ISU Announces 2024-25 Challenger Series 2024/25

[Jumping_Bean]

ISU Communication

Challenger Series Figure Skating 2024/25
The Council confirmed the following Challenger Series Figure Skating calendar for the season 2024/25:

• Cranberry Cup International - Norwood, MA, USA - August 8-11, 2024 +
• John Nicks Pairs Challenge Int’l - New York, USA - September 3-4, 2024 #
• Lombardia Trophy - Bergamo, ITA - September 13-15, 2024 *
• Nebelhorn Trophy - Oberstdorf, GER - September 19-21, 2024 *
• Denis Ten Memorial - Astana, KAZ - October 3-6, 2024
• Budapest Trophy - Budapest, HUN - October 11-13, 2024
• Trophy Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur - Nice, FRA - October 16-20, 2024
• Nepela Memorial - Bratislava, SVK - October 24-26
• Tallinn Trophy - Tallin, EST - November 12-17, 2024
• PGE Warsaw Cup - Warsaw, POL - November 20-24, 2024 *
• Golden Spin - Zagreb, CRO - December 4-7, 2024 *

+ Only Women's and Men's Singles
# Only Pairs
* All disciplines

Cranberry Cup, John Nicks Paris Challenge, Trophy Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur and Tallinn Trophy are new to the Challenger Series.

 

[milkgirl]

What about Finlandia Trophy?

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I was going to say "Hang on, there's 11 events listed. Every year previously there has been 10".

But, they are probably treating the first two events as if they were one, for the purposes of counting events per category.

Still would have liked to have seen both Canada and America represented in the Series. And the Golden Spin not.

Cranberry Cup, John Nicks Paris Challenge, Trophy Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur and Tallinn Trophy are new to the Challenger Series.

The Tallinn Trophy isn't new. It was a regular on the Challenger Series from the 2015-16 Season until the 2018-19 Season (inclusive).

What about Finlandia Trophy?

It's a Senior GP next season.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Jumping_Bean]

What about Finlandia Trophy?

The Finnish federation realistically only has the funds to organise one major international competition per season, so when they applied to host a GP, they also made it clear that they would either host the GP or the Challenger, but not both.

 

[Andrea82]

Ice Dance have one less event as one North American competition covers Singles and the other one Pairs. Which is a bit strange given half of Ice Dance world trains in North America.

 

[Jumping_Bean]

Ice Dance have one less event as one North American competition covers Singles and the other one Pairs. Which is a bit strange given half of Ice Dance world trains in North America.

Honestly, I don't really understand why USFSA isn't doing US Classic again. Wouldn't that be easier than two separate Challengers?

 

[Ivana]

I'm surprised with Nepela held in late October, I'm pretty sure the proposal was to organize it 27-28 September.

 

[Olly96]

So excited about the event in Tallinn!
I hope some of my favourite skaters will attend, so I can be there throwing plushies

 

[lilimum]

The Finnish federation realistically only has the funds to organise one major international competition per season, so when they applied to host a GP, they also made it clear that they would either host the GP or the Challenger, but not both.

And France has now four major events. JGP, GP, GP Final and Challenger in Nice. I didn*t know that fiugre skating is so big there

 

[icewhite]

And France has now four major events. JGP, GP, GP Final and Challenger in Nice. I didn*t know that fiugre skating is so big there

But Nice/Cote d'Azur will likely be hosting the winter games '30, won't they?
(Also, although I think it's not big on the grassroot level the results in fs are pretty good and I think there is a lot of development going on.)

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

So excited about the event in Tallinn!
I hope some of my favourite skaters will attend, so I can be there throwing plushies

When Tallinn hosted Junior Worlds in 2022, a then Chicks level skater (she's now in Basic Novice) that I have since taken under my wing on here (sorry for the pun!) was shown in the audience holding up a sign for Arlet Levandi. To be fair, she is coached by his Mum. And she was representing Estonia at that stage (she has since switched back to representing Cyprus). But, it was lovely to see.

I've said it many times, but I love watching events from Estonia. The Estonians are so supportive of the skaters. And not just the fans - the skaters too. I always love seeing the younger skaters sitting with each other when getting results. Or, as is usually the case, climbing over each other when getting results!

So, I hope you get to continue that tradition of support.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Olly96]

I've said it many times, but I love watching events from Estonia. The Estonians are so supportive of the skaters. And not just the fans - the skaters too. I always love seeing the younger skaters sitting with each other when getting results. Or, as is usually the case, climbing over each other when getting results!

So, I hope you get to continue that tradition of support.

Thank you so much!

I was in the audience for the 2022 Euros, 4CC and Junior Worlds and loved it very much! I was waiting for another bigger competition to be held in Estonia, so now I'm happy

 

[charmblade]

Yesss Cranberry Cup is 10min from my house and is a Challenger this year?? I will be attending for sure.

 

[Lyyli]

Next season Finland will host not only a GP but also Synchronized skating Worlds in Helsinki in April. In general Finnish fed is investing a lot also in this discipline and it shows in the results. Also, last season 2022-23 we had Finlandia Trophy, a GP and the Europeans, quite a lot of responsibility there. It has also been a long time goal for Finnish fed to get a GP status for Finlandia Trophy. Will it stay like this, who knows when and what will happen with Russia.

 

[saine]

Honestly, I don't really understand why USFSA isn't doing US Classic again. Wouldn't that be easier than two separate Challengers?

It's odd for me with the timing of Cranberry Cup being at the beginning of August. US Classic with all disciplines in early September would make more sense than changing two of their three summer internationals into Challengers. They'd likely have more singles skaters ready for a Challenger if it was in early September with pairs and ice dance.

Also I guess that means Canadian skaters can't use Cranberry or John Nicks as summer competitions now. That's a shame since skaters who wouldn't qualify for a Challenger could compete there and have a chance for minimums.

 

[surimi]

Okay, this is mostly disappointing to me... I'm not at all happy about the move of Nepela. Overlapping with the start of GP series, really?? When the end of September, when all skaters are busy grabbing last-minute points, is literally devoid of a Challenger? Either that's a typo, or a pretty dumb idea on Slovak Fed's side - it's practically guaranteed there'll be no big stars, unless their first GP is #3 or later. And no big stars will mean scarce audience, I warrant.
Of course, the worst accessible location aka Nebelhorn remains... as does the overpriced Lombardia that I hear doesn't even bother to enable sending purchased tickets to fans' email addresses... The new addition, Nice, actually has occasional direct flights from my city, wonder of wonders, but again, overlaps with GP opening, so who knows how many big names will be there. Hurling so many events into France may also backfire in terms of attendance. Finland just removed their Challenger this year to boost the audience in their GP, and the French Fed believe they call pull off 4 events? Okay...
Strange to see the N/A Challengers so weirdly split by category, and completely missing ID. IMO US deserves one, and so does Canada. Each year, like it used to be.
Nice to see Estonia there, but it used to be there anyway, no? And Nice looks promising, though not its timing. ISU, hold Challengers and B events in cities that actually have an intl airport please, not tiny towns in the mountains, or Tilburgs with two train transfers.
Overall... meh. Looks like for the second year in a row, I'd be eager to cheer for Sota in something affordable and normally accessible, but with JSF assigning less and less and the locations (and dates) being what they are, my chances look pretty bleak already, and that's when the old season hasn't finished yet.

 

[4everchan]

Pissed off...but whatever...

 

[TeamGubanova]

why couldn't they have made the Asian Open one there's nothing for any south east asian skater to go to easily

 

[surimi]

Just wondering, has there ever been a season when dancers all have to travel to Europe or central Asia if they want to participate in a Challenger? With many based in North America, N/A being the only CS continent without ID is just bizarre. Perhaps someone can shed light on ISU's reasoning here.

 

[4everchan]

Perhaps someone can shed light on ISU's reasoning here.

Good luck