USFSA Fantasy Skating 2004-2005

[Isk8NYC]

I've never entered this contest, but I keep reading about it in Skating magazine. Do you just pick the skaters and teams that you think will win the most? How are the points calculated? Any tips or suggestions?

[Mel On Ice]

First, when you register your team, only register it ONCE. I made that mistake, and it cost me last year.

Second, ask yourself if you want to build the best team or your favorite team. If you want to build a team of favorites, go nuts and wish them the best.

If you want to pick the "best" team, see who is on the roster at your favorite's GP event, and pick skaters accordingly. Plushenko and Cohen were shoo-ins to win their GP point events, so I picked them, then picked skaters that would be competing at events Plushy and Sasha were NOT, to give myself the best chance of getting a higher point ratio.

And don't think that the skaters you pick have to have a grand points total of 14. I think I did really well with a 6/6 combo.

[Isk8NYC]

Thanks for the explanation. Sorry about last year -- your posts about it are what actually convinced me to ask this question. Thanks for sharing, though. I'm so impatient, I would have entered five times! (My husband says that when G-D gave out patience, I got bored and wandered off.)

I like the cumulative points setup and your idea of picking alternates for those competitions the "A" skaters don't attend. Great tip.

I see that each skater has a "Grand Points" total. (I'm guessing the points are the opposite of odds. If Cohen were to win first place, would her "points" be added to your fictional team total or are they some sort of multiplier?