 |
|
|
 |
March, 2001 A Slice of Ice
The Richmond Figure Skating Club congratulates the new owners of the Southside and West End skating facilities. Their efforts to maintain the Richmond skating community are greatly appreciated.
Letter from the President I want to thank everyone who worked so hard in our efforts to save our skating facilities. Dennis Easley became our hero with his wonderful speech he made to the Henrico County Board of Supervisors on January 29. Thanks to every one of you who showed up at that first meeting. Mary Ruth Halapatz made our cause visible with her SOS (Save Our Skating) logo badges. What a clever idea! Every time I saw news coverage of our concerns, there was that logo. It really tied our cause together. Also, thanks to Mary Beth Rogers for organizing our petition drive in the West End. And special thanks to all the skaters and family members who turned out to help. We collected over 3000 signatures in just 5 hours at WalMart and Ukrops. We made new friends along the way. I heard from so many concerned people who weren’t even connected to our club. One new friend, Brian McCarthy, organized a petition drive at a Richmond Renegades’ game. Now that we can all concentrate on skating again, let’s try to remain calm and organized throughout the transition period in the months ahead. Yes, there will be small changes to which we’ll have to adapt, but the RFSC will remain a club for all Richmond figure skaters, no matter where they skate. Pat Ward
Richmond Figure Skating Club
ISI Judging Revealed The Ice Skating Institute (ISI) has competitions for skaters of all ages and abilities. Individuals are grouped into events by age, gender and skill levels. As individuals place and win medals or ribbons in their events, they help to accumulate points for their teams. Skaters pass skill tests to determine their competition levels. Skaters who have passed all the elements of ISI Freestyle 3 compete in ISI Freestyle 3 events. ISI coaches study, learn and teach ISI skills to their skaters. It makes sense then, that the coaches who know the skills should judge their performance. In fact, ISI coaches are ISI Associate members expected to serve as judges. Teams participating in ISI competitions are obligated to send judges. Because good competitions depend on quality judging, the ISI has developed its judges’ certification program. This program refines judging skills. For this reason, coaches are encouraged to obtain certifications to judge different events. While local competitions may vary, judges at ISI National, District and World events must be certified. Coaches obtain ISI judging certifications by passing written tests. They attend training seminars to remain current with rule changes and techniques. Coaches may elect to trial judge events before they sit on their panels. ISI offers three judging levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The certificate held determines the panels on which a judge will sit. Bronze judges score Tots through Delta events, including Spotlight and Stroking. Silver judges may judge all Bronze, Freestyle 1-5, Footwork, and Interpretive events, while Gold judges may judge Bronze and Silver events, Freestyle 6-10, Figures, Pairs, Couples, Dance and team events. Judging for some events may include persons not directly involved with skating, including dancers, musicians or other persons in related fields. At least one judge must be an ISI Associate member. A coach will not judge an event if a family member is entered. Competition directors avoid having a coach judge his/her own skaters, but this does happen. Coaches must maintain impartiality when they serve as judges and are expected to adhere to the ethics stated in the ISI Judges’ Manual. To assure objectivity, each judge scores performance of only certain skills. In a Freestyle 1 event, for example, Judge One may judge the forward inside pivot, two-foot spin, and half flip; Judge Two, the back inside and outside edges and posture; Judge Three, the arabesque, waltz jump and extra content. Each judge also gives marks for the overall performance. ISI judging ethics prescribe that judges mark skaters according to their performance at that event, and not by their reputations. Scoring this way minimizes biases. A referee manages the panel and doesn’t score the skaters. The referee makes sure the judges understand the event, how it will be judged, and reviews the scoresheet. Discrepancies are resolved before the next event. The judges don’t even add up their scores. Accounting volunteers compile the final figures. The accountants usually post the results quite some time after the event has been skated. Judges who sat on that panel may be back at their coaching duties or just taking a break. They shouldn’t be approached with questions about event results. In order to maintain their objectivity, they’ve been instructed not to discuss the event. Questions should be posed to the skater’s coach, who may take them to the team coach. The team coach may take the matter to the competition director. ISI competition directors survey teams for the names of qualified coach/judges when they distribute competition applications. Generally, teams in ISI District IV supply one judge for every ten competing skaters. Points may be deducted from teams not supplying an appropriate number of judges, and teams that do not supply judges at all may not be allowed to participate in competitions. So, the next time you compete at an ISI competition, watch your coaches. While you skate your event and then rest, your coach isn’t done until he/she has judged his/her last event What is ISI? Organized to support the interests of recreational skaters, the Ice Skating Institute (ISI) provides a challenging system of testing and competition designed to include skaters of all ages from beginning levels on up. The ISI program incorporates many aspects of ice skating, including hockey and speed skating, as well as freestyle skating and dance. Each ISI skill level contains specific elements: jumps, spins and/or moves. Skaters demonstrate mastery of each element before moving on to the next skill level. The elements included in each skill level build on those learned in previous levels, and combine to develop solid, well-rounded skaters.
In Synch The program is a result of the West End rink’s first synchronized class, which was open to skaters of all ages, Delta level and higher. In the first few classes, we learned the basics: shoulder hold, handhold, wrist hold; skating in a line, a block, and then a circle. We worked our way up to more complicated formations, including the “egg beater” (two rotating wheels that ‘mesh’ like gears), a conga circle and a pass-through. Even the advanced skaters (FS3 and FS4) are challenged; skating in unison and working against centrifugal force isn’t easy. But despite the challenges, there is plenty of laughter, and smiles all around. Called “Precision” until 1999, when the ISU changed the name to “Synchronized”, skating as a team is one of the five disciplines of figure skating, along with freestyle, dance, figures and moves-in-the-field. And, in 2002, it will be part of the winter Olympics for the first time. Instructor Stephanie Faust is no newcomer to synchronized skating: she skated on precision teams at the Intermediate and Junior level in northern Virginia and she clearly enjoys sharing her passion for the sport. “Synchronized skating - like figures - teaches control. And, like ice dance, it requires timing and rhythm. But it also involves camaraderie and being part of a team, which every skater seems to enjoy.” This spring, tryouts for the first RFSC synchro team are planned. “Ideally, we hope to have two teams, one for adults, another for youth and teen skaters,” says Stephanie. Tryouts will involve skating certain skills that demand accuracy and rhythm and the teams will go on to learn a program for USFSA competition this summer.
A Glance Back to the 19th Century Skating was particularly popular in the United States during the 1800s. Although skating was at first considered a sport for boys, and therefore, inappropriate for ladies, by mid-century, it became acceptable for both sexes. It’s no wonder that the skating was not thought proper for ladies at the start of the 19th century. Ice was available only outdoors in the winter. Not only did the temperatures dictate layers of warm clothing, but the fashions of the day prescribed long skirts over many layers of petticoats. Over their long dresses or skirts, ladies wore long coats, fancy hats, thick gloves, woolen scarves and fur muffs. These outfits were heavy and cumbersome. They billowed like the sails of the tall ships, making balance particularly difficult. Ladies of the time were preoccupied with maintaining their modesty. With all the rather indelicate falling that is a part of ice skating, it’s no wonder that women, if they were able to skate at all, skated separately from men. By the 1860s, however, it became acceptable for men and women to skate on the same ponds together. During the 1850s and 1860s, year-round sporting facilities, like Union Pond, in Brooklyn, were built to accommodate the growing number of winter skaters. The seasonality of the sport, however, left the land unused for much of the year. To offset his financial losses, William Cammeyer, owner of Union Pond, used his land in the spring and summer to field baseball games. Known as the “father of the enclosed ballpark,” he was the first to charge admission to a baseball game. The venture was so successful, that one of New York’s first skating clubs developed ties to several baseball clubs. Enclosed, covered rinks and improved equipment blended with the rise of national interest in costume balls to produce carnivals on ice. First held outdoors on ponds, ice carnivals moved indoors to large rinks with bandstands for live music. Originality of costumes was particularly important to carnival participants. Skaters glided across the ice to music of the day in fanciful, richly decorated attire. Carnivals kept skaters of all ages interested in the sport. The carnivals opened a wonderful new world to skaters. They were, in fact, the beginning of professional ice shows*. The Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice, the Ice Capades and other well-loved favorites had their starts in the 19th century carnivals. The Philadelphia Skating Club was the first official skating organization in the United States. Formed in 1850, its members skated for pleasure and also to rescue those who fell through ice on the Schuykill River. The club’s heroic efforts soon led it to change its name to the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society. During the same period, skating grew popular in Boston. It wasn’t until the skating pond in New York’s Central Park opened in 1858, however, that skating became a craze. New Yorkers loved their new pastime, with 100,000 skaters crowding Central Park on Christmas Day, 1860. Troy, New York hosted the first US skating competition in 1863. Within the decade, rinks were built in Cleveland, St. Louis, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis Cincinnati, and Chicago. Skaters recognized the need for a national association. Did you know?… One of the first ice shows in the United States was performed in 1915 at the Hippodrome in New York City, and featured an ice ballet imported from Berlin, Germany called, “Flirting in St. Moritz.” Holiday on Ice is the longest continuously running American ice show. Every year, the show employs 250 skaters who give 1700 performances before 5.5 million spectators in 120 cities and 25 countries. Since its inception in 1943, Holiday on Ice has appeared in 80 countries to an audience of 295 million people worldwide.
Cruisin’ the Net with Java Jen This site has everything from the very basic to the very in-depth information on figure skating. From basic boot and blade care, (some great tips on keeping a blade sharpening log), to the Rules and Regulations of USFSA and ISI. While your coach, USFSA, and ISI are the most reliable sources of information on Rules and Regulations, this will give a general synopsis of the requirements. What’s more is the Rules and Regulations section gives you a reference to where to find rules in the rulebook. So, if you dread flipping through the USFSA rulebook or trying to figure out where a topic is classified, this is a great starting point. A lot of the information still references the 1999 yearbook but there’s a section that indicates the changes made in 2000. Another cool section on this website is in “Clubs & Associations” which gives a list of clubs in any state. Click on the Nationwide Superlist of Clubs/Rinks/Teams, click the state you want and the Club or Rink tabs and PRESTO! You’ll get address information and even a map! So, if your super-wealthy great aunt gives you an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii, you’ll know exactly what direction to point your skates! Back to reality…there’s also a section called “Adult Focus” that links you to information on the up and coming adult skating sector. It includes everything from upcoming events to information on the Adult competition structure. There aren’t a many tips here but, hey! That’s why we have coaches. There’s a lot more to this site but I strongly recommend the “Advice” and “Games” sections. Check out the warmup advice which gives a warmup regimen for before and after skating. If you’re like me, you know you’re in sad shape when you’re tired after the warmup! In the “Games” section, try the skating-only word puzzles and word searches. They’re quite fun and get you thinking. I give this site just two cups o’ java. It’s a good reference site but, it doesn’t seem to get updated frequently and quite a few of the links wouldn’t work. Since skating freaks like us operate most of these amateur sites, I can’t fault them. Just like us, they’re trying to figure out where all the time went after leaving the rink.
Holiday Social Several members also had skating gifts for sale for those last minute shoppers. The event culminated with a visit from “Santa.” Denis Petrov donned the Santa suit and good-naturedly handed out sweet treats to all. What other club can claim an Olympic Silver Medallist and Santa all in one! Thanks to everyone who helped with the set-up, clean-up and donating food.
Website Update We plan a new, exciting site design, including test results, upcoming competitions, the latest newsletter and other information vital to the CyberSkater. Our website is still in its infancy, so please be patient. If you have suggestions or any tidbits you’d like to see included, please e-mail them to Angi Edwards at: angela@angelaedwards.net |
|
[../../../_includes/breakouts.htm]
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|