For me, it depends on the event. If it's a single skater in a showcase or artistic or interp type event, I'll watch but I won't necessarily take notes.

If it's a more technical event, for example a free-skating event, I'll generally take some notes as to what elements were skated and anything that stands out (good or bad) about the execution/performance/etc.

One never knows when you might be asked to do a critique of that solo skater.

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Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
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I have no doubt that judges watch against the book programs- they have to figure out a placement for the skater against the book. The point is- if the skater is NOT against the book, since that isn't being done anymore, just in a group of their own, how much attention is really necessary? They aren't competting against anything- not another skater, not themselves to a set standard. How is that a competition? I think it was a silly decision of USFS.

What exactly do the judges need to judge with this new situation? Skater steps on ice- they get first place. I have absolutely no problem skating in a group of one against the book. But I just don't understand a competition, if you are in your own group, where you aren't even being scored against anything, but just given a first place. I would hope most competitions offer a short critique. Because instead you are paying a lot of money to be handed a gold medal. What makes this a competition and not an exhibition?

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
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Here, I have seen skaters skate alone in a class, and they do get marks from the judges. There's not normally any question but that they will take home a gold medal, or the relevant trophy, but the judges do still look and mark.

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Mrs Redboots
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Yeah, that's how we judge in my region as well.

I promise I'm not trying to be difficult, I just think this is such a silly decision by USFS.

But- what are judges marking if they are just handing out a gold? In most low level competitions marks are not announced to the crowd, nor to the skater- just ordinals, if those are even displayed- so what exactly are they scoring for?

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Well, technically if the event is a 6.0 scored event, we have to put down some sort of number between 0.0 and 6.0, to make the accounting system happy, so that it kicks out a sheet with "1 1 1 1 1" or one ordinal each for however many judges there are for the event.

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American Waltz... Once, Twice, ???? ...

Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
A: 5 and counting...

That is why you do a critque.At least you get to talk to the judges, see what they like. what they didnt,suggestions ect.Both my kids have done this, Ds due to being only boy and DD when she was younger .They do take notes, and even comment on outfits.

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I agree its' a ridiculis rule and it puts those of us trying to put on a small competition in a bind. If we have to cancel every event that has only one skater - that was quite a few events for us! I can see combining freeskate events. But how can you combine compulsaries or jumps or spins or dance? I have skated against bronze and silver skaters before and it's okay but it's pretty well known what the results are going to be.

I wish they would make it so you have "option" to skate against the book. So if it's a little 5 year old in basic 3 - give them a medal for showing up. But give me the option to skate against the book.

And I dont' particularly want to waste the judges time with a critique of my piddly pre-bronze program. I trust my coach to do that. Nor do I think a 10 year doing pre-pre jumps needs a critique.

HOnestly I don't know what we are going to do for our next competition.

j

j

And if there are two skaters in an event with very different skill levels, the judges will have to put in numbers to get the system to kick out 1 1 1 1 1 and 2 2 2 2 2.

Which tells the skaters very little more than 1 1 1 1 1 does for an uncontested event. So depending on the size of the field and the range of skill level across it, small events under the ordinal system may not be much more than exercises in performing for an audience and collecting some medal even if there is more than one competitor.

Giving the actual scores would be useful if there were some kind of acknowledged standard so that skaters would know where they stood. E.g., the test-passing scores for test track events.

But for levels below preliminary/adult bronze, there aren't test scores to compare to or to give judges a common reference point to work from. So whatever numbers the judges gave wouldn't be very meaningful and would likely vary widely across the panel and therefore would not solve the problem.

Huh. In my second ever competition, I was "second out of one" and it was the best thing that could have happened. It really inspired me to work harder and overcome my fears (of falling, of being "on stage" etc.).

That's sad that parents aren't willing to allow their children to experience failure--those experiences are the ones that really help our character.