2025-26 Challenger Events allocated

[Jumping_Bean]

They look like they're able to host one Challenger by not having more international events than that this season.

USFS is doing something similar (if at a smaller scale) by folding the "extra" Challenger into two other existing international events, no? Actually, that seems like the general trend for lots of federations, especially after COVID.

I don't think it's entirely finances on the federation side. There are a large number of domestic events in North America that require volunteers. There's only so many local people willing to volunteer at the locations that are available for events.

This is also true, especially once the NQS was introduced in 2019. In 2022, the solution was to make US Classic a Senior Challenger and hold a Novice & Junior NQS event in the same location at the same time, just like Lake Placid holds the NQS Championships & the International on subsequent days.

 

[ice coverage]

This is also true, especially once the NQS was introduced in 2019. In 2022, the solution was to make US Classic a Senior Challenger and hold a Novice & Junior NQS event in the same location at the same time, just like Lake Placid holds the NQS Championships & the International on subsequent days.

2022 U.S. Novice/Junior Challenge Skate, which took place alongside 2022 U.S. Classic in September in Lake Placid, was *not* part of 2022-23 season's National Qualifying Series.
Throughout the years of U.S. Classic (going back to the very first one in 2012 in Salt Lake City), its companion event Novice/Junior Challenge Skate always was held as a developmental opportunity for U.S. skaters.
IIRC regarding Challenge Skate: I believe some kind of hierarchy (based on track record) determined which skaters were permitted to register; it was not open to just anyone. And I seem to recall that it was not only a competition experience, but also like a mini-camp, with some off-ice content to help skaters (and their parents).

 

[Jontor]

I wonder how these Challengers events are profitable in the first place. Some of them look like there is just a handful of people in the audience.

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

What looks like a whim to outsiders often has a lot of meetings and discussion behind it that aren't seen by the fans.



It may have worked for what you like, but they wanted to change it. From the proposals for the 58th Congress in Phuket 2022 (Proposal 10, page 13) :

Keeping it combined with a Challenger may make sense to you as a viewer. But for them, it makes sense to have it be a separate competition and not combine it with Nebelhorn any longer. They know what's involved behind the scenes with holding Nebelhorn as a qualifying event and can get feedback from the federation. And looking at the minutes (page 133), the federations agreed with the ISU. Two votes against, one abstentation.

I don't want this to sound like I am being derogatory about Oberstdorf, because it is a great facility in a beautiful location. But, I do wonder how many of the "logistical and operational challenges" that were mentioned in the proposal were related specifically to Oberstdorf itself.

Looking at it from a purely practical viewpoint, Oberstdorf is not exactly the easiest place to get to. The nearest major airports (Munich, Stuttgart, Innsbruck, and Zürich) are all over 2 hours away.

It could be that this proposal to have the qualifying as a stand alone event was designed as a means of moving it to somewhere else in a way that would not cause offence to the organisers of the Nebelhorn Trophy.

Maybe I am being a bit romantic about this, but given that the figure skating at the 2026 Olympics are being held in Assago (on the south-western outskirts of Milan), it would have been fitting if the qualifying for them had been done at the Lombardia Trophy in Bergamo (on the north-eastern outskirts of Milan).

This is the first time that they're attempting it. They can see what worked and what didn't, and adjust for next time based on that.

Exactly. It will be interesting to see what the verdict is. If it works, all well and good. If it doesn't, they have 3 years to think about how to approach it for Nice in 2030.

We'll just have to wait and see.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Jumping_Bean]

2022 U.S. Novice/Junior Challenge Skate, which took place alongside 2022 U.S. Classic in September in Lake Placid, was *not* part of 2022-23 season's National Qualifying Series.

It was erroneously marked as having been part of the NQS where I looked it up, but you are right. Probably does not help that there are about 5 or so "Challenge" competitions each season and the US Challenge Cup, having been held less than two weeks later, was part of the NQS.
I did find out that there are quite a few more competitions running National Qualifiers simultaneously with International competitions though, which is also interesting.

IIRC regarding Challenge Skate: I believe some kind of hierarchy (based on track record) determined which skaters were permitted to register; it was not open to just anyone. And I seem to recall that it was not only a competition experience, but also like a mini-camp, with some off-ice content to help skaters (and their parents).

Kind of like the US Junior Team Cup then? It doesn't include all disciplines or Novices, but seems to have the same purpose.

 

[surimi]

I wonder how these Challengers events are profitable in the first place. Some of them look like there is just a handful of people in the audience.

I can't speak for others, but for me personally, Challengers are my favorite type of competition to attend. Compared to regular B events, their SB potential attracts top skaters (even more so when they take place before the GP series starts). Compared to GP and big championships, Challengers are much more affordable and relaxed, more diverse in terms of skater levels, and sometimes with bigger competitor lineup. I hope they stay around. I won't pretend that my top favorites' participation isn't my motivating factor n.1, but since there are just two big favorites of mine remaining active this season, and just one of them is likely to continue, I'm also looking forward to attending future European Challengers with interesting names in the entry lists. I was a bit sad to see Budapest lose its Challenger status as I was thinking of going there for the first time this season.

 

[apgold]

I would love to attend the John Nicks pairs challenge, as it's held at Chelsea Piers and not too far from me. However, there are 2 things that prevent me from attending.

• It is usually held in the middle of the day during the work week. Sometimes the SP is held in the early evening but they often don't post the times until the day before, so it makes planning difficult.
• They hold it in the East Rink which has no seating (unless you count climbing on top of lockers 3 feet off the ground and sitting on top). They can't hold it in the West Rink which has plenty of bleacher seating because the rink is too small for pairs skating. I learned this from Troy Goldstein (the head of the SCNY) himself.

So I doubt I will be attending this year unless they move the timing with spectators in mind.

 

[ice coverage]

I would love to attend the John Nicks pairs challenge ... However, there are 2 things that prevent me from attending. ...

They hold it in the East Rink which has no seating (unless you count climbing on top of lockers 3 feet off the ground and sitting on top). They can't hold it in the West Rink which has plenty of bleacher seating because the rink is too small for pairs skating. I learned this from Troy Goldstein (the head of the SCNY) himself. ...

Agree that the Nicks rink is better for pairs, but worse for spectators.
(Minor note that you accidentally mixed up the names of the rinks. East Rink is the one that does have bleacher seating. Nicks is held in West Rink, where the locker-climbing happens.)

... I did find out that there are quite a few more competitions running National Qualifiers simultaneously with International competitions though, which is also interesting. ...

With 2025-26 as just the fifth season of USFS National Qualifying Series, I would call it only a handful of events that have combined internationals recognized by ISU with NQS competition. (Because of pandemic, 2020 and 2021 had USFS Championship Series and no NQS.) If I have the history correct ...

Lake Placid Ice Dance will be five for five years of its NQS+international combination: 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
First year of Nicks Pairs international was 2021, and it will be four for four in combination with NQS Mid-Atlantics: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
First year of Cranberry international was 2021, and it will be two for four in combination with NQS Cranberry Open: 2022 and 2025.
2023 Cranberry Open was not part of NQS; and Cranberry Open was not held at all in 2024. Both years did have Cranberry international.
In 2024, Nicks and Cranberry internationals were Challengers for the first time; 2025 will be the second time (and counting?? maybe?).

Philadelphia Summer International has been held in combination twice with NQS Philadelphia Summer Championships: 2019 and 2022.
Philadelphia International was not held in 2023 or 2024, and I'm not holding my breath for 2025 (just my opinion).
Philadelphia Summer Championships was not NQS in 2023; but it was in 2024 and will be in 2025.

2023 had the combination of Kings Cup international (plus Pacific Rim Advanced Novice international) and NQS event LA Autumn Classic. First-ever editions of all three competitions.
Kings Cup and Pacific Rim internationals were not held in 2024; no sign yet(??) that they will return for 2025.
In its second year, LA Autumn Classic was not NQS in 2024; it will be NQS again in 2025.

... Kind of like the US Junior Team Cup then? It doesn't include all disciplines or Novices, but seems to have the same purpose.

Off topic for this thread, but I would say both Yes and No. A difference is that as its name reflects, U.S. Junior Team Cup was created to play a role in USFS decision-making for JGP assignments -- so the stakes are higher than they were at U.S. Challenge Skate, which I think gave more emphasis to its developmental focus.

 

[Silevril Ilumire]

I miss Autumn Classic because watching it on Daily Motion for free was great. I’m an American, but I can’t be excited about Cranberry Cup when it does not have a livestream or replays. So I guess I’ll be buying a pass to the Challenger that falls on my birthday.

 

[Minz]

This is odd. Figure skating events are often sponsored. Last year there was the CS PGE Warsaw Cup. Throwing around unfounded accusations of bias seems a bit of an extreme reaction.

I mean, we literally had an MK John Wilson Trophy as a GP a few years ago. I don't think you can get a sponsorship closer to skating than that, and I'm pretty sure everything turned out fine.

 

[sk8coachus]

When are the assignments?

 

[Minz]

When are the assignments?

Probably closer to the events. They don’t usually release challenger assignments like they do Grand Prix’s, they just update the entry lists.

 

[surimi]

Whenever it is, I just hope the Challenger entries get published at least 4 weeks before the competition, so that fans have enough time to arrange their trip