Poll: Another International Adult Competition?

[sceptique]

A few friends of mine are discussing the possibility of organising an Adult competition in Moscow and are wondering if it could be of any interest to international adult skaters. Hence, a few questions:

1. Would you go if there is one? Yes, No, Maybe. Why?

2. What would be the best month to have it?

3. What sort of budget you would like to fit it into (flights, hotels, extras)?

4. What extras might you be interested in (tour, dinner, clubbing etc.)?

5. Would you be interested in an optional master class with a top Russian coach/skater as a part of the "package"?

6. Your level and discipline (free, ice dance, pairs)

7. Your main concerns that you like to have answered: costs, personal safety, visas etc.

8. Any other comments

[MusicSkateFan]

Moscow? Probably not.
My Choices for cities and times would be:

Budapest
Prague
Vienna
Bratislava

In Early July, I am a teacher and have summer break!

Just wishfull thinking!

Do these cities have summer ice?

I would do the one in Germany if it was the first week of July instead of June!
8-)

[TimDavidSkate]

Why not have one here in US? I bet there will be a flock of adult skaters.
At least 10 to 15 skaters per class group for the men.

[doubletoe]

I agree. One in the U.S. or Canada would be great, especially since most of the adult skating population seems to be centered here. . .

[jazzpants]

1. Depends on how expensive

2. As for time of year... depends on where you want to have it! :mrgreen:

3. Prefer to keep expense to just airfare and hotel. I really don't want to have to rent a car. Prefer to keep things to public transportation if possibile.

4. Dinner, maybe a low cost on-ice training or something?

5. Which Russian are we talking about??? And why Russian? We got some good coaches here!!! :twisted: :P

6. Pre-Bronze FS

7. Costs, personal safety, visas... all of the above!!! :mrgreen:

[coskater64]

1. Would you go if there is one? Yes, No, Maybe. Why?
No, lived in Southern Russia and I've been to Moscow lately and I would not go to a competition there.
Vienna, Salzburg, g-8 countries yes, Russia, no.

2. What would be the best month to have it? Around O'dorf

3. What sort of budget you would like to fit it into (flights, hotels, extras)? If you can make it work w/in 5-7 days of o'dorf it makes it more economically feasible.

4. What extras might you be interested in (tour, dinner, clubbing etc.)? Only at American/Internation 4-5 star hotels, the usual red square, hermitage, summer place.

5. Would you be interested in an optional master class with a top Russian coach/skater as a part of the "package"? Not really.

6. Your level and discipline (free, ice dance, pairs)
Masters level freeskate, ice dance

7. Your main concerns that you like to have answered: costs, personal safety, visas etc.
Safety, Moscow is not that safe and certain areas are dangerous I would not like to go there given the current political situation.

8. Any other comments I would like to see a competition in Italy or Spain in the summer, tan and relax and skate.

[manleywoman]

1. Would you go if there is one? Yes, No, Maybe. Why?
If I had the money, absolutely. I just went to Moscow/St Petersburg in 2003 and loved every minute, but it is neither cheap nor easy to get there due to Visa requirements and a bit of runaround we encountered in trying to go the first time. It's not the easiest place to visit, even though it is spectacular. Also, few Americans speak Russian, and we discovered that Russia's not well set up for tourists, having no information (street signs menus, museum signs,etc) available with multiple lagnuages. And the alphabet being completely different meant we couldn't decipher anything. (We were lucky to be traveling with some Americans who lived in Russia)

2. What would be the best month to have it?
Not winter! May through August.

3. What sort of budget you would like to fit it into (flights, hotels, extras)? I'm with Jazzpants: "refer to keep expense to just airfare and hotel. I really don't want to have to rent a car. Prefer to keep things to public transportation if possibile." I for one can NOT afford 4 star accomodations.

4. What extras might you be interested in (tour, dinner, clubbing etc.)? All sound good as options.

5. Would you be interested in an optional master class with a top Russian coach/skater as a part of the "package"? Sure, though I wouldn't guarantee I'd buy it. But I think many would.

6. Your level and discipline (free, ice dance, pairs) Masters Ladies

[rlichtefeld]

Why not have one here in US? I bet there will be a flock of adult skaters.
At least 10 to 15 skaters per class group for the men.

By "International" they mean "non-US with US friendly rules".
The first was the Mountain Cup (http://www.gerfsc.com/mountcup.htm) in Villard de Lans, France. Now there is the Vana Tallinn Trophy (http://www.gerfsc.com/tallinn.htm) in Estonia, the Dune of Flanders (http://www.usfsa.org/content/events/200506/flanderscup/DuneofFlandersCup2005.pdf) in Dunquerque, France, the Fabulous Cup (http://www.fabulous-cup.de) in Germany, etc.

Now we have the Adult ISU (http://www.gerfsc.com/intl.htm) event in Oberstdorf. While it doesn't follow the US rules, it works for us.

The US is the only place where there are separate Adult rules. In Europe, adult skaters have to pass the same tests as the kids. Also, in most places the rinks shut down in the summer, as soon as hockey season is over. Other difficulties that European skaters have is usually they are not allowed on Freestyle ice. They have to do all their skating on public sessions.

We have had non-US skaters at the Peach Classic the last 4 years. (British, Canadian and Estonian). And, Skate San Francisco has several Canadians attend each year.

Rob L.
(Attended 2002 & 2004 Mountain Cup, 2004 Vana Tallinn Trophy and will probably do at least 2 Internationals this coming year.)

[2loop2loop]

1. Would you go if there is one? Yes, No, Maybe. Why?

I went to Moscow last year and found it a fascinating city and one that I would love to go back to. My concerns about having a competition there are that it is perhaps not the most tourist friendly country. I found the visa issues complicated and expensive. Hotels in Moscow are few and far between and are expensive and the restaurants are very costly too (even by London standards). So while I would be very interested in principle, I would be concerned about cost and I think many overseas skaters would be put off by having to get a visa.

2. What would be the best month to have it?

From May onwards...

3. What sort of budget you would like to fit it into (flights, hotels, extras)?

I can do most of the European competitions for a few hundred pounds, I can't imagine being able to get away with less than 700-800 in Moscow once flights (no budget airlines!) hotels, visas, etc are all taken into account.

4. What extras might you be interested in (tour, dinner, clubbing etc.)?

A competitors party is a must. For me a trip to the Bolshoi ballet was a highlight of my trip and something I think a lot of skaters could appreciate.

5. Would you be interested in an optional master class with a top Russian coach/skater as a part of the "package"?

Sounds good to me.

6. Your level and discipline (free, ice dance, pairs)

Masters mens freeskate

7. Your main concerns that you like to have answered: costs, personal safety, visas etc.

Cost and visas principally. I travelled to Moscow alone before and even when out late at night I never felt unsafe, if anything the people went out of their way to be helpful.

John

[blisspix]

1. Would you go if there is one? Yes, No, Maybe. Why?
Maybe in a few year's time (if I ever get around to having lessons again and training properly) but not in Moscow. Too expensive to get there from Australia. And too far to not combine with a bigger holiday, which would make lugging skate equipment around a pain.

I would suggest Western Europe or Canada. Western Europe is affordable for many and close to UK where there are many adult skaters, Canada reachable as well.

2. What would be the best month to have it?
Tricky... not dead of Winter and not height of Summer. Around School holiday breaks. Even if people don't have children, there are many workplaces that give leave on that schedule (eg I work at a university and can usually only take leave during school breaks)

3. What sort of budget you would like to fit it into (flights, hotels, extras)?

I travel overseas 2-3 times per year. I am a budget traveller. If I couldn't get to the venue by train or bus easily, I wouldn't bother. I don't drive.

4. What extras might you be interested in (tour, dinner, clubbing etc.)?

Dinner, to get to know other skaters. Other than that, I'd rather organise things myself (some of my trips are for conferences, it's a good mix to provide some extras but also give time to organise your own activities).

5. Would you be interested in an optional master class with a top Russian coach/skater as a part of the "package"?

As an extra cost, not as part of the overall package. But that sort of thing would be great. (I'd love to go to a skate camp one day).

6. Your level and discipline (free, ice dance, pairs)

Not sure, as it's been a long time since I've tested. Free elementary in Australia, not sure of o/s equivalent.

7. Your main concerns that you like to have answered: costs, personal safety, visas etc.

None. That's what I read flyertalk and Lonely Planet Thorn Tree for ;)

[Mrs Redboots]

Although I wasn't there, I hear this was first mooted at Vana Tallinn, where some Russian skaters took part and had a wonderful time, and were inspired!

1. Would you go if there is one? Yes, No, Maybe. Why?

Maybe, depending on the cost, and if there was a package so I didn't have to do it all myself! Also depending on what classes were offered (Elementary compulsory and free dances!). However, I would not go back if it was poorly organised, ran late, didn't do what it said on the tin.....

2. What would be the best month to have it?
Either early in the season (February/March - too cold?) or in the summer break (July/August).

3. What sort of budget you would like to fit it into (flights, hotels, extras)? As cheap as possible!

4. What extras might you be interested in (tour, dinner, clubbing etc.)?
Tour, deffo. Not clubbing. Perhaps a dinner, but only if it was good value for money - I don't want to pay the cost of a good restaurant meal for a few fried snacks I can't eat anyway.

5. Would you be interested in an optional master class with a top Russian coach/skater as a part of the "package"?
If in dance, yes.

6. Your level and discipline (free, ice dance, pairs)
Elementary dance (Level 4 and under - I think it works out as pre-Bronze, which is the level we skate at the Mountain Cup).

7. Your main concerns that you like to have answered: costs, personal safety, visas etc.
Cost, basically. With so many European competitions now, we can't do them all, and we really would like to skate at either Skate SF or Peach Classic one of these years. Or both, but not in the same year!

8. Any other comments
As I heard tell, the skaters who were hoping to organise this were hoping to attract a large domestic and eastern European entry - there are adult skaters there, but not the culture of adult skating that began in the USA and is rapidly spreading throughout the world. Certainly, when I think how it's developed since I came into the sport, we've come a very long way - but there's equally a very long way to go in some countries. So I think that this event would need our support at first, but would hopefully "fly" on its own after a year or so.

[Mel On Ice]

Isn't DBNAI an international since it's Canada and US?