WFSC New Year Invitational

[skatingatty]

So, who is going, what are your events, and time(s)? I'll be in Gold FS at 2:05pm Saturday. Just ordered another skating dress on ebay since the other 2 did not fit right-- one was too big, and the other was too small. One was a gorgeous light blue beaded dress, and I'm bummed that it didn't fit!

There are at least 2 other skaters from NC going to compete. I look forward to seeing everyone there!

[sexyskates]

I'll be there! Silver Ladies Freestyle FS 4, Interp 4, Silver Spins, Pre-Bronze Solo Dance.
I've been madly sewing a new dress for my freestyle - it's basically wearable but it will only be partially embellished. I'm not sure how the floaty attachments will look on the ice - I'll check photos after this competition to see what needs to be adjusted.

[miraclegro]

Me too, me too!

I'll be on at 11ish and then 4ish, and i'm the 47 year old Adult Freestyle Division (IV?) I'll be skating to "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" for Interp. and i'll have on a blue Cinderella-type dress. My Silver number is to "A Walk in the CLouds" and i'll be wearing a velvet red halter type dress.

Please try to meet me; it will be exciting!!!!!

(i'll be the sandy colored short-haired blonde)

[sexyskates]

I'll be in your Interp group then. Sure, I'll try to meet you! I'll be in the sailor outfit.

[skatingatty]

Ok, I know who sexyskates is in real life, and it should be easy to find someone in a Cinderella outfit! Anyone else here going? Is participation down this year? I was surprised that there are 8 total competitors in Gold Ladies FS, but then again they combined all the age groups. Have a good week preparing for your events, and see you soon!

[Ellyn]

I'm doing silver MITF and silver spins. (I'm a bronze-level skater, but I'm not prepared to do my bronze program at this time. So I'm practicing for the silver MITF test, and challenging myself on the spins.)

[Debbie S]

Good luck, everyone! I'm skipping it this year, but I may be back next year (after I hopefully pass these blasted Silver Moves!). Skate great and have fun!

[uncfigsktr]

I will be there - Silver II. Let's just hope that I won't be one bundle of nerves - ack!!!!!!!!!!

[mikawendy]

I'll be doing Silver II spins on Saturday afternoon, and then Bronze II FS on Sunday (last event of the comp, IIRC).

I resewed the top of my FS dress (didn't love how it came out). I think after this comp, I'll redo the top again to make it crisscross straps (more secure). I've been holding off on stoning this dress b/c of getting the fit on the top right.

[coskater64]

I am not going for obvious reasons.:(

But, good luck to all!!:halo:

[mikawendy]

Just back today from New Year's Invitational. I had a blast, and as usual, it was very well run. And we lucked out with the weather (or whatever) and it was a good temperature inside the arena, not nearly as chilly as day 1 of last year's comp. The interps were great to watch.

This was the first time I've done the kind of spin event that NYI does (warm up and skate each spin individually instead of doing all 3 spins within 1:30. I was totally confused before the event, but the ice monitors and referee helped us all keep it straight.

Thanks to all from WFSC and other volunteers who helped out to make this a great competition.

There was a test session after that I stayed to watch--saw some nice tests. The adult FS test was great, and the other FS tests were super, too.

[TimDavidSkate]

Any results ? :halo:

[skatingatty]

I'm back from DC and also had a fun time at the competition on Saturday. Heather Hilgar won the Gold FS event with a perfect program. She did an axel and an axel-loop combination that were textbook perfect and some very low back shoot-the duck positions into jumps. I told her her technique looked better than the previous years. I don't think anyone in the event landed a clean double jump, and only 1 or 2 people out of 7 attempted a double. I came in 4th place, which I was happy with, b/c I flubbed up the axel landing coming out on 2 feet, dumbed down or omitted footwork, didn't get far off the ice on the flying sit attempt and didn't get as many revs. as usual, etc. At least I wasn't wiping the ice with my butt, harhar! Interp. and Masters Interp. were all wonderful. Sexyskates, aka Diana, did a well-choreographed sailor program complete with mini-flags (I forget the actual term for those things). In Masters, someone did a fun retro-80's program to "Footloose." The men were also totally into their programs. I enjoyed Tim F's NYC program and the other guy's James Bond program. All in all, it was a very well-run competition again, and the best part is always getting to see friends again and watching great skating! Thanks, WFSC!

[MusicSkateFan]

Please keep the comments coming both positive and negative. There is a group of WFSC adults who plan on having discussions with the event organizers and our club board about the general opinion of our clubs adult competition.

For example: Some would like to add a Team event and work to make sure the moves, compulsory and spin events are sensible as well as challenging. In general , try to get more competitors!!!

Wasn't the "Don't go it alone" exibition a riot? Those three ladies did a SUPER job with that program....very cute!

[Terri C]

Please keep the comments coming both positive and negative. There is a group of WFSC adults who plan on having discussions with the event organizers and our club board about the general opinion of our clubs adult competition.

For example: Some would like to add a Team event and work to make sure the moves, compulsory and spin events are sensible as well as challenging. In general , try to get more competitors!!!

MSF,
I can't speak for everyone on this board, but yes, the compulsory events need to make more sense.
While it was said on another thread that moving the time up was to give skaters more time b/w NYI and Sectionals, I also think that it threw several of us off this year. If it can be suggested that it be held the same weekend every year, that may help too.

ETA: I'm going to Easterns this year- anyone else? I'll see you there!

[mikawendy]

For example: Some would like to add a Team event and work to make sure the moves, compulsory and spin events are sensible as well as challenging. In general , try to get more competitors!!!

Wasn't the "Don't go it alone" exibition a riot? Those three ladies did a SUPER job with that program....very cute!

The don't go it alone program was hilarious, and all of them were fully in character. I love the part at the beginning when one of the ladies pretends she's straining to hear if the music has started. The pairs exhibition was also amazing. I was sitting next to someone who skates pairs and our eyes were popping out of our heads 8O 8O 8O at the sureness and difficulty of those lifts. The synchro exhibitions were also great--the girls who did the Thriller number really got into it!

A team event would be GREAT! That is one of the things about Halloween Classic (for comparison) that I really love--the sense of camaraderie in that team event is great. Also improv would be fun, though I don't know that there'd be as many takers as for a team event.

Also, this is a really small thing, but if a copy of the competition schedule could be posted inside each dressing room, that would be great. I know we all got schedules with our welcome packs, but sometimes those get misplaced or tucked away in a skate bag and it's handy to know what's next on the sched without running out to where the starting orders are posted.

ITA that the compulsory, MIF, spin events etc. need to make sense. (I think that could why there were no takers for the Bronze spin event. At least 2-3 of us who could have done that event skated up to the Silver spins instead. I know the option of doing an open spin appealed to me, plus the spins in the Silver event were already things I've been working on.)

One thing that seems odd (and maybe all comps do it this way, I dunno) is that the MIF event level is based on one's FS test; however, some skaters, especially at the Silver and Gold FS levels are 1 or 2 tests "ahead" on their MIF, meaning that their MIF event might not offer the challenge they want or they might not feel like it was a level playing field. Just speaking here based on speculation, not actual experience.

[flutzilla1]

I would definitely have attended this year's NYI had the spin and compulsory events been closer to the actual test standard, or maybe a little higher instead of a LOT higher. I can't do a passable camel (one reason I am still in Bronze), so doing one in a Bronze spin event or compulsory program would have been out of the question for me. I could have done the FS event, but it seemed like an awful long way to travel from the NYC area for just one event, so I decided not to go.

I agree with mika that a team event would be GREAT! It was definitely the highlight of the Halloween Classic for me. :D

[Ellyn]

ITA that the compulsory, MIF, spin events etc. need to make sense. (I think that could why there were no takers for the Bronze spin event. At least 2-3 of us who could have done that event skated up to the Silver spins instead.

Yes, I was one of those.

I know the option of doing an open spin appealed to me, plus the spins in the Silver event were already things I've been working on.)

Yeah, and the bronze spin requirements haven't changed much from year to year since I've been doing this competition, so I didn't feel the need to do pretty much the same spins again -- I wanted to try a more complicated combination spin.

One thing that seems odd (and maybe all comps do it this way, I dunno) is that the MIF event level is based on one's FS test; however, some skaters, especially at the Silver and Gold FS levels are 1 or 2 tests "ahead" on their MIF, meaning that their MIF event might not offer the challenge they want or they might not feel like it was a level playing field. Just speaking here based on speculation, not actual experience.

Again, that's why I skated up in MITF, to practice putting moves in front of judges that I'm not quite ready to test yet. Against skaters who had already passed silver moves, and possibly silver freestyle, I didn't expect to place well (and I didn't). But it would be kind of silly for someone who has passed gold moves to compete in silver moves.

[herniated]

Terri C - I'm going to Easterns! Silver free and Silver interp.:D

[MusicSkateFan]

Thanks for all the info!
Keep it coming!
I really want to push for a team event.

[mikawendy]

Another idea--what about teaming up with another adult competition (e.g., Peach Classic) to offer small reciprocal discounts on entry fees? Maybe $5 or $10 off the price of the entry fee (or the second event) of both competitions if the skater signs up for both?

I'm just thinking outside the box here--maybe this would be a nightmare to administer, and maybe also not financially feasible.

[skaternum]

If adult comps are gonna sync up, I'd rather see them focus on standardizing elements of "throw away" events like spins, compulsory moves, team events, etc. I don't think a discount for doing 2 comps is gonna draw any more skaters. The entry fees are usually the smallest part of what I shell out when I go to a competition.

[2salch0w]

Does anyone know if results are going to be posted anywhere? I just checked the WFSC site and didn't see anything.

Also, who was the pair team that did an exhibition?

Tim

[miraclegro]

I got bronze in Adult FS IV Silver level and bronze in Interp.

I really felt like a deer in the headlights because i'd never been to an adult competition. I was pleased with my Interp. program because it was literally put together in a matter of about 2-3 weeks. I was more worried about remembering it!

My silver freestyle, i just 1 rev. my camel, (nerves), and missedmy last lutz because i fell on a stupid mohawk - right in front of the judges.

I wish we had another one soon, i was just getting into the idea of this and now it's over!

It was great to meet sexyskates, and i probably met some of theothers there from the forum, but didn't realize who you were!

[sexyskates]

The competition was great fun as always! It was so nice to meet you, Miraclegro, and you skated beautifully. I'm impressed that you were able to put together a successful interp in such a short period of time. Will you be competing in NJ in March?
And I liked having the competiton earlier in January. February is a short month and there is always too much going on with the President's week holiday and all. This year I still have time to go on a winter vacation with my hubby, and attend a conference for work, and go to Easterns! I think the Washington Figure Skating Club announces the date of their NYI well enough in advance for skater's to make their plans.

And I would love it if a team event were added!

[mikawendy]

who was the pair team that did an exhibition?
Tim

According to the program, it was Jane Bonner (member of WFSC) and Andrey Kryukov (a coach and former Olympian).



ETA: the WFSC home page now says that results will be posted soon.

[NoVa Sk8r]

Results (http://www.wfsc.net/) are posted.

(Direct link. (http://www.jimwilson.com/wfsc/NYI_2008_Results.pdf))

[miraclegro]

Sexyskates,

Let me know other competitions, because i have been told that sometimes they drop certain categories if not enough from one signs up. So, i'd like to do more, just don't know which ones...

[sexyskates]

Well the next all adult comp is the open competition held in conjunction with Eastern Sectionals in northern NJ. The deadline for entry is Friday, so you have to sign up soon. Do you have the info?

[miraclegro]

No, i don't have the info. But, if i'm not going to AN, do i still need to worry about going? And what is the date of this event?

[sexyskates]

Hey Miraclegro!
It's just a regular adult USFSA competition for us at silver level. It's at the same venue as Sectionals but has no bearing on Nationals. The competition is the weekend of March 8-9. Just download the non-qualifying event info from this site

http://www.northjerseyfsc.org/announcements.htm

It's going to be like the New Year's Invitational, but just a bit bigger. I think you'll have a good time again, but you need to get your application to the post office on Friday!