ISU proposed figure skating changes

[AlexBreeze]

What is it exactly? Not an official info, right? Looks like a gossip or maybe brainstorming in progress. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't have much faith in ISU and I'm pretty sure that at this point they are just throwing random ideas left and right without rhyme or reason and with little to no vision of what they actually want to achieve. But I'm far to lazy to get angry at something that might not even be true.

Brainstorming with, IMO, very low chance to be accepted.

Such news appears from time to time. About 6 years ago, they wanted to divide the programs into artistic and technical ones.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Brainstorming with, IMO, very low chance to be accepted.

Such news appears from time to time. About 6 years ago, they wanted to divide the programs into artistic and technical ones.

Hardly a revolutionary idea. When short programs were introduced, in the late 1960s for pairs and the 1970s for singles, that was the whole point of them. They were a technical exercise. The long program had more time for adding artistic touches and creating a theme, instead of just ticking off the required elements one by one as in the short. I didn't realize that underlying purpose had ever gone away, frankly.

 

[Mathman]

Hardly a revolutionary idea. When short programs were introduced, in the late 1960s for pairs and the 1970s for singles, that was the whole point of them. They were a technical exercise. The long program had more time for adding artistic touches and creating a theme, instead of just ticking off the required elements one by one as in the short. I didn't realize that underlying purpose had ever gone away, frankly.

To me, over the years the roles of the short program and the long program have become blurred, and in fact, to some extent reversed. The short program now seems the more "artistic" of the two, with the long program focusing mostly on stamina and ticking off one element after another.

I liken it to writing a sonnet compared to a longer narrative poem. You have to be a really good poet to write a sonnet -- that is, to fit everything succinctly into a coherent theme while respecting the strict rules of meter, etc. My suggestion would be to dump the LP and do two SPs instead. Part of the judging would be on how the two programs complement and contrast with each other.

 

[moonvine]

Hardly a revolutionary idea. When short programs were introduced, in the late 1960s for pairs and the 1970s for singles, that was the whole point of them. They were a technical exercise. The long program had more time for adding artistic touches and creating a theme, instead of just ticking off the required elements one by one as in the short. I didn't realize that underlying purpose had ever gone away, frankly.

They used to call the short program the “technical program.”

 

[Diana Delafield]

They used to call the short program the “technical program.”

That's what many coaches and skaters still called it, in conversation at least, when I was competing in the late 70s and early 80s.

 

[RobinA]

I don't like any of the proposed changes at all.

Some I think are strange (two LPs), others aren't really anything I care about. None of them really change what I currently think is a problem in figure skating. I'm not sure why, but to me the skating this year is pretty bad. With some exceptions. It certainly doesn't look like an Olympic year.

 

[brblja]

I hate the proposal of having EC and 4CC in the same week - so many coaches have athletes in both groups, and they’d basically have to choose which athletes they will stay with. It’s ridiculous for such important events.

But considering the ‘source’, I’m thinking it’s less ‘throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks’ and more trolling.

 

[Mathman]

They used to call the short program the “technical program.”

What is most interesting to me is that, in singles, the SP eased itself in and took the place of figures. So I guess in the old days, tracing school figures was regarded as demonstrating skating "technique," and then the free skating part was more on the "artistry" side (and not so much on the"win the TES by doing 7 quads" side.)

 

[Diana Delafield]

What is most interesting to me is that, in singles, the SP eased itself in and took the place of figures. So I guess in the old days, tracing school figures was regarded as demonstrating skating "technique," and then the free skating part was more on the "artistry" side (and not so much on the"win the TES by doing 7 quads" side.)

Right, in the *really* old days (i.e., any era prior to mine ). And the compulsory dances were more the technical side of ice dance, while the FD was the artistic side. Pairs were the first to have a short "technical" program added because up to then there was no equivalent part, where their ability to perform a set of specific pairs elements could be compared with all the other entrants in an event.

 

[saine]

Phil Hersh has an article about the proposed changes - https://www.globetrottingbyphiliphe...ficials-weigh-major-changes-in-rules-schedule

I do like having the Challenger series ending in February instead of December. But others... I do not see any buy-in from the federations for having an artistic program that has no jumps. The changes from the 2024 Congress for the free skate are supposed to come into effect next season, maybe wait to see how that works before planning more massive changes that none of the federations will go for.

 

[moonvine]

Phil Hersh has an article about the proposed changes - https://www.globetrottingbyphiliphe...ficials-weigh-major-changes-in-rules-schedule

I do like having the Challenger series ending in February instead of December. But others... I do not see any buy-in from the federations for having an artistic program that has no jumps. The changes from the 2024 Congress for the free skate are supposed to come into effect next season, maybe wait to see how that works before planning more massive changes that none of the federations will go for.

I was just going to post it!
I love the artistic program with no jumps idea.

 

[crystalspin]

Does any of this matter if they don't start making figure skating more accessible to watch... They keep talking about the low fan engagement for filling stands or how no one cares about skating but they make it impossible to watch the challenger series and any senior b's.

 

[Mathematician]

These things have been discussed for a while. Look up ISU Vision 2030. The thesis is to make skating more "engaging" and "viewer friendly".

No, it's not just gossip—these discussions are reliably happening. Nothing set yet but seriously disruptive, revolutionary proposals are being made.

There was a concept of having one program explicitly focused on tech while the other on artistry. This is the essence of the program change. I think it's mentally insane. Yes both would be considerably shorter. I believe even to the extent the short would completely disregard artistry and the so-called "FS" would have no jumps and be a much shorter spin/step presentation. Nobody likes this so I think it won't happen thankfully.

Removing the warm-up has also been discussed before and athletes/coaches were outraged. It was supposed to be before the entire event instead of per-group. I think it won't happen. It's just too blatantly stupid. Again the point is to reduce "open air" on TV. They still might stop broadcasting it though. I think this is the current suggestion. Not sure what they'd replace it with.

These changes all seem like a joke but it's just incompetence. Their explicit issue is viewer retention. It has been publicly stated through Vision 2030 so none of the following is speculation. It is true and salient to anyone who has some intuition or experience with marketing especially recent thought: The problem is disconnected geriatrics who are convinced young people require simple action & easy stimulation. Blinded by popular "studies" on attention span or whatever. They don't know what they're doing. They all need to be fired and replaced by young content creators with PROVEN SUCCESS in publicizing the sport.

Weird: ISU thinks these changes are required for publicity yet other national leagues get more viewers on their own and never even thought of such modifications. Fandoms largely consisting of young people, BTW. The issue is clearly elsewhere. If the public zeitgeist requires easy entertainment, then that simply is what it is—they won't like skating.

I think the best move commercially for ISU would be to just double-down on the existing niche. Make the sport's atmosphere even more artsy & aristocratic. Millions of young people are interesting in this aesthetic. TikToks and Reels of skating that go viral are almost always some beautiful spin with a beautiful outfit to beautiful music with the comments all musing about how beautiful the sport is. Catering to the Red Bull crowd so to speak is really incomprehensible. Total incompetence. I guarantee it fails. Geriatrics in marketing looking at fake trends and underestimating the youth. Unsavable system. 90% of ISU marketing "experts" needs to be replaced by Gen-Z TikTokers and the sport will thrive amongst young people. They clearly underestimate the young generation. Keep some technical and statistical professionals while all brainstorming can be done by young content creators. It is a proven strategy.

 

[gsk8]

Sent an email to ISU for confirmation on the specific proposed changes in the OP.

Response:

Thank you for your inquiry.

Please find below the ISU official statement in response to your request.

In line with the Vision 2030 long-term strategy, the International Skating Union (ISU) is working with all stakeholders on a range of amendments for future Figure Skating, Speed Skating and Short Track seasons.

The discussions with our Members are geared towards the growth of skating for the benefit of the athletes and all who enjoy the artistry, creativity, power and strength across the different skating disciplines. Putting the athletes’ best interests at the heart of these discussions also means that we are prioritizing opportunities for them that are as engaging as possible for skating’s existing fanbase and new fans that we are targeting through ISU’s various innovations.

ISU will not comment on the various proposals and timelines for discussion but will conclude this process with our Members and other stakeholders with a view to announcing the future direction at the end of the season.

 

[Mathman]

Sent an email to ISU for confirmation on the specific proposed changes in the OP.

Response:

(paraphrase) "Thanks or your interest. Got nothin' for ya'."

 

[Mathman]

The problem is disconnected geriatrics who are convinced young people require simple action & easy stimulation.

In particular, the ISU has shot itself in the foot in modern times by trying to attract a "younger audience" by the stratagem of making figure skating more and more like half-pipe snowboarding. You slide up one side of the pipe, twist and somersault 4 times in the air, then slide up the other side and repeat. Is this fun to watch?

Well, Shaun White's net worth is $US 65 million, so who am I to offer an opinion?

 

[TallyT]

(paraphrase) "Thanks or your interest. Got nothin' for ya'."

"Or at least. got nothin' that we want to talk to the hoi polloi about..."

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

I don't like any of the proposed changes at all.

Neither do I. At all.

 

[Mathematician]

In particular, the ISU has shot itself in the foot in modern times by trying to attract a "younger audience" by the stratagem of making figure skating more and more like half-pipe snowboarding. You slide up one side of the pipe, twist and somersault 4 times in the air, then slide up the other side and repeat. Is this fun to watch?

Well, Shaun White's net worth is $US 65 million, so who am I to offer an opinion?

It's comical because this Red Bull niche is the reddest ocean that has ever oceaned. Perhaps I mean red ocean literally as people are actually dying for contracts under extreme athletics while the kinaesthetic arts are one of the most established disciplines of humanity and sit somehow calmly in 2025—blue as sapphire. I see short videos of ballerinas, rhythmic gymnasts, figure skaters, etc... go viral and the comments are flooded with intrigue. Clearly from young people. Growing up with Marvel and Transformers they haven't seen anything like it. They yearn for more yet not one international organization tries to capitalize. They continue swimming with Jawz in this Red Bull niche. Red Bull is posting world record dives and octuple backflip frontflip circus acts on unicycles (while juggling on top of an airborne plane?) and ISU thinks someone cares about Malinin's Axel. It's unbelievable how much capital is waiting to be farmed in this artsy sport niche. It almost feels like a suicidal conspiracy that ISU is doing what it's doing. It feels like parliament!

 

[Zora]

And in the artistic program we will then have 24 skaters skate to Build A Home, Fix You, Exogenesis, La Terre vue du ciel?