I have (yet another) question. How is it possible at one event to skate two different freeskate levels? My daughter is a juvenile level skater and at the last 2 events she has skated she has had people who also skate intermediate in her group. At one event, the short program and the free program were separate events so I figured that is how that is legal but this last one, the free and the short are part of the same event. I don't understand how a child can skate both the intermediate freeskate event and the juvenile freeskate event. Trust me, it's not that the intermediate walked all over the juveniles, quite the opposite (at least at this last event). I just didn't think it was legal to skate 2 levels of the same event. I guess I'm wrong about that but could someone explain it to me. No one I have talked to seems to understand it.

Thanks!

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Babyskater's Mom

In non-qualifying club competitions, skaters are allowed to "skate up" one level without first having passed the required tests (Moves in the Field and/or Freestyle) for that level. Skaters/coaches are often trying to decide which level the skater should compete at for Regionals, or just testing the waters for the future. It can be pretty tiring for a skater at one competition, though!

I can imagine it is quite tiring. I knew the rule about skating up one level (and I have heard that rule is changing for next season. Is that correct?) but I didn't know that meant they could skate 2 levels at the same competition in the same event. I'm sure you must be right since that is what I'm seeing. Thanks!

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Babyskater's Mom

It is a very common thing these days, I remember one skater who always did like Intermediate Short and Long as well as Novice Short and Long and then she made finals in both events. So she was competing atleast 6 times in 1 competition. She did it for years too ...

Different competitions have different restrictions. At Regionals you can only compete at the level you passed. At non-qualifying competitions they can choose to allow a skater to compete above their level or not. For example Mid Atlantics used to not permit it, but now they do for Juvenile and higher only. Some competitions specify that you may only enter one level per event (so you can do one or the other), others do not restrict it. There should be a section in the competition announcement that specifies Eligibility and explains what a skater can enter.

Well, I have learned something. My hat is off to the kids who can handle all of that competing in so short a time.

Thanks!

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Babyskater's Mom