, and - yes! - Yuzu wearing a Gucci logo-displaying jacket to Notte Stelatta show rehearsals for TV cameras filming there (although no logo on his skating costumes as yet ) . Plus some wild speculations on possible ways of him sporting this ambassadorship as the 2 x OGM at the OG in Milano, as Gucci is an Italian brand. The point is some of the photos were truly spectacular and could really showcase what you can achieve with a skating star as a high fashion brand, as did some hard sales results for Gucci in Japan as well. I wouldn't be surprised to learn someone has used it to try to make such a case on a broader scale and facilitate / promote such types of collaborations.

I went back to watch the Forum: Vision 2030 presentation where they talked about their plans. They specifically mentioned Vera Wang designing costumes for Michelle Kwan and Nathan Chen, so that's where the inspiration came from.

 

[4everchan]

So in the end, can someone with a better head than I have right now (in the middle of packing my life to move to a new condo) recap the junior age limits ?

 

[saine]

So in the end, can someone with a better head than I have right now (in the middle of packing my life to move to a new condo) recap the junior age limits ?

Ice Dance - 21 for women, 21 for men
Pairs - 21 for women, 23 for men

Maximum 7 year age gap between the partners.

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Who are you wearing for the free skate? Versace?

Funnily enough, the Italian skaters have been wearing Armani as their team gear for years. For example:

(Was Sochi really 10 years ago?! It only seems like a couple of years ago! )

I heard that when they let race car teams decorate their cars with advertising logos one dirver was a French snail. He painted a big letter "S" on the side of his car. That way, he reasoned, the people would shout, "Look at that S-car go!"

As I said in the Senior GP assignments thread yesterday, I just love your posts!!!

Now I'm wondering who that was...

Interesting side point - motorbike racer Ron Haslam always ran under the Pharaoh Racing moniker. The reason? His manager, Mal Carter, was a relative of Howard Carter, the archaeologist who found Tukankhamun's tomb.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[4everchan]

Ice Dance - 21 for women, 21 for men
Pairs - 21 for women, 23 for men

Maximum 7 year age gap between the partners.

that gap should be 5-6 years but okay. I am not sure I like the idea of a 23 year old man skating in juniors... at that age some are close to retiring... crazy... will the georgians come back to skate JWC again ??? ugh.

 

[TallyT]

If skaters are going to have advertising logos all over their costumes, we can all stop arguing about artistry etc because any attempt will from then on to combine it with being a billboard on ice be bathetic. I mean funny, really funny, but bathetic. Even if it's Versace or Gucchi level, let alone Maccas/Marks and Spencers and Toyota or Ford or Air Wherever.

 

[4everchan]

If skaters are going to have advertising logos all over their costumes, we can all stop arguing about artistry etc because any attempt will from then on to combine it with being a billboard on ice be bathetic. I mean funny, really funny, but bathetic. Even if it's Versace or Gucchi level, let alone Maccas/Marks and Spencers and Toyota or Ford or Air Wherever.

Could be worse... Lululemon... for Skate Canada.

 

[Jumping_Bean]

About the sponsorship/manufacturer logos being able to be displayed on the costumes themselves, I don't have a big issue with it if it's done like in Rhythmic gymnastics.

For context, in RG it is mandatory for gymnasts to have country-identifying appliques on their leotards (usually the flag or the coat of arms), and appliques showing sponsorships (usually the team sponsor). Some examples:

Arina Averina 2018 Hoop & Anastasia Simakova 2019 Rope

Nastya had one central applique on her chest (Russian coat of arms, not visible in the picture), one on her sleeve (Gazprom, Russian team sponsor) and one on her hip (MegaFon). Arina had both of her appliques next to each other on her left shoulder.

Stiliana Nikolova Ball 2023

A very unique take on the rules by Stiliana - Her flag is not an applique, but made from rhinestones (and that on most of her leotards). Underneath is an applique from Sasaki (manufacturer of rhythmic gymnastics equipment, personal sponsor).

In movement, most of these are so small that you don't notice them much, in my opinion, so something like this would be acceptable to me.

 

[4everchan]

i am sure I won't even notice the logos.. they will be kept small enough... so whatever... if the skaters can get some money with sponsors, that's a plus for me.

 

[Magill]

I went back to watch the Forum: Vision 2030 presentation where they talked about their plans. They specifically mentioned Vera Wang designing costumes for Michelle Kwan and Nathan Chen, so that's where the inspiration came from.

Oh, I would never expect them to officially bring it up as their inspiration as it took place outside of ISU. So I am not surprised at all, and actually half expected Vera Wang being brought up in this context as her designs had happened within the framework of ISU comps which is so much more convenient. Yet I find it difficult to believe anyone would come up with such a change with their eyes focused firmly on separated individual events from years ago while ignoring a high-fashion-brand campaign enjoying high media visibility and making money right now next door. I mean, if they did, it would mean they are even worse at money and marketing handling than they seemed, lol. So whatever, but to me, this timing says it all