Adult Competitions FAQ
For answers to questions not listed, please e-mai Gail Sombati .
Q: What should I know about adult competition announcements/entry forms?
A: Entry forms are typically available online in the adult section of the U.S. Figure Skating web site well in advance of their due date(s). Always read the entire announcement - some requirements in the announcement may be different from what is listed in the U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook, and a competition announcement always takes precedence over the rulebook. Be sure to verify event times (maximum/minimum time limits) and qualifications for each event as well as requirements for each event (for example, compulsory moves elements).
Competition announcements will most likely have all the information you need for the competition. If they don't, there will be a contact person listed whom you may e-mail or phone with any questions.
Items in the announcement that are easy to overlook but important to consider include:
- What size is the ice surface on which you will be competing? If it's smaller or bigger than your training facility, make sure to prepare for the difference before you arrive at the competition by laying out your routine for the size of the surface. For example, if the competition surface is bigger, make sure when you train in your home rink to come as close to the boards as possible; that way, when you're in competition, you will look like you are covering the entire ice surface. If the competition surface is smaller, do the opposite: know that if you are coming close to the boards at your home rink, you won't fit into a smaller rink. Make the adjustments accordingly!
- Will the competition officials accept your music on cassette and/or CD? Everyone's jumping on the CD wagon, but remember that not all rinks may be equipped with a CD player for competition. The announcement will say whether or not CDs are acceptable.
- Does the entry form need to be signed by a club official? If so, do not wait until the last minute to get it signed. It is inconvenient for the signer and stressful for you. If you get an entry form and are not sure whether you will be competing or not, fill it out anyway and have it signed when you can...then put it aside until you decide. If you decide to go for it, the legwork will already be done and you won't have to traipse around town to get a quick signature.
Also, time your music to make sure it is in line with the program running time listed in the competition announcement for your event. If you are using a cassette tape, remember that tape players can play at different speeds at different rinks, so it is recommended that your music be about three to five seconds less than maximum time limit. If your music exceeds the time limit during the competition, there will be a 0.1 deduction on both marks for every 10-second period over the maximum time. That means if your music is just one second over, you will lose 0.2 from your total; if your music is 11 seconds over, you will be marked down by 0.4.
Q: What are the adult sectionals and U.S. Adult Championships entry form and testing deadlines?
A: The deadline for the adult sectional championships and U.S. Adult Championships is February 1 of the year of the competition. For example, the deadlines for the 2012 Eastern, Midwestern and Pacific Coast adult sectionals are U.S. Adult Championships February 1, 2012.
This deadline is not only the day your completed entries are due, they are also the day that you must have completed your test requirement for the event(s) you plan to enter. For example, the bronze singles events at the U.S. Adult Championships require a skater to have passed the bronze free skating test; if you wish to enter that event but have not passed the test by February 1 of the year of the competition, you may not enter that event.
Don't wait until the last minute to test! If you know in September that you want to compete the following year but still need to pass certain tests, sign up for your test(s) immediately. Many clubs can't accommodate skaters who want to test at the last minute. Plus, if you take the test early and do not pass, you can retake the test every 28 days. If you wait until the last minute but then fail your test on, say, January 15, you may not retake the test again before the Febuary 1 entry deadline and you will not be able to compete at that level.
Important: If you pass the bronze free skating test by the deadline, enter bronze ladies or men, and then pass the silver free skating test after the deadline but before the competition, you will not be allowed to compete in either bronze or silver. You will have disqualified yourself from bronze by passing a higher test, and, in order to compete at the silver level, you must have passed that silver test by the Febuary 1 deadline.
Q: What are the adult championships events?
A: While most of the events at the adult sectional championships and the U.S. Adult Championships are open, nonqualifying events, skaters in the gold and masters levels have the option to enter championship events at adult sectionals. The top four skaters in these events qualify at adult sectionals to the championship round at the U.S. Adult Championships but may also enter the open events of the same discipline.
However, since the entries for both sectionals and the U.S. Adult Championships are due on the same day, skaters won't yet know who will qualify. Therefore, skaters who plan to enter championship events at adult sectionals might also want to enter open events of the same discipline at the U.S. Adult Championships in case they do not qualify in that discipline.
Q: What should I expect at a competition?
- Check the official bulletin board constantly - your event time may change at some point during the competition.
- Check your starting order when you arrive, and check it again on competition day. The order may have been changed due to mistakes and/or withdrawals.
- Check in with the practice ice monitor at least 10 minutes before your practice session starts.
- Visit the practice ice desk if you want to sign up for additional practices.
- Find out when and where your medal ceremony will be if you place in the top four of your event.
Q: What should I know about practice ice etiquette?
Finally! It's competition day! Here's your checklist!
- Be courteous to your fellow skaters - keep your head up and watch for other skaters at all times. Do not skate in "your own world."
- The skater whose music is playing has the right of way - no exceptions. If you would like the right of way during your program, do the same for your fellow skaters. Some rinks have a rule that "when you're in a lesson, you have the right of way" - that does not apply on competition practice ice.
- Remember that the practice ice monitors and music technicians are volunteers. Please be patient with them. They are doing the best they can.
This only covers the basics, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to forget some of this stuff!
- ___ Skates (duh!)
- ___ Guards
- ___ Costume
- ___ Tapes/CDs *
- ___ Extra laces
- ___ Towel
- ___ Safety Pins
- ___ Water
- ___ Kleenex
- ___ Extra tights
- ___ Hairspray and make-up
*You should have at least three copies of your music - one to turn in at registration for use in the competition, one to use for practice ice and one to keep with your coach or friend who is standing at the boards for you during your event in case the first tape/CD malfunctions. Make sure tapes/CDs are clearly labeled with your name, event and program running time. Do not turn in a tape that is not rewound.
If you have a problem during your event (lace(s) come untied, music starts at the wrong place, music volume is too low, etc.), go directly to the referee of the event, not to your coach. The referee is typically on either end of the judges. Explain the problem to the referee, and (s)he will handle the situation for you. The referee is there to make sure the skaters are being taken care of and that the best situation is available for the competition.
And last but not least, be sure to thank the people working the competition - they are all volunteers and are giving of their time for your event.
