State Games

[miraclegro]

Has anyone competed in their own State Games? I just did my second year at Adult Silver Freestyle and i medaled! It was the highlight of my skating career so far! I got Gold and we had MAJOR music problems at the rink yesterday....my CD music started skipping and stopped completely. Had to stand on the ice waiting for about 5 minutes and had to pick up my program where i thought it picked up. Not my all time best, but didn't miss much for elements at all....so it was a big moment. Others had their music stop, too...

Got Silver for Artistic! I'm getting these medals engraved!

Would love to hear about anyone else's State games.....

[luckeylasvegas]

DD got a Silver in her preliminay Compulsaries at the 2007 State Games of America in Colorado Springs :D.

She will probably do the Cal State Games next March unless Nevada gets it's own State Games going.

[vesperholly]

I'd love to, but New York's Empire State Games only offers Intermediate and up freestyle, ages 13 through 18, and similar pairs for that pool. Sigh ... :(

[jskater49]

I'm actually in charge of the Iowa Games figure skating competition. Because of that and the fact I'm testing I didn't want to compete but my coach talked me into dragging out my artistic again. And if any adults my level sign up for compulsary or freestyle I guess I'll do it to give them someone to beat. Hehehe, that's the nice thing about being in charge, I don't have to pay and make up my mind until I know for sure...

j

[RachelSk8er]

I'd love to, but New York's Empire State Games only offers Intermediate and up freestyle, ages 13 through 18, and similar pairs for that pool. Sigh ... :(

Actually NY does offer "open" for skaters 18+, but you still need your intermediate free to compete. I have a friend who competes masters int/novice at AN (she's 26) and she also does Empires every year.

I've only been to a state games as a coach (I lived in NY and coached an open jr team that went to Empires and won in 06). It was a really nice event that they put on for the kids. But I've since moved back to Ohio and I don't think we have a state games.

[Morgail]

My state doesn't have figure skating at the state games. It does, however, have that old and noble sport of cornhole.

[Mel On Ice]

I did State Games in Missouri every year I lived there, it was one of my favorite competitions. Why? For the silliest of reasons, I really liked the medals and the neck ribbons were a hoot. My first - ever - medal in competition was a gold in adult synchro. The medal was shaped like the state of Missouri and the neck ribbon was yellow, with the "got cheese?" slogan from the milk board printed on it.

I competed State 5 years in a row, and medaled in every event I entered. Boy, those were the days...

[vesperholly]

Actually NY does offer "open" for skaters 18+, but you still need your intermediate free to compete. I have a friend who competes masters int/novice at AN (she's 26) and she also does Empires every year.
Oh right, I forgot about the open category, but those are still standard-track events. I think they even requires that you be a full-time student. Anyway, there are definitely no adult categories. :(

I think Ohio does have a state games, but I googled a bit and could only find Ohio State college stuff.

[mr7740]

Oh right, I forgot about the open category, but those are still standard-track events. I think they even requires that you be a full-time student.

Nope, no need to be a student. I competed there seven years in both the regular and open category. It is also nice because for the individual events one needs to be at least about 7th grade age. Empire State Games is really one of the best competitions I ever attended. Since it is at Lake Placid it almost feel like the Olympics. They do an opening ceremony complete with torch lighting and everyone wears the windsuits they give you.

The whole competition is actually quite competitive and skating is one of the easier events to enter (and really the largest contingent of athletes). Most other events (in both the winter and summer games) involve a tryout and only a few people from each region actually make the team.
This seems to be a bit more formalized than some other states I have heard of.

[pedonskates]

I competed in open intermediate a couple of times at Empire State Games when I lived in NY. You had to be over 18 and out of high school. I was in med school and then a resident and did it. There was no requirement to be a student.
I believe the other test option was ISI FS 6 - at least when I did it a few years ago.
It was fun to be in the warm-up suits and march in opening ceremonies and get hit on by crazy guys who do skeleton (luge head first? - no thank you!)

Brenda

[Black Sheep]

They had these every December for several years, but decided not to have them last year. They'd better pick 'em up again this year! ;)

[techskater]

Someone needs to bid for them and people need to show up, that's why they were discontinued.

[RachelSk8er]

Nope, no need to be a student. I competed there seven years in both the regular and open category. It is also nice because for the individual events one needs to be at least about 7th grade age. Empire State Games is really one of the best competitions I ever attended. Since it is at Lake Placid it almost feel like the Olympics. They do an opening ceremony complete with torch lighting and everyone wears the windsuits they give you.

The whole competition is actually quite competitive and skating is one of the easier events to enter (and really the largest contingent of athletes). Most other events (in both the winter and summer games) involve a tryout and only a few people from each region actually make the team.
This seems to be a bit more formalized than some other states I have heard of.


The year I was there, I got my picture taken with Yooooooolanda Vega. And got her autograph. (If you live in NY, you're sure to know who I'm talking about and find that hilarious.)

The best part about when I was there? I was there as a coach, didn't have to worry about competing, so when my skaters weren't practicing or competing, I could usually be found on the slopes at Whiteface :)

[Hannahclear]

I go to the Bay State Games every year and really enjoy it. Turnout for the Adult events is always pretty respectable. And they give out ugly little states for medals! LOL.

[flutzilla1]

I still can't believe that the NY State Games does not offer any adult-track skating events that are non-Masters, especially considering Lake Placid has hosted Adult Nationals multiple times! Florida's State Games has been offering most levels of adult skating ever since I can remember (and has been offering Pre-Bronze as well since 2002), and the state has only a fraction of the adult skaters that NY State does. It doesn't make much sense.