Adult Worlds | Golden Skate

Adult Worlds

thisthingcalledlove

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 24, 2003
NEWS

ADULT WORLDS 2005?
from 32 Degrees Magazine

The ISU's president, Ottavio Cinquanta reportedly is very supportive of expanding adult skating on an international front. "I think this is going to happen as soon as 2005. We may well see an ISU adult figure skating event," says Rhea Schwartz, chair of the special exploratory committee on the internationalization of adult figure skating. "The event would be under the auspices of the ISU - they will help support it, promote it and run it. They are ready and we are ready."

There is already a rule with the ISU's bylaws called the Interclub Competition Rule, which allows for events such as the Mountain Cup (France) to happen. "Now there is a new rule," says Schwartz, "that says international master-level speed skating and adult figure skating events may be proposed and approved by the ISU's council."

"The ISU Congress and their council meet in June and we'll be there with a proposed competition for their approval," said Schwartz. "The event will not exactly follow our USFSA structure. It will likely feature freeskating, pairs, and dance events, but no interpretive event. Jump limits will help us sort out levels," she said. "There are lots of questions to resolve, like can we get other countries to adopt the US testing system," she said.

If the ISU passes the new Code of Points judging system, for example, we could use those point tallies to determine a skater's level. Skaters with 60-70 points, for example, might be considered Bronze, while skaters with 80-90 points considered Silver, etc. An initial round or the previous year's event might be used for determining a skater's point total. Lots of interesting possibilities exist."

But why is the ISU and Cinquanta interested in adults skating, when so little interest existed before? "Cinquanta knows there is an ever-growing population that he wants to bring into the ISU fold. This is his new baby. He is very on top of this and he has given this a lot of thought. I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by all my meetings with him," says Schwartz.
USFSA's Phyllis Howard initially brought the idea to the ISU and Cinquanta. "Howard kept the issue in front of him and when he focused on it, he realized that the had no connection with this group of skaters. Speed skating had adult (master level) events on an international scope for years. He wanted to create the equivalent for the figure skating branch of the ISU," Schwartz said. "He asked how fast it can happen," she said. "2005.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
wow! that's neat...

maybe I should start learning to skate LOL :laugh:
 

sk8er1964

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I've heard rumors of this, and am quite excited that it might happen. Funding is an issue, though, since adults get no funding for going to nationals and going overseas would be tough. Hypothetical example, an adult from New York has to fly to Florida for Easterns, San Francisco for Nationals and France for Worlds, all in the space of a few months. Ouch. I can see it being a battle of the richest instead of a battle of the world's best, since adults don't get endorsements :\ .

That said, the fact that the ISU is looking to validate adult figure skating is very exciting. I hope that it opens up national programs all over the skating world!
 

Lynn226

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
sk8er1964 said:
I've heard rumors of this, and am quite excited that it might happen. Funding is an issue, though, since adults get no funding for going to nationals and going overseas would be tough. Hypothetical example, an adult from New York has to fly to Florida for Easterns, San Francisco for Nationals and France for Worlds, all in the space of a few months. Ouch. I can see it being a battle of the richest instead of a battle of the world's best, since adults don't get endorsements
Perhaps, once an Adult Worlds Comp is established some of the more deserving talent could attract some local endorsements or support. Perhaps, the national federations would put forth a few funds, as well.

I'm not a skater, so I don't know how the funding works and what the costs would be, but I think it would be a nice outlet for those competitive souls. (I miss doing music comps.)
 

soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Figure skating now is a battle of the riches anyway so I don't see adults getting funding to compete at a World level.

However by encouraging adults to compete, this may help the ISU with viewership and increase funds for competitive juniors. By making skating more widespread to adults, this will increase equipment sales and production (lowering skate prices perhaps, or even getting more companies involved in producing skate, Nike anyone?) and viewership and event attendance will increase b/c people who participate in sports tend to watch them (look at Golf). Look at all the revenue that sports such as tennis and golf generate. Golf is not an excting sport to watch on TV but people who play golf love to watch it.
 

RoaringMice

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 1, 2003
Very exciting. I was wondering if this would occur.

Adults who compete in skating pay their own way, and I'd expect this would continue at Worlds. In my opinion, adult skaters are a cash cow for the USFSA and could be for the ISU. They don't expect funding and do it mostly for fun.

I'd think that an adult Worlds would be more fun and less "competitive" than regular nationals or Worlds - more of a comeraderie building event, fun, raising some money for the ISU, than a real Olys-track type event. Sort of like I've read of US Adult Nationals now, but international.
 

sk8er1964

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
RoaringMice said:
I'd think that an adult Worlds would be more fun and less "competitive" than regular nationals or Worlds - more of a comeraderie building event, fun, raising some money for the ISU, than a real Olys-track type event. Sort of like I've read of US Adult Nationals now, but international.

This last April, my coach wasn't able to go to AN with me, so my mom, a former coach herself, volunteered to help me. I skated in one of the championship events. She said that before the warm-ups, we reminded her of a bunch of thoroughbreds before the start of a race. Yes, AN is fun, but for many of us it is a very, very serious thing. We work very hard, through practices, lesser competions, and (for the championship events) qualifying competitions, to get there.

Just thought I'd share an inside view of the more serious side of adult skating. :)
 

childfreegirl

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 6, 2004
sk8er1964 said:
This last April, my coach wasn't able to go to AN with me, so my mom, a former coach herself, volunteered to help me. I skated in one of the championship events. She said that before the warm-ups, we reminded her of a bunch of thoroughbreds before the start of a race. Yes, AN is fun, but for many of us it is a very, very serious thing. We work very hard, through practices, lesser competions, and (for the championship events) qualifying competitions, to get there.

Just thought I'd share an inside view of the more serious side of adult skating. :)

How did you do?
 

sk8er1964

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
childfreegirl said:
How did you do?

:) Thanks for asking. Unfortunately, between Mids and AN I turned into an absolute basket case. The week before AN I did a program run through where I landed zero jumps. I put too much pressure on myself. As a kid, I never even got to regionals, because figures kicked my backside, so this was a really new experience for me. Qualifying at sectionals was unexpected - it was on my agenda for next year. This year was just to test the waters, so to speak, because I had never been to sectionals.

I finished 10th at AN. However, that's ok. I didn't die. I didn't embarass myself. I certainly didn't perform my best, but from this experience I know I can come back next year, without the nerves and with confidence in my skating. Think Johnny Wier! :D

Edited to add: After my skate, (as soon as I started breathing again LOL) I went up into the stands and watched the second warm up group. I cheered for all of them - as did everyone else in my warm up group. It was great to watch them skate. Personally, I thought some of the results should have been different, but then again I'm not a judge so I don't know what they were looking for. I thought two of the skaters that finished in the middle should have been in the medals (even after watching the event later on dvd). One of the things that I found bizzare about the judging - although I finished 10th, I had one 2nd place ordinal (don't know what she was looking at ;) ). (No quibble about my finish, BTW ) Judging and the finish order can sometimes be confusing - it's not limited to "kids" nationals and the CoP!
 
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Sitspinmary

Spectator
Joined
Dec 27, 2003
Hi from Canada....I think this is a step in the right direction to have this Adult International Championships but for me, the currency is to costly for me to travel to Germany...I would love to be there like most of you and I hope that some Canadians will get there. Canada just had their first Adult Nationals this past March in Burnaby BC, were just getting started here in Canada...Again a step in the right direction...

I was hoping it would be in the states the first time and I would be able to get there...Canadian dollars in Euro is worth really nothing and $700.00 Canadian is only $428.00 in Euro.....So with hotel, food, transportation for there would be to much to afford...

But those of you that can go, have a blast and make it a great one so there will be another one in 2006,,,,,

SitspinMary
Cape Breton , Nova Scotia Canada
 
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