its definately not my first competition... but i wanna know what judges really look for , because im trying to perfect my routines for ISI Worlds.... ...any suggestions are welcome... thanx!

__________________
~Dreams Can Come True~

Well, it depends on what event you are skating in ie. Artistic, Freestyle, Spotlight, etc. If you can, get a copy of the ISI Competitor's Handbook. It has a pretty detailed description of what the judges look for in each of the categories.

i mean for freestyle then....... i forgot it was different

anyway...... so does anyone know what they look for in FREESTLYE skating?

__________________
~Dreams Can Come True~

This has to be the best question ever, dont know the answer but like the question.

Grace

Whenever you mess up (ie, fall on a jump, etc.), look straight at the judges and give them a huge smile. It helps show the judges that you're confident, but more importantly, it helps prevent you from becoming flustered and letting the rest of your program fall apart. It may not be "what tey're looking for" but it does help.

Judges want to see quality. That want to see that what you can do, you can do well. They are looking for quality, confidence, and to see that you are pushing yourself, but they don't want to see a program that is full of tricks beyond your ability!

__________________
~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

Right on, I have noticed that I do better when I just do the jumps I know I can do confidently rather than fluff a jump or move I'm not confident in I also noticed last year when I fell for the first time, that if you get up straight away, it doesnt get marked down at the lower level, in fact I think I probably got marks for getting up so quickly. All the same it is still a mystery to me most of the time.

For ISI Freestyle, you are limited in what you can do... you MUST do the test elements.. and nothing more difficult than the test elements, but you can add things from lower test levels. So if you're competing at FS4 you've already taken that test and did the footwork, spirals, footwork, half-loop, loop and flip well enough to pass the test.. so confidence should NOT be a problem. Make sure you PERFORM the program, hold the landings on all the jumps so the judges have time to write down their comments, use all the ice and express the music.

Good luck... just 24 days until ISI Worlds starts!

We had a judges seminar recently where a judge came down and talked to us about what they are looking for in freestyle.

They want to see a well balanced programme with a variety of linking steps and moves.

Jumps need to be strong - they look out for four things in a jump - preparation, take-off, flight and landing.

Spins should be centred and performed well - ie high leg on a camel and right down on a sit.

They like to see you cover the ice. Think about placement of elements - spread them out over the ice and avoid having say two spins in around the same spot.

One of the most important things she stressed was interpreting the music. Make sure you skate to your music and that your skating suits your style of music. They like speed, and we were shown that you can still skate fast to slower music.

Nicki

A happy confident skater who looks like there is no place they would rather be than skating.

Two of my dance friends are judges. They say Speed and Flow which really is all about confidence. Being able to present to the judges. "Here I am, look at me". Doesn't matter what elements or what level, the undefinable difference is confidence. "Look at me doing a bunny hop and a 2 foot spin", "Look at me doing a triple axel." For me personally, that has been the hardest thing, way harder than actually learning how to jump (bunny hop for me) !!

Ok, I would say make sure to count the revoultions you do in your spins, cause it will count and it can make the difference in getting 1st or 2nd place even if you are against the book. It has happened to me before. In a freestyle technical program make sure your costume is secure and nothing will come off, even your hair decorations. My scrunchie came off during my fs program at worlds at that cost me 1st place. For events which require props they don't mark off points for that stuff. Remember you have 3 chances per element in the technical programs. If you are having trouble with something you can put it in a second or third time. Make sure the time is correct and you only get 10 seconds over the limit, say your program is 2min they give you a leeway of 10 seconds so it can be 2:10 max. I have been coaching isi for 2 years and am studying for my judges exams.

Here's the criteria for Freestyle from the ISI Competitor's Handbook: test level maneuvers; correctness; duration; extra content; general overall; pattern; posture; rhythm.

Obviously, there's room for a lot of interpretation for some of the criteria and some are pretty straightforward. Definitely keep track of your program time to avoid any deductions. Also be aware that you can receive deductions for not only doing jumps & spins from a higher level than you are competing in, but that you can also get marked down for doing certain "uncaptured moves" from higher levels.

What exactly is an "uncaptured move"? I'm competing FS5 at Wolds and was checking the requirements this morning and came across this term.

"Uncaptured moves" are those that ISI does not specifically require for ANY of its tests. But those moves are restricted to specific freestyle levels. The competitors' handbook lists the moves and at what levels you can use them in a competitive event. I STRONGLY recommend every ISI skater have the current competitors handbook.

A lot has already been said before, but my training partner fell into a group of judges by accident at Adult Nationals last year and every single one of them said basically the same thing -- give them something to work with - elements that are strong for you.