Premier League for skaters?

[andromache]

Isn't the reward for consistency just consistently good results? Rewarding consistency aside from that seems a little redundant.

 

[andromache]

As the one who helped inspire this thread's creation, all I really want is for the Grand Prix to not be the Grand Preseason. I feel like the Grand Prix is a better competitive structure for figuring out who is the best and I dislike how the world championships end up nullifying that result. I don't like the huge gap in time between the Grand Prix Final and the World Championships and it's complete 50-50 voodoo whether skaters actually improve over that gap. I find the later part of the season rather boring as despite the prestige it's essentially a rerun(I don't think I'm the only one going from skating website web traffic stats).

Yeah there are instances where skaters who are consistent are given a little boost... but there are also instances where a skater does poorly and is overly rewarded when they finally pull it together(especially if they're a powerful feds #1)... and there are also instances where skaters with past accomplishments skip the Grand Prix which makes the Grand Prix less grand and it gives them a bit of an unfair "late movers advantage" where they can scout their competition and position themselves(though maybe it's better this way if the alternative is them completely quitting...).

I totally agree that the GPF needs more prestige attached to it. However, I disagree that skaters who skip the GP circuit have an unfair advantage late in the season. Their programs haven't been scored by judges yet, it's unclear how well they hold up in competition, lacking momentum, etc. There are pros and cons to skipping the first half of the season, and I think they balance out enough that it can be as much of a detriment as an advantage.

 

[sabinfire]

The GP series is my favorite part of the season, and I wish this format were expanded to more than just 6 events + 1 final. Having figure skating every weekend for 2 months straight in different parts of the world with a skater lineup variety at each one... yes please.

It would be interesting if the GP not only lasted longer, but gave skaters points for seeding in other major competitions (beyond just the GPF), ultimately determining who goes to Worlds.

One drawback would be that this idea would really hurt Nationals, as those events are typically used to help determine the top skaters. Well, I can dream, right?

 

[Mathman]

It would be interesting if the GP not only lasted longer, but gave skaters points for seeding in other major competitions (beyond just the GPF), ultimately determining who goes to Worlds.

That might have the opposite effect, though, if we want to make the Grand Prix series more of a big deal. It should be something worth winning in its own right rather than a stepping stone to something bigger. If we had the money, I would like to see greater independence of each event and a greater effort to make them of interest to a wider audience. In the U.S. years ago, a "national skating season" that kicked off with Skate America in October and ended it with U.S. Nationals in January was very popular with casual fans.

My idea would be to have, at each event, a stand alone "short program trophy dash" with a trophy and a big cash prize that skaters would want to win all by itself, and try to attract an audience just for this part of the competition in its own right. (It could even be judged by 6.0, if we wanted to get really crazy.)

Then the competition (LP only) for the title of "Cup of Russia champion," etc., would take place in which the skaters would earn points toward the Grand Prix Final.

For the final, we could even go back to the original idea of a big showdown among the champions of each separate event (with the roster eked put by some second-place finishers in the case where a skater won more than one event). The winner would not only win a pot of money but would win the title of King of the Hill. The Grand Prix of Figure Skating could actually stand alone, without the need for ISU involvement.

 

[karne]

Definition of consistency please. There were plenty of people crying in the Cesario thread that she was oh-so-consistent because she never fell, completely ignoring the URs.

I think the system is fine as it is. Ice is slippery. If you happen to have a bad day on the World Championship day, well...that's life, isn't it? But usually, the best rise to the top. And so they do.

Besides, all I can see with your bogus system is the big country skaters flooding Senior Bs that little country skaters usually rely on to acquire ranking points themselves. The system favours the big-country/top-name skaters enough as it is, don't make it worse for the little country skaters.