Adult figure skating

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Adult figure skating is a category referring to amateur ice skaters older than 21, who are actively training to improve skills, pass tests or to compete.

However, this category does not include 'elite' skaters who are still competing and performing past this age.

Several national skating organizations have separate test tracks and competitions for adults.

Adults traditionally compete in Freeskate (singles), Pairs, Dance (couples), Interpretive and Synchronized team skating. However, depending on the competition, other events such as Figures, Moves in the Field, Compulsory Moves, Spins and Jumps may be offered.

Contents

[edit] United States

US Figure Skating was the earliest sport governing body to codify tests and competition standards for adult skating. The U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships began in 1995. Adult freestyle tests were introduced in the mid-1990s, and adult moves in the field (MITF) tests followed in 2002.

[edit] Testing

Standard track tests are open to skaters of any age, but due to needs and limitations of adult skaters, U.S. Figure Skating created adult tests[1]. The tests have roughly the same elements as the standard track Pre-Preliminary through Juvenile, but with a more relaxed judging standard and some moves rearranged.

There are both moves in the field and freestyle tests at the following levels:

Adult Test Level Standard Test 'Equivalent'
Adult Pre-Bronze Pre-Preliminary
Adult Bronze Preliminary
Adult Silver Pre-Juvenile
Adult Gold Juvenile
Skaters who wish to continue beyond Gold may switch to the
standard test track beginning with Intermediate moves in the field.

Skaters must pass the moves in the field test before testing the corresponding freestyle test.

There is also an adult component to ice dancing and pair skating [1] tests.

Beginning with the pre-silver dances, adult skaters may switch to the adult track. Adult dance tests are identical to standard tests, but do not require the tester to also perform a solo pattern of the dance, and the tester is marked on a lower passing average. All dances prior to the pre-silver level are tested standard track.

Adult Pairs tests are the Adult Bronze, Adult Silver and Adult Gold[1].

[edit] Competitions

U.S. Figure Skating has four official adult competitions: Eastern, Midwestern, and Pacific Coast Sectionals, and the Adult Championships (Nationals). Sectionals only includes the qualifying track, called "Championship," which is typically more competitive. The top four skaters in each Championship event qualify for the Championship event at Nationals. Other non-qualifying events are normally held in conjunction with the qualifying events. Prior to the creation of Sectionals in the late 1990s, adult skaters had their events at a standard regional competition.

Nationals includes both the qualifying Championship events, as well as adult levels (Pre-Bronze through Gold) or Masters levels (Intermediate through Senior). Pairs, dance, and interpretive events are also held. All Championship events are scored using the ISU Judging System.

For competitions, skaters are grouped in events by age. (The age groups may be merged depending on the number of entries). In 2008, the age ranges were changed to the following:

Age Classification Age Range
I 21-30 years old
II 31-40 years old
III 41-50 years old
IV 51-60 years old
V 61+ years old

Skaters who have passed the Juvenile freestyle or 2nd figure test must compete at the Masters level, where competition classes are one level higher than actual test level for Intermediate, Novice and Junior level skaters. Adult skaters who have passed the Adult Gold freestyle test and want to test or compete on the standard track at the Masters level may take the Intermediate moves in the field and freestyle tests, which will make them eligible to compete at Masters Novice.

Also, several clubs host all-adult competitions throughout the skating year. These include:

Competition Location Club First Held Usually Held
Peach Classic[2] Duluth, GA (near Atlanta) Georgia FSC 1997 September
Halloween Classic [3] Aston, PA (near Philadelphia) IceWorks SC 2004 November
New Year's Invitational [4] Ashburn, VA (near D.C.) Washington FSC 2002 January or February
Deborah Burgoyne North American Invitational [5] Wyandotte FSC February

Many clubs include Adult events in their standard track competitions.

[edit] Canada

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Adult skating in Canada has been around for a while but did not have a national event until Skate Canada started the first Canadian adult championships in March of 2004 after some lobbying from Canadian adult skaters wishing to have their own nationals. The event is known as the Skate Canada Adult Championships. The first Skate Canada Adult Championships were held in Burnaby, BC with just over 70 adult skaters competing. In 2007 Calgary hosted the Skate Canada Adult Championships to just over 120 adult skaters competing in event categories ladies freeskate, men's freeskate, ladies interpretive, men's interpretive, compulsory dances, freedance and pairs using the CPC (Cumulative Points Calculation) which is similar to the ISU's COP but with adjustments for StarSkaters and AdultSkaters. Note: there were no marks for Waltz jumps in the ISU marking system until 2007. Also the CPC has away to record marks for interpretive programs. The best adult skaters in Canada register to compete at adult championships. We don't presently have qualifying for Adult Canadians do to the fact that the competition is still new and the adults coming to compete are still low enough not to warrant qualifying. Also, not many sections have a section competition for their adult skaters. Western Ontario Section is one of the few that does have events for adults to compete at the annual StarSkate Sectionals in the form as showcase events.

We Canadian adult skaters still test the same as the kid StarSkaters. We don't have our own tests yet. But when we compete freeskate they are Adult Bronze (preliminary), Adult Silver (Junior Bronze), Adult Gold (Senior Bronze), Masters Novice (Junior Silver), Masters Junior (Senior Silver) and Masters Senior (Gold) (There aren't many adult skaters at the Masters level so for the most part Masters Skaters usually get grouped together in competition. Interpretive skating starts in Pre-Introductory (not passed the introductory interpretive test), Introductory, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Dance has Preliminary, Junior Bronze, Senior Bronze, Junior Silver, Senior Silver, Gold and Diamond in compulsory dances. Currently Freedance is an open event. Pairs is also an open event as not many skaters in Canada train pairs, can find a local partner and/or are willing to train in the most dangerous discipline in figure skating because most have a day job.

Some Canadian adult skaters compete in the US and/or overseas; Germany, France, Russia, Switzerland and Estonia.

[edit] International Competitions

[edit] Inter-club

Several clubs host annual adult-only competitions attended by skaters from several countries. These competitions use similar levels and age ranges as those used in the U.S. They include the

Competition Location Club First Held Usually Held
Le Coupe de la Montagne (The Mountain Cup) Villard-de-Lans, France Club de danse sur glace
Villard-de-Lans		 1999 May or June
Vana Tallinn Trophy Tallinn, Estonia SC Põhjatäht 2004 May or June
Peach Classic[2] Duluth, GA, USA Georgia FSC 1997 September

[edit] ISU

The International Skating Union held the first ISU International Adult Figure Skating Competition in Obertsdorf, Germany from June 10-12, 2005. The ISU event has slightly different age ranges than used in the other adult-only competitions. The minimum age is 28 and the maximum age is 71.

ISU Adult Age Classification Age Range
I 28-37 years old
II 38-47 years old
III 48-57 years old
IV 58-71 years old

[edit] External links

ADULT SKATING TRAINING CAMPS:

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Geriatric Figure Skating Crew - Adult Tests
  2. ^ a b Georgia FSC - Peach Classic News
  3. ^ IceWorks Skating Club
  4. ^ Washington Figure Skating Club - Home Page
  5. ^ Adult Skater's Focus
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