How do I tell a good death spiral from a bad one? | Golden Skate

How do I tell a good death spiral from a bad one?

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
From ISU Communication 2254, the positive GOE bullet points for death spirals are

1) very good positions of both partners
2) good flow and speed throughout (including entry and exit)
3) effortless throughout
4) good controlled transition into required positions and on exit
5) good/continuous edges demonstrated by man and lady
6) element matches the music

Negative GOEs:
Fall -5
Poor pivot position (losing toe pick etc.) -2 to -4
Lady assisted not only by the blades -2 to -3
Poor or weak position of the lady (too high etc.) or man -1 to -3
Any part of the lady’s body (not the hair) touching the ice -1 to -2
Slow or reduction of speed -1 to -3
Lady’s or man’s weak edge quality -1 to -2
Poor exit -1 to -3

Features for higher levels:
1) Difficult entry (immediately preceding the death spiral) and/or exit (see clarification)
2) Full revolution(s) of the lady when both partners are in “low” positions (counts as many times as performed)

Clarifications:
DEATH SPIRALS
Death spiral has a Level and value if both partners execute at least 1 rev in the death spiral position (knees of the Man clearly bent, his toe anchored and arm fully extended; Lady’s head must reach, at least briefly, the level of her skating knee). For a higher Level both Lady and Man must stay in the “low” position for 1 or more full revs.

Lady’s “low” position: for inside Death Spirals, the lowest hip or buttock and head should not be higher than her skating knee; for outside Death Spirals – head should not be higher than her skating knee and bodyline between knee of skating leg and head should be flat or shallow arch.
Man’s “low” pivot position: buttocks not higher than the knee of the pivot foot.
Any part of the Death Spiral with a higher Lady’s or Man’s position is not valid for Level features 2).
Change of arm hold by the Lady or Man is allowed, but is no longer a Level feature.
Change of pivot is considered as the end of the Death Spiral.
Entry, exit: The difficult entry position must be performed while both partners are on the entry curve and the Lady and/or the Man are moving from a difficult entry position directly and without delay to a Death Spiral position. The feature is awarded only if the low position is reached by both partners within 1 revolution after the man’s toe is fixed on the ice.
Exit: starts when the Man bends his “holding” arm at the elbow; ends: when the Lady comes to vertical position.
 

Annie122

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 3, 2018
If it ends in an actual death, it didn't go well.

I laughed out loud at this and now I feel like a monster.

Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc lost all the points on the death spiral in their short program at US Nationals. I didn't watch the replay, but apparently Leduc re positioned his toe pick during the first half rotation
 

cl2

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
I laughed out loud at this and now I feel like a monster.

Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc lost all the points on the death spiral in their short program at US Nationals. I didn't watch the replay, but apparently Leduc re positioned his toe pick during the first half rotation

Wasn't there one world championships where Maxim Trankov sat down on a death spiral right at the end of the program?
 
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