2024 CS Nepela Memorial: Info and pre-game chat

[gsk8]

2024 Nepela Memorial is the eighth of 11 events of the 2024-25 Figure Skating Challenger Series and is scheduled to take place in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 25-26, 2024.

The event will feature the single (Women and Men) and Ice Dance disciplines, and will be conducted in accordance with the ISU Constitution and General Regulations, ISU Special Regulations & Technical Rules for Single & Pair Skating, Technical Rules for Ice Dance, and relevant ISU Communications.

The event will count towards ISU World Standing Points, Minimum Total Technical Score, Challenger Series in Figure Skating Ranking and Prize Money.

The Challenger Series is an International Figure Skating Series, introduced during the 2014-15 season. The series gives adequate opportunities for many skaters to compete at the international senior level and earn World Standing Points. The Series also increases the opportunity for Officials to officiate at an international level.

• ISU Event page
• Announcement
• Schedule
• Entries/Results
• Stream €

 

[Ivana]

For Slovak figure skaters the competition will serve as senior test skates. Expected to attend are:
M: Adam Hagara, Lukas Vaclavik
W: Ema Doboszova, Vanesa Selmekova
ID: Maria Sofia Pucherova/Nikita Lysak; Anna Simova/Kirill Aksenov

 

[Orchidea]

For Slovak figure skaters the competition will serve as senior test skates. Expected to attend are:
M: Adam Hagara, Lukas Vaclavik
W: Ema Doboszova, Vanesa Selmekova
ID: Maria Sofia Pucherova/Nikita Lysak; Anna Simova/Kirill Aksenov

and what depends of this competition result?

 

[Ivana]

and what depends of this competition result?

Europeans, Worlds among other things according to the info published by fed...Nepela Memorial is one of 3 competitions where score will be taken into account when selecting the representative in case there are multiple skaters who have the ISU mins, for Europeans the other two are Warsaw Cup and 4 Nationals. For Worlds the other two are 4Nationals and Dragon Trophy for M/W and 4 Nationals and Egna Dance Trophy for ID.

 

[Ivana]

Tickets sales has started, if anyone is interested. Price same as last year 6 EUR one day and 10 EUR for 2 days ticket. Friday competition starts at 2pm, Saturday at 11am.

According to SKrZ president, among others, skaters from USA, Japan and South Korea are coming...as far as I know USA does not have this challenger on it's international assignments calendar, so let's see how accurate this info is...

32st Nepela Memorial - vstupenky | Predpredaj.sk

32nd Nepela Memorial sú medzinárodné krasokorčuliarske preteky , zaradené do ISU Challenger série Športový...

predpredaj.zoznam.sk

 

[surimi]

I hope it's true! Please let it be Kazuki... And Rion and maybe Azusa/Shingo as a bonus.

 

[Skating91]

Are bags allowed in this arena? It would just be a small daypack. I wouldn't be bringing in food or drinks.

 

[Ivana]

Are bags allowed in this arena? It would just be a small daypack. I wouldn't be bringing in food or drinks.

Yes, bags are allowed. Even outside food and drinks were not an issue in the past few years as none of the vendors in the arena were open during the competition.

 

[surimi]

Yes, bags are allowed. Even outside food and drinks were not an issue in the past few years as none of the vendors in the arena were open during the competition.

That sounds like an improvement from the last two times I visited (2016, 2017). I recall bringing in a baguette or durum or something because I went the wrong way (away from the center) in search of food and only came upon one open outdoor stall with Arabic food, and the security didn't let me in with it. At least I could watch the skating on the TV screens in the deserted halls, with an occasional skater jogging by
Is the very nice street level cafe still in operation, I wonder? The one which skaters pass on the way to the back entrance.
I wonder how much has changed in 7 years.

I want to come if Kazuki is competing there. The entries close on Friday evening, so I'll have to wait until next Monday I guess.
10 euros for 2 days is a fantastic price.
@Ivana , do you know if one can get to watch the practices in person, instead of watching through the big windows in the halls? If there's just Friday and Saturday to watch competitions, I imagine no practices will take place at the main rink.

Also wondering if the KnC/skater exit still has this big deep gap between it and the staircase behind. If so, beware when taking photos with skaters, folks - I managed to fall into that hole when rushing down to take a pic. The stairs above the KnC should say 'Mind the gap' IMO

 

[Ivana]

That sounds like an improvement from the last two times I visited (2016, 2017). I recall bringing in a baguette or durum or something because I went the wrong way (away from the center) in search of food and only came upon one open outdoor stall with Arabic food, and the security didn't let me in with it. At least I could watch the skating on the TV screens in the deserted halls, with an occasional skater jogging by
Is the very nice street level cafe still in operation, I wonder? The one which skaters pass on the way to the back entrance.
I wonder how much has changed in 7 years.

I want to come if Kazuki is competing there. The entries close on Friday evening, so I'll have to wait until next Monday I guess.
10 euros for 2 days is a fantastic price.
@Ivana , do you know if one can get to watch the practices in person, instead of watching through the big windows in the halls? If there's just Friday and Saturday to watch competitions, I imagine no practices will take place at the main rink.

Also wondering if the KnC/skater exit still has this big deep gap between it and the staircase behind. If so, beware when taking photos with skaters, folks - I managed to fall into that hole when rushing down to take a pic. The stairs above the KnC should say 'Mind the gap' IMO

Yes, the street level cafe was still in operation last time I was in the area.

Regarding the practice I'm not sure. IIRC last year on Friday they let spectators in only minutes before competition started, so not sure if you are able to watch practice beforehand on the main ring, in the small training rings they usually do not let people in and you can indeed watch only through the glass.

I'm afraid the gap in the KnC/skater exit is still there.

 

[surimi]

Regarding the practice I'm not sure. IIRC last year on Friday they let spectators in only minutes before competition started, so not sure if you are able to watch practice beforehand on the main ring, in the small training rings they usually do not let people in and you can indeed watch only through the glass.

I'm afraid the gap in the KnC/skater exit is still there.

I see... I guess each rink has its own rules. In The Hague and in Bratislava, I wasn't able to access the practice rink, whereas in Espoo and Oberstdorf, no problem. I don't even know if Warsaw and Tilburg had practice rinks. If they did, then visitors weren't welcome, I suppose
Well, if Kazuki is sent, then skater exit deep gap it is for me, if admissions are the same as previous years.
Maybe see you there in a month?

 

[Ivana]

Yes, see you there in a month if you decide to come. We are waiting on the entries as well, but more or less we are already set on going regardless of who comes.

 

[NoNameFace]

I have everything booked, so I think I'm set to go. Now only waiting for entries to decide how many crowns to make
First Nepela since 2019, excited to be back!

 

[surimi]

I wish I was going also, but I heard JSF canceled their skaters' participation in this event. That's a shame, I was really looking forward to it, and I hope I get to go to Nepela again. But I guess I'll miss it this year, and try to go to Finland instead if possible, to cheer on Kazuki and Sota.

 

[Ivana]

That's a pity @surimi , but maybe it will work out for you some other year when JSF decides to send skaters. I'm actually expecting a pretty sparse start list this year due to timing and a lot of middle ranked skaters scheduled to compete in Nice the week before. Hopefully next year they can book the arena way in advance and keep the end of September slot.

 

[Skating91]

When are the line ups released?

 

[Ivana]

The entries were due last Friday. With how ISU is progressively releasing the entry lists later and later for Challengers, maybe sometime next week.

 

[Jumping_Bean]

Entries are out - And I'm already seeing some interesting entries in that line-up

International debut for Italy for Corey Circelli for one, not one, but two Chinese Ice Dance teams, Senior debut for Grimm/Savitskiy, and a few match-ups of countries' top 3 skaters.

 

[DemTuppesSeine]

Senior debut for Grimm/Savitskiy

 

[Skating91]

Not too bad. I had low expectations given the late October slot, but the women's Italian line up is relatively strong and I am especially excited to see Pezzetta live.

It will be good to see Hagara and Grassl in the men.

In ice dance Davis/Smolkin. Maybe Eteri makes an appearance! It's a small town I might run into her . Fear/Gibson will be great too.