Say I've been wondering about that. But for a famous Singles Test Skater such as Kimmie Meissner or Michelle Kwan. Are they still tec. concidered real Freestyle Skaters at the levels there at?

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FSWer

I thought that the men and women who skate freestyle programs are referred to as "Singles Skaters" not "freestylers."

It is used as a title for the events at a competition though: Bronze Freestyle, for example. That's the category for the event.

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I think anyone who does jumps and spins regardless of whether it is in a program is called a freestyler. Just as anyone who dances is called a dancer. So yes, they are both singles skaters and freestylers.

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Interesting - I've heard "She's a freestyle skater." but not "She's a freestyler."

I have heard Ice Dance partners being called an ice dancer or dancer.

Maybe it's a regional thing?

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I've never really heard "freestyler" either.

Regarding Test Skaters vs Standard Track skaters (like Michelle Kwan, Kimmie Meissner, and really anyone else who competes in the standard track like at qualifying competitions): All freestyle skaters are test skaters in that they have to take tests in order to compete at a certain level. However, I'd bet that you could find plenty of standard track skaters that consider themselves "above" test track skaters (I know some pretty snobby skaters ) because they do more difficult elements. A standard Novice Free Skate is probably full of double doubles, a double axel or two, and even triples. A test track program, on the other hand, can only have up to double loop (I believe).

So in short, all freestyle skaters are testing skaters in that you HAVE to test. And all skaters that take freestyle tests ARE freestyle skaters (you jump and spin to test, do you not?) However, I'm sure, depending on who you know, you could find people who think test track skaters aren't real freestyle skaters because their programs are so much "easier." (***disclaimer: NOT MY OPINION! Just what I've heard from some of the more stuck up skaters around my area).

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I've never either. I was just wondering if there strictly,tec. called Test Skaters? Or if they really ARE tec. Freestylers. The term is just never used on someone like Michelle or Kimmie...and used just more for the young skaters.

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FSWer

The elite skaters you see on TV, like Michelle & Kimmie have long ago passed all of the tests. The test level passed is what determines the competitive level of any skater. Michelle & Kimmie have both passed Senior Freestyle, the highest test, and the events they compete in are called Senior Ladies Singles events. Neither of them would be allowed to compete at a lower level, and they would not want to. Before they passed their Senior Freestyle, though, they did compete at lower levels, such as Junior, Novice, Intermediate, etc. A test skater would be someone who tests for their own enjoyment without the goal of progressing up the competitive ladder.

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Oh. As far as the term Freestyle skater. You are usually called that up until what?

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FSWer

Freestyle is just the name of the kind of skating. Within figure skating, there is freestyle, dance, and figures. Freestyle skating means doing jumps, spins, and footwork. Within freestyle, there is singles (one skater at a time) and pairs (two skating together doing freestyle skating). There used to be fours too, and roller skaters still have fours skating. The entire sport is called figure skating because it began when people discovered they could make figures (designs such as a figure 8) on the ice with their skate blades. Spins, jumps and dance came along a bit later and became part of the sport of figure skating. I'm not an expert on the history of figure skating, so anyone who knows better should feel free to jump in and correct me.

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As a non-American I find this a bit strange. Here, all the kids competitions have restrictions on what can go in each level. Basically that means anything up to that test and maybe some things from the level above because you'll be working on that. Therefore if the competition required say up to double loop, that's it all the harder stuff they can do is wasted. They may skate "nicer" than the other kids and quite probably have the harder spins (they've not restricted those too much after the beginners category from what I know), but the jump side of the program can't be any harder than the standard. I think they've done this to encourage people to test up.
Then of course once they get to a high enough test level they can switch to competitive track aiming for the championships which for us is switching from RJS to IJS and different rules apply.

Within USFigure Skating, there is no such term as "freestyle". The correct term is "free skating" which basically means you can do anything you like (within the the rules for your level) in your program. The term is meant to separate that part from the "compulsory figures" which is where figure skating comes from.

In the olden days, skaters HAD to do strict figures and do them very precisely. Free Skating came about as a way to lift a lot of those restrictions and let the skaters choose which skills they wanted to show off. Originally that was just footwork, steps and turns linked in ornate patterns but eventually spins and jumps were added.

Currently, I have been informed that the ISU (and consequently, the International Olympic Committee and USFS) does not recognize "freestyle" as having any connection to figure skating. "Freestyle" now only is only used by other sports like skiing and snowboarding when acrobatic-type maneuvers are involved.

As for test skaters being somehow "different" from other skaters, that's just false. ALL figure skaters have to test if they want to compete. Even the Kwans and Cohens passed through the USFS test structure.

There are skaters who only test and don't compete at all. There's nothing in the rules that says you HAVE to compete and a lot of skaters get satisfaction from completing the tests and using them as a marker of their progress. There's noting wrong with that.

USFS's "Competitive Test Track" structure is a brand new attempt to provide a place for skaters who are concentrating more on passing tests to try out those skills on a level playing field.

(One of the questions on a USFS Accountant's exam from a few years ago, had a reference to "freestyle" - which made the answer "false" because the correct term is "free skating". I remember because I got it wrong. )

The USFSA's Basic Skills program calls their higher-level track "Free Skate 1-6" whereas the ISI calls it "Freestyle 1-10."

I think it's like "bandaid" - people use the word "freestyle" generically now in both organizations.

Still, I've never heard the title "freestyler" used to refer to a skater.

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Our rink is calls it's "Freeskate" sessions "Freestyle" sessions because they have had to explain to too many people over the phone, and a few walk ups, that you have to pay for those, and that they are for skilled skaters, and not public sessions. A information sheet from USFSA (I think) went out recently about developing skaters and to ask your rink when "club ice" or "free skate" is held- and already the director has had to answer, that you have to pay for "free skate"


FSWer- Just a note, but I've never heard of elite skaters like Kimmie and Michelle referred to as "test-skater". A "test-skater" isn't anyone who takes tests (as all competitive skaters must), but generally refers to someone who ONLY takes tests, and does not compete.

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