Changes to Skill Tests - Canada

[sk8tmum]

What EXACTLY does this mean?

Please note the following regulation change regarding Skating Skills in the STARSkate program effective July 1st, 2008:

RATIONALE: This motion will allow skaters to take Skating Skills tests without the requirement for musicality and pacing. It is felt as an interim step before implementation of LTAD that removing music from exercises would allow skaters to better focus on quality skating at their own natural rhythm.

And, they've deleted the musicality/pacing from the judging criteria. So, do they skate in silence now, without music, or does it mean that they use the music but it doesn't matter if they're "off rhythm"?

DS is testing his Junior Silver skills next month ... so, I'm curious.

[slusher]

I would imagine that if the test is soon, that the music would be played. That's the short term answer. If you've trained with it, it should be played. To use your son's test as an example, the music doesn't matter a whit on snakes and ladders, I haven't seen a test yet where anyone hit their loops on time. Flying choctaws though, the music is fast, so again, maybe not on the right beats but the tempo better be there. (along with lots of outside landing edges :P)

From what I had heard from several people on the committee, music was going to be optional. I just went and read my email about the rule change and it doesn't mention music at all but there will be more info shortly. There will be a revised test manual eventually.

[Kay]

Does anyone else think this is absurd?!?!?!?!?

The whole point of skills is that you need to be able to perform the elements within a certain amount of time - the timing is what makes it difficult. Any skater can do any of the elements required in even the toughest skills if they are permitted to do it on their own time. Being able to perform elements both rapidly and with longer pauses is what forces skaters to develop their skills. If you can't do a loop onto to the snakes and ladders music, then you really don't have control of your loop skill and should not be advancing to the next level.

This is going to do nothing but degrade the quality of skating. Skills was an excellent alternative to patch in that it provided an opportunity to practice skills while quickly moving across the ice, requiring that skaters master these basic techniques in order to perform them successfully. Doing them on their own time will not require that the skaters be in control of their own skills.

What a shame such a backward step is being taken.

[slusher]

I don't know of any coach who plans to teach skills without the music. It's necessary, for exactly the reasons you said, to be able to do the skills at speed and with confidence.

They're looking for quality in the turns and deep and clear edges, and, from what I was told, taking out the musicality requirement will allow skaters to do that instead of freeskating their skills tests.

[Virtualsk8r]

It's my understanding from the latest coaching email - that skills tests will not be tested using music, focusing instead on the quality of the turns and ice coverage & pattern.......sort of like skating figures...paying attention to the actual pattern and turns rather than whether the poor skater was actually doing the 1-2 turn 3 4 5 6 edge etc.

In the case of figures, if a skater was too slow doing a figure, generally the quality of the edge suffered and the turns were not clean enough so you failed. In skills, there have been too many skaters doing poorly executed loops, rockers, choctaws etc...but staying on time to the music.

For the present time, however, the music can be used for tests if a skater wants until Skate Canada gets around to making sure everone understands the changes.

BTW They took unison out of the dances if a skater chooses to test without a partner on those dances where it has been made optional to skate as a team.

[sk8tmum]

In skills, there have been too many skaters doing poorly executed loops, rockers, choctaws etc...but staying on time to the music.

:bow::bow::bow: ITA

[slusher]

I've been thinking about how I'd coach to this, without the music.
My first understanding that music would be an option, a skater could either have it or not, but from reading my emails, it is going to disappear altogether. I was planning on continuing to use the music right to the end, and then if the skater just couldn't get the skill (too slow, timing-disabled), use the option of no music. Hum. I'll do whatever my rink does mostly because we do use a skills tape to define the session and having the music makes for easy cues to move between CCW and CW patterns. We'll have staff meeting anyway with some judges because, sad to say, we tend to train to the passing of the test :oops:

edited: answering my own musings, I know I'm going to be clapping a *whole* lot more.

[techskater]

It sounds like they are making your skills tests more like the US Moves in the Field tests where there are specific focii - edge quality, foot quickness, etc. I think moves are nerve-wracking - there is NO noise, only the sound of your own blades.

[sk8tmum]

It will be a change for the skaters who have been taught to turn left on THIS beat and turn RIGHT on that beat ... but have no idea of what a mohawk or choctaw is. The coaches have taught it by having the kids memorize footwork to musical rhythms instead of teaching the edges and turns in context of the actual moves.

RE the moves in the fields issue: the music playing does cover up noisy skates.

[Virtualsk8r]

:idea: Maybe that's why Skate Canada is changing to skills without music....skaters don't have an idea what they are doing.

A mohawk is turning forward to backward, or backward to forward - changing feet using the same edges ie inside to inside, outside to outside. A choctaw is similar in that it changes from forward to backward or backward to forward changing feet - but the edge switches from an outside to inside; or inside to outside!

Waltzing mohawks are used on one of the first skills tests - done to the same tempo as the Starlight Waltz (a Senior Silver dance)....Not many preliminary level skaters can keep up that tempo and still do the edges correctly....so allowing them to do the correct mohawk with the swimg back and cross cut - to their natural rhythm, might be a good step towards natural timing?

[jp1andOnly]

I'm the type of person that will basically get ahold of the music. listen to it and be able to count any skill to the music (gotta love that $$ I poured into my music degree)I think it has pro's and con's and only time will tell what will happen.

The best alternative...get NEW music!!!! If they would have music that was the right tempo then this whole issue wouldn't exist

[slusher]

To look at waltzing mohawks as an example, if it's done well the skater picks up speed. They pick up speed on the push step off the mohawk (counts 456), and there is definitely a natural rhythm. If the skater can't get the push, eg, just steps over to the crosscut, the timing is weak and they scratch through it. Do they need music, or a specific tempo of music to do this skill? No, once they get the power and the agility (gee, that would be the focus :P ) the skill will create it's own timing.

I have an adult skater that I coach that I'm trying to get to do this exercise and she knows that it is supposed to be fast and powerful. She can do it, slowly and carefully and it does have all the proper edges. If it doesn't have to be fast without the music, she might have a chance of passing, because right now, she doesn't although, she can do all the steps.

I can't compare them to US Moves though. Their moves are very specific, I have seen them done, lines of 3 turns for example, done very figure-ish and I do think that Canadian Skills translate better to freeskating in the variety of turns and edges contained in each exercise.

[slusher]

The best alternative...get NEW music!!!!

That was a theory going around, that someone had just had enough! of Expanding and decided that the music must disappear :twisted::twisted:

[sk8tmum]

That was a theory going around, that someone had just had enough! of Expanding and decided that the music must disappear :twisted::twisted:

ROFL!!!! All Hail to that wise person, with whom I absolutely agree !!!!!

Seriously, I have known senior skaters with Gold Skills who can't do a choctaw (or even describe them) to save their lives. Let alone a decent loop. But, anyone who came up successfully thru the old Figures tests can. We still ... ummm ... do patch up here ... and .... ummm ... big fan.

[Virtualsk8r]

Gonna miss that ... dum da dum dum dum dum dum dum dum... But then didn't they change the music already at least once since inception? I seem to be able to hum a rather calipso beat that used to be on Level 6 or 5...

Hey, they got rid of 'raindrops keep falling on my head' rocker foxtrot and Moon river dutch waltz.....all the golden oldies of my youth! Why not just use dance music with the correct tempo instead of that nasty computer type stuff we hum all the way home after skills....