news

2019-20 Technical Requirements

The ISU has published Communication 2247, which outlines the new technical requirements for 2019-20. This replaces Communication 2182.

In the coming weeks, I’ll post a longer summary of what’s new. At a glance, here are some of the more significant changes:

  • Four (4) difficulty levels instead of three (3) for the Intersection, Move Element, and Synchronized Spin.
  • Fewer feature options for Artistic Elements.
  • Some very interesting new features for Traveling Circles.
  • Extra features to add difficulty to death spirals.

Happy reading!

ISU 2019-20 Well Balanced Program Content

With the 2019 World Synchronized Skating Championships barely a week behind us, it’s already time to start planning for next season. The Well Balanced Program Content for 2019-20 has been released, and programs will look quite different from what we saw this year. Here are the changes. (more…)

2018 Finlandia Trophy Live Stream

The Finlandia Trophy has become a key milestone for international synchronized skating in recent years. It’s where some of the top teams in the world debut their short programs, giving the rest of us our first glimpse at these elite teams’ creative execution of the season’s new rules.

You can watch a live stream of the competition, which begins today at 1:40 pm Eastern (11:40 am Central, 10:40 am Pacific).

This year’s competing teams are:

  • Helsinki Rockettes – FIN
  • Lumineers – FIN
  • Marigold IceUnity – FIN
  • Team Unique – FIN
  • Crystal Ice – RUS
  • Paradise – RUS
  • Tatarstan – RUS

Results will be published here.

2018-19 GOE and Program Component Guidelines

The ISU has published Communication 2190, which outlines new GOE and Program Component Guidelines. This is an especially important document this year, due to the change from a -3 to +3 scale to a -5 to +5 scale. This Communication replaces 2095 from last season. Here are the highlights. (more…)