2018-19 British figure skating

pesto · Jan 27, 2019

CaroLiza_fan said:
At least it's not as bad as on this side of the Irish Sea. 2 rinks in Belfast, and none on the rest of the island. Admittedly, it looks like the rink in Dundalk could be re-opening soon, but that would still only be 3 rinks. All three of these rinks are located on the east coast, and on the top half of the island at that. What about the rest of the island? Nada!

Hence Conor Stakelum trains in Dundee, and the Irish Champs are held in London!

We have family who skate in Dundee. Both Dundee and Kirkcaldy have very longstanding hockey teams, and ice rinks, so quite a lot of skating going on in that area.

Dundee lost its old rink, and was without one for a long time, but when the current one opened, all the old timers crawled out of the woodwork. It seems to have a healthy figure skating community now, with Natasha and Karly, along with Conor.

I'm told that the skating shows arranged using local figure skaters are very popular.

As a kid, I skated a couple of times at Richmond. Another London rink that is now long gone.

The touristy temporary winter rinks seem to thrive. I feel as if permanent rinks should be able to make a go of things, if they are in areas with decent transport links. I suppose there is a lot of competition for suitable sites, and other developers can pay more.

litenkyckling · Jan 27, 2019

DSQ said:
I think people in general don’t want to live that far north. I went to University in Aberdeen and It’s isolation can be frustrating but it’s a lovely city and has an international airport. I hope more skaters from up there make the National Team!

I'm from the Aberdeen area, and I would say that this is the main issue. Although the airport is international, it tends to be expensive to fly in and out of. It's also not the most accessible city when you live on the outskirts (although new roads are changing this a bit). The Linx arena had a massive refurb about 10 years ago (I think?) and another one recently so there is definitely the will there to make it something more. I don't live in the city anymore, but most of my friends who are from the Central Belt have never even been to Aberdeen and I do think they struggle to get tourists in (they tend to be more interested in the surrounding countryside/coastline).

I would say that one of the biggest problems is that the sport just doesn't get much coverage, and so no public momentum is built up. I know the same can be said for most winter sports in this country - but why is it that we hear about tiny football clubs and their results on BBC news but not that our Ice Dance champions came 6th at the European Championships? Maybe this is being addressed as part of NISA's rebrand strategy idk.

Also - side note but I would fully support the SSE Hydro holding Euros/Worlds/GPF. They held the gymnastics there in the summer for the European Championships with success. Well placed and organised venue for international events, accessible city, cheaper than Edinburgh (ish) to draw in the tourists. This was before the success of the athletics - so maybe their next bid will be a success?

DSQ · Jan 27, 2019

I had no idea they bid for that! Glasgow would be perfect for Worlds or Europeans, my sister went to the MOBOs there and said it was outstanding. But could British Figure Skating get the funding...

The European Championships that were there and in Berlin were a great success and very exciting to watch.

litenkyckling said:
I know the same can be said for most winter sports in this country - but why is it that we hear about tiny football clubs and their results on BBC news but not that our Ice Dance champions came 6th at the European Championships? Maybe this is being addressed as part of NISA's rebrand strategy idk.

I think it is. With the Championships being streamed on iPlayer I think it’s testing the waters to see if there can be real interest in going into TV. I think the last time it happened outside of the Olympics was 2012.

pesto · Jan 27, 2019

In all honesty, I don't think there's enough interest in the National Championships to make it on broadcast TV. Maybe if we got together with some other weak nations and did something like the Eastern European combined 4 nationals, there would be enough good skaters to make it more appealing.

I'd love for Britain to hold an international event. I went to Europeans in Sheffield, and it was fab, and well-attended. But I don't think we have anything at all on a regular basis, do we?

DSQ · Jan 28, 2019

I know that Sheffield had a JGP called the John Curry Memorial or Cup but it’s been a while since it’s been held.

I’d love it if Europeans was on the BBC more than Nationals because it’d be nice if, even if they showed it at 12pm on a delay it would be nice if the public could get to know about our top level skaters, even if they only come 15th or lower.

pesto · Jan 28, 2019

DSQ said:
I know that Sheffield had a JGP called the John Curry Memorial or Cup but it’s been a while since it’s been held.

I’d love it if Europeans was on the BBC more than Nationals because it’d be nice if, even if they showed it at 12pm on a delay it would be nice if the public could get to know about our top level skaters, even if they only come 15th or lower.

Even if it were just a highlights package, leaving the detailed coverage to Eurosport, it'd reach a far wider audience. I suspect we would need skaters challenging for medals for the Beeb to consider it. It's always easier to sell a sport if there's a home star.

DSQ · Jan 28, 2019

pesto said:
Even if it were just a highlights package, leaving the detailed coverage to Eurosport, it'd reach a far wider audience. I suspect we would need skaters challenging for medals for the Beeb to consider it. It's always easier to sell a sport if there's a home star.

True! Which is why I’m so excited by Lilah & Lewis’s rise. There are no guarantees in Ice Dance but the fact they’ve really made a name for themselves as being different is a step in the right direction.

In other news it’s quite depressing to see that the Guardian reporting on Alyssa Liu’s victory at US nationals rather than the European championships. All I can say is thank goodness for The Scotsman, they get a lot of deserved criticism as a paper however they sent a reporter to Minsk to cover the event! Of course it focused on Lewis and Natasha but they were there.

CaroLiza_fan · Jan 31, 2019

I was having computer problems again at the start of the week, so that's why I wasn't able to get involved in the conversation that I kinda started.

But, now I can start a new conversation.

EYOF Team:

Genevieve Somerville – aged 16 from Derby, Derbyshire (ISU Bio; Rink Results Bio; Stats On Ice Bio; Tracings Bio)

Joseph Zakipour – aged 16 from Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (Rink Results Bio; Stats On Ice Bio)

Source: https://www.teamgb.com/news/team-gb...o-2019-european-youth-olympic-winter-festival

It may be an all English figure skating team, but there are plenty of Scottish athletes in the other sports, and also a snowboarder from Wales. But, unless Kieran Doyle is from a Northern Irish family, there is nobody from over here in the British team. :disapp:

Hope the full entry list for the Figure Skating gets posted soon, because this is the second round of the Junior ISU Predictions Game.

CaroLiza_fan

DSQ · Jan 31, 2019

That’s crazy that there are so many in the British team who were originally French but not one Northern Irish team members.

So fair there seems to be only singles skaters does the Winter Youth Festival not have Dance and Pairs?

pesto · Jan 31, 2019

DSQ said:
So fair there seems to be only singles skaters does the Winter Youth Festival not have Dance and Pairs?

It seems that way:

https://eyof2019.net/en/stranica.php?idstranica=55

CaroLiza_fan · Jan 31, 2019

DSQ said:
That’s crazy that there are so many in the British team who were originally French but not one Northern Irish team members.

Well, I was curious to see if any of these athletes living in other countries were maybe originally from my part of the world, so I looked them all up. And although I couldn't find a definite answer, they do all seem to be from British families. The only one I couldn't find out anything about was Kieran Doyle. But I have a suspicion he may be one of our's, because that's about as Irish a name as you can get! :laugh:

When you think of it, it makes sense that a lot of British people competing in ski sports and snowboarding are ex-pats on the continent. Let's face it, there aren't many opportunities for kids living in the UK itself to take up these sports because the only facilities are up in the north of Scotland (which is also why there is a big Scottish contingent). But if they are living in France, Switzerland, Austria or Norway, there are plenty of opportunities.

DSQ said:
So fair there seems to be only singles skaters does the Winter Youth Festival not have Dance and Pairs?

The EYOF only has Singles skating nowadays. They used to have Pairs and Dance, but these categories were dropped after the 2003 edition (Dance did re-appear for the 2009 edition, but that was only a one-off return)

It's a shame, but hey!

CaroLiza_fan

DSQ · Jan 31, 2019

That’s a shame!

Well it’s nice to see such a full delegation. I remember Genevieve Somerville from the JGP and while her season hasn’t been great this year hopefully she can have a good experience at these winter games.

Andrea82 · Feb 5, 2019

Selection for Worlds

Fear/Gibson
McKay

http://www.iceskating.org.uk/index....-isu-figure-skating-world-championships-2019/

Men and Pairs are still pending depending if and who get the minimum TES.

Newberry: Dragon Trophy (this week), Challenge Cup (21-24th Feb)
Hallam: Bavarian Open (this week)
Mattick: Challenge Cup (21-24th Feb)
Jones/Boyadji: Bavarian Open (this week) and Ice Mall Cup (21-23th Feb)

Jones/Boyadji have the minimum TES in FS but they need the SP one.
Newberry has the minimum in SP but not in the FS
Hallam and Mattick need to achieve both of them

DSQ · Feb 5, 2019

The Worlds team have been announced:

http://www.iceskating.org.uk/index....-isu-figure-skating-world-championships-2019/

Looks like Graham and Zoe and Chris will have to compete at some point this month to get their minimums as we suspected. Fingers crossed!

DSQ · Feb 7, 2019

Zoe and Chris will be competing their Short Program at the Bavarian Open tonight at 22:10 GMT to try and get their technical minimums. Tomorrow at 19:45 GMT is the Free Skate.

PJ Hallam is also there and the senior men’s SP is tomorrow at 18:20 GMT, with the FS on Sunday at 12:50 GMT.

Good luck to everyone!

(There are a couple of junior and advanced novice GBR skaters as well but I’m at work lol)

pesto · Feb 8, 2019

DSQ said:
Zoe and Chris will be competing their Short Program at the Bavarian Open tonight at 22:10 GMT to try and get their technical minimums. Tomorrow at 19:45 GMT is the Free Skate.

If I'm reading it right, they did it, comfortably!

Tot: 53.84 TES:28.76 PCS:25.08

If Wiki is right, they needed 27.

DSQ · Feb 8, 2019

I’m so happy for them! It would have been such a shame for the Worlds spot to go to waste.

La Rhumba · Feb 9, 2019

PJ Hallam has achieved the World's TES at Bavarian Open SP. The FS is on Sunday morning, he skates at 10.50am UK time. There is a livestream available via the DEU website/Dailymotion.

I finally got round to uploading some performances from the British Championships, mainly Dance, but also Graham Newberry SP. More uploads to come when I can.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ2sXOH_HXudEQwDSXJseuw

Oooh, and this Comedy Moment during Ladies Medals! :palmf:

https://youtu.be/BOpEl3dpMOE

DSQ · Feb 9, 2019

Natasha looks so shocked!

Well done for PJ! I finally found a YouTube video of his performance: (https://youtu.be/ZVPruGD26lk)

But unfortunately Graham failed to get the TES minimum at the Dragon Cup today as he fell on his 3A. If I remember correctly he has already met the FS minimum. He has another chance on the 21st of February at the Challenge Cup in the Netherlands where he and Harry Mattick will be competing.

With PJ meeting the minimum score at least if Graham can’t go we won’t be leaving our spot empty but I’ll be so disappointed for Graham because he did so well at nationals.

Andrea82 · Feb 9, 2019

DSQ said:
Natasha looks so shocked!

Well done for PJ! I finally found a YouTube video of his performance: (https://youtu.be/ZVPruGD26lk)

But unfortunately Graham failed to get the TES minimum at the Dragon Cup today as he fell on his 3A. If I remember correctly he has already met the FS minimum. He has another chance on the 21st of February at the Challenge Cup in the Netherlands where he and Harry Mattick will be competing.

With PJ meeting the minimum score at least if Graham can’t go we won’t be leaving our spot empty but I’ll be so disappointed for Graham because he did so well at nationals.

Newberry has the minimum in SP from last season's Merano Cup (39.40). So he can try also tomorrow in addition to Challenge Cup.

2018-19 British figure skating

pesto

litenkyckling

DSQ

pesto

DSQ

pesto

DSQ

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA

DSQ

pesto

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA

DSQ

Andrea82

DSQ

DSQ

pesto

DSQ

La Rhumba

Supporting All British Skaters!

DSQ

Andrea82

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