GP event order changed for 2009 season | Golden Skate

GP event order changed for 2009 season

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Just got this from the Skatefans listing...this goes into effect in the 2009-10 Olympic season (it will stay the same next year)...the new event order will be the following (SA will now be the 5th event!):

TEB
COR
COC
NHK
SA
SC
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Just got this from the Skatefans listing...this goes into effect in the 2009-10 Olympic season (it will stay the same next year)...the new event order will be the following (SA will now be the 5th event!)

The GP series also starts a week earlier than usual:

TEB - Oct 15-18
COR - Oct 22-25
COC - Oct 29-Nov 1
NHK - Nov 5-8
SA - Nov 12-15
SC - Nov 19-22

GPF - Dec 3-6

Presumably the JGP series will also start earlier. However, the JGPF is usually the week before the GPF, which means the JGPF would fall on Thanksgiving weekend, the worst possible travel time for US skaters.
 

JonnyCoop

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2003
It is ABOUT TIME. I have been saying for years that it seems unfair that the American and Canadian audiences get stuck with the first 2 competitions out of the chute (when the programs are still in a very rough state for the most part) year after year; I say let someone else get stuck with the "first pancakes" (as Tamara Moskvina called them, according to Scott Hamilton) for once. I think the order should be different EVERY season.
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I say let someone else get stuck with the "first pancakes" (as Tamara Moskvina called them, according to Scott Hamilton) for once.
It's a part of a very famous Russian proverb - the first pancake almost comes out lumpy.

I agree that it's time the order is rotated as well.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I see the schedule is a slight improvement, i.e., having 3 contests in October and 3 in November and ending two weeks earlier. If this is only because of the Olys, well then, I think they should keep it on an annual basis.

I would like to see the GPs start in September. I know, I know, the poor dears wont be ready, but when you think of it, how much time there is between end-of-worlds and end-of-summer. There are no more cheesefests in the US and the Japanese Invitational is just two disciplines and only two countries. I think this time could be utilized for GPs and we can have all the skaters in the mix.

Back to the new Schedule:

I think Canada and the US will benefit financially by this because as the GPs progress, the last two become so important.

Joe
 

kikakiks

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
By having the last two events, both Us and Canadian federations will be able to influence the gp results in a more active way. Also, they will be able to push their skaters right before the olympics.
Good for them, smart choice for once.
I actually think (hope) the score inflation in either US or Canada will never reach the level of Cor with Russian skaters....
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I wonder if NBC television had something to do with this. Maybe they wanted to wrap their Skate America / U.S. Nationals / Olympics coverage up in a neater package.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I wonder if NBC television had something to do with this. Maybe they wanted to wrap their Skate America / U.S. Nationals / Olympics coverage up in a neater package.

hmm...I thought the same thing for a moment, but they don't have any relationship with the ISU, do they? I thought it was them and USFS. The only reason I would put more stock into that speculation is if NBC ends up signing up to broadcast those competitions. Nevertheless, it ends up benefiting them since by SA the programs will be more fully developed and it will be considered a more serious competition rather than just "working out the kinks".

Also, what about the CBC? don't they televise SC? I don't think one TV network has all that much power, especially since they didn't even pay anything to get it.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Well, NBC payed a pretty penny to get the Olympics. This may give them the wherewithal to exert influence on the ISU.

Or they could really, really, really push USFS to really, really call in favors with Cinquanta and/or other federations.

TV considerations aside, I don't see much benefit to Skate America whether it's early or late. To me, there was nothing wrong with that event kicking off the season. Except for the possible Olympic tie-in, I don't think they will sell any more tickets by advertising that the skaters' have had more time to perfcet their programs and, being later, will seem (?) like they are more important in determining who goes to the GP final.

Only people like us will care about that, and we are planning to go anyway, if we can. :laugh:
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I think you said it right there in your post, MM...it really doesn't make enough of a difference to justify the theory that NBC had anything to do with the switch. If anything, the only thing the network would have any say over is the start times of the competition. They could push for the ladies' free skate to take place Saturday night, for example in order to do prime time coverage.
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Even though attendance is down all around, they seem to have pushed the events with the most fan support to the second half of the schedule (NHK, SA, SC). It's nice to see it changed up.
 

fenway

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 3, 2006
TV considerations aside, I don't see much benefit to Skate America whether it's early or late. To me, there was nothing wrong with that event kicking off the season. Except for the possible Olympic tie-in, I don't think they will sell any more tickets by advertising that the skaters' have had more time to perfcet their programs and, being later, will seem (?) like they are more important in determining who goes to the GP final.

Agreed. But if the US & Canada really feel like they're at a disadvantage (or any of the participating nations for that matter) maybe they should look into rotating the events?
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
the tickets could be bought/given as early Christmas gifts though... good marketting strategy if done right.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Agreed. But if the US & Canada really feel like they're at a disadvantage (or any of the participating nations for that matter) maybe they should look into rotating the events?
Reason why I mentioned financial interests to USA and Canada being the last two GPs was because, this year, there was much ado about who will be in the Finals and attention towad CoR and NHK has been much scrutinized before their events. This could increase the LIVE viewers to the stadiums.

Given that the competition really is all about the journey to the Finals, the real question is Does the Journey Tell us much since skaters who made the Finals have not necesarily skated in the Journey at the same time What I'm trying to say is were some events easier to medal than others?,

Joe
 

tiara

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 16, 2004
If I change the order according to the host coutry's economic status in the world, the order will be as follows:

SC(Canada)
COR(Russia)
TEB(France)
COC(China)
NHK(Japan)
SA(US)

Only Canada is extremely benefited from the new order because Canada is lumped with the US as the same North American country.
 

JonnyCoop

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2003
I would like to see the GPs start in September. I know, I know, the poor dears wont be ready,

Joe

No, they wouldn't be. And pity the poor audiences who would have to sit through all that; most of the programs at Skate America look "rough around the edges" (to be diplomatic) as it is, and that's at the end of October.

That being said, now and then you do see some performances that look great even that early on in the year. I tend to be rather concerned about those, however, because I don't think it does a skater well to look THAT good THAT early, with the rest of the season yet to go. That, however, would be the topic for another thread, perhaps.
 
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