New to skating? Want to know something specific? If you can't find the answer below click here to submit a query. Don't worry, it's anonymous unless you decide to supply your email address. And remember, the only stupid question is the one you didn't ask.

[050413] The move named for Olympic Gold Medalist Dorothy Hamill was the Hamill Camel.
The move involves turning a camel spin into a sit spin.

[040724] The are no set restrictions on fibres other than safety issues. Materials like feathers, or some types of sequins, can fall on the ice and cause a safety hazard. The ISU has a set of broad guidelines in place stipulating the type of clothing skaters can wear during a competition. It talks about allowing women to wear tights or trousers in addition to skirts. Men are required to wear trousers and not tights. Clothing is also supposed to be free from "excessive decoration", in an attempt to stress the athleticism of the sport rather than the theatrics.

[040719] According to most accounts, the rings were adopted by Baron Pierre de Coubertin (founder of the modern Olympic Movement) in 1913 after he saw a similar design on an artifact from ancient Greece.  The five rings represent the five major regions of the world: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Every national flag in the world includes at least one of the five colors.

[040214] Dorothy Hamill won the Olympic Gold Medal at Innsbruck in 1972, at the age of 19. She did not perform a triple axel, indeed she is the last figure skater to win an Olympic gold without performing any triple jumps!

[040201] Sand is used as a base under the ice as an alternative to concrete. It is cheaper, and often used with year round facilities. Concrete tends to be used where the rink surface is used for a different purpose in the off-season.

[040119] The best option here is to contact our club president. If you resubmit your original question and supply an email address I will pass it on.

[031211] A Lutz is one of the major jumps in figure skating. It got it's name from the first person to perform it, Italian skater Tomas Lutz. For a more detailed explanation click here.

[021230] The two scoring systems are the OBO (One-By-One) and the older 'Ordinal' based system. In NZ the OBO system is used for Nationals and the North and South Island championships. Clubs are free to use whichever system they want for club competitions. For an explanation of how these systems work click here, then scroll down to the bottom of the new page to the 'Scoring' Section. 

[021229] First determine what type of skater you are. Eg recreation, competitive or dance.
Next determine your level. A good starting blade for elementary to juvenile level is a Coronation Ace or Professional blade. This blade is suitable to about the level of axel, double toe loops and double salchows. Also great for new comers to dance. From there you start to look at a better a quality blade that has a better hollow and radius that will assist the higher level elements. ie Phantom, Pattern 99 , Gold Seal etc.
For dance, you will need to move on to a dance blade if this is your speciality as they are shorter in length to free skates to avoid tripping your partner. Personally, I feel the blades Coronation Ace / Professional blades are an excellent standard for all rounders , that will take a skater quite far and are also good for resale later, if on children with growing feet.

[021228] The short answer is Yes and Yes, however ... In eligible figure skating (the type you see at the Olympics)  flips are banned, although they are allowed  in the professional ranks. A lot of  the disciplines and moves required for gymnastics, e.g. the floor routine, are similar for skaters, and ex-gymnasts normally make excellent figure skaters. Curiously, despite how dangerous a flip looks on ice it is not considered the most technically difficult element. I imagine you would need partners & support harnesses to assist with training, otherwise the consequences of falling don't bear thinking about ! 

[021227] The situation described of being stuck between grades can happen.  That is why skaters should always pass the stroking test for a grade before even sitting the free test.  The relevant NZISA rule is 227.1.  There is no problem if skaters have higher level stroking tests - even several tests higher.
The issue has been debated in the past, and if the questioner wants to state a case for changing these rules then they should do it through their club.  The argument for retaining the present rules is that if a skater is good enough to pass the free test to go into the next grade then it is not fair on other skaters if they still compete in the lower grade.  Stroking tests are a measure of a skater's basic skills and the grade requirements need to reflect this.

[021226] A country (not an individual skater) qualifies for the Olympics, by having one or more competitors finishing in the top 24 of the qualifying tournament. The skaters do not necessarily have to be national champions. Some countries, depending on their strength in the sport are allowed to send more than one competitor to the qualifying tournament. The qualifiying tournament for the upcoming Olympics was the 2001 World Championships. There are also another 6 places to be decided in the Golden Spin competition in Zagreb, Croatia, on 7-11 November 2001.
The previous Olympic Gold medalist does not automatically qualify by right. To date no New Zealand skater has ever qualified for the Olympics.

[021225] Gay Le Comte 1976
Katie Symmonds 1978, 1979
Denyse Adam 1981,  1982 
Rosanna Blong Not sure what years - 2  or 3 times
Chris  Blong   "   "
Ricky Cockerill 2000 & 2001 possibly 1999 
Dirke Baker 2001
Jnr Worlds: Kathy Lindsay 1979, 80  & 81 Rachel Fisher, Chris Blong 1985,
(Possibly Rosanna Blong)  Ricky Cockerill, Michelle Whelan, Dirke Baker 2000

[021224] The best place for that information is the national body - the New Zealand Ice Skating Association (NZISA).
Click here to contact them by E-Mail, or use their postal address:New Zealand Ice Skating Association (Inc.)
PO Box 15 838
New Lynn
Auckland
New Zealand

Update :: Just received this mail from Jack - thanks !
"The number 9 questioner could go to the local library and find a publication called "Champions All". There he or she will find a comprehensive record from the first champs, 1939 / 1965. There could be later editions. Because of repeats there are not as many as you would think. Ivan MacDonald won 70 NZ skating championships. some with his sibling. Tom Grigg was mens champ 5 times. 1946 champ Brian Tufnail told me about inline skates (wheels) in 1948."

[021223] Response from a senior judge:
I am not aware of other sports  that encourage judges to preview practice sessions for competitions. The reason figure skating judges are encouraged to attend practice sessions are as follows:
The judge will be more aware of the standard of competition they will be judging i.e. whether many of the skaters will be doing double, triple or even quadruple jumps.  Type of spins, pair lifts, dance Lifts, compulsory dances as the case may be.
It helps to identify skaters a judge may never have been seen previously and what the skaters are capable of doing. You can imagine judging an event of  15 - 20 plus skaters many whom you have never seen before and having only the 6 minute warm-up to look at prior to an event.
It is also a good opportunity to identify the jumps, spins and other movements and gives an opportunity to practice correctly recording these elements on a protocol sheet or notepaper if a judge wishes to do so.
Most events usually have an event review meeting after the competition at which the Referee may request an explanation from judges on their placement/marks etc.  The judge needs to be able to give a satisfactory answer to the Referee as to their  placements/marks of a skater by referring to the notes made only during the competition.
Judges are forbidden to use any previously prepared marks during a competition and must only mark what they see during the competition event.  

[021222] Yes, a South Island skater can belong to a North Island club and vice verca. In fact skaters can belong to as many clubs as they want. It's common practice for a skating club to restrict entries to 'members only' for their club championships, and this is one of the main reasons for joining two or more clubs. When you compete at higher levels, eg South / North  Island championships, Nationals and above you have to nominate a 'home' club. There is an interclub trophy at these events, and one reason for nominating a home club is to be able to allocate points to the correct club.

[021221] This cracked me up, thought it was some kind of  yoke.. groan !
No-One is sure, but one of the coaches thinks it is perhaps a crossfoot or Kay Thompson spin? If anybody does know for sure what it is, please let us know. I have also heard this term used in synchronized, where it refers to two adjacent (and/or concentric) circles rotating in opposite directions.

At last! an answer, kindly supplied by: Lisa Frenzel - 1999 US National Figures Champion (the final one)
Just saw your site and I think it looks great!  In your question and answer section you asked for some help defining an eggbeater.  You know the one! It is the spin Rudy Galindo made famous...it is a back spin with the free leg extended straight up in front of the body .The skater grabs the free leg with both arms and pulls the leg toward the chest thus accelerating the spin.  Hope this helps!  Have fun trying it!

[021220] The first test where this is mandatory according to the 2000 Rules and Regulations is the Bronze medal test. It is an option in the Inter Bronze medal test. If you are a NZ  TC registered skater the NZISA should have supplied you with the rules and regulations. Freeskating test requirements start on page 32.

[021219] If it is the Short Program, and the Lutz is a required element, it is a deduction. If it happens in the long program the judges may take points off. Unofficially it is called a 'Flutz'  jump, being neither a Flip nor a Lutz. Obviously when we say a judge 'may'  take points off, they would have to be consistent across all competitors.

[021218] Requirements for male and female are different. If you are a NZ  TC registered skater the NZISA should have supplied you with the rules and regulations. Gold medal and Gold Star medal requirements are on page 35. If you do not have a copy of the rules and regulations, your local club secretary should be able to provide access to the information.

[021217] The rocker is the curve of the blade from toe to heel. A small rocker means the blade is flatter while a large rocker means a more curved blade. With a large rocker there is less of the blade touching the ice. This makes for a more manouverable blade making turns and spins easier. A small rocker as you would expect has more of the blade touching the ice, and is better for jumping, especially the more advanced jumps. Having a small rocker helps the edges of the blade 'bite'  into the ice giving a solid platform to jump from. As a general rule, beginners would start on blades with a large rocker and work their way down as their skill increases.  

[021216] The results are the output from a computer package called IceCalc, which is the de facto standard for scoring figure skating events. It was used in our club champs, the S.I. Champs and will also be used for the upcoming nationals. IceCalc adheres to a scoring mechanism introduced in the late 90's called the OBO or One-By-One system. The critical part of the OBO system to rank skaters in an event, is the comparison of a skaters score against the scores of each of the other skaters - hence the term One-By-One. In theory at least, the OBO system makes no change to the way a judge scores skaters, it is just that the scores are interpreted differently. 
After the judges decide on their scores the results of the One-By-One comparisons are entered in a table or 'Matrix', and this is one of the grids you are referring to. To answer your question, the difference between the two grids is that one shows the scores, while the other shows a breakdown of the judges comparisons.
If that all this waffle sounds complex, wait till you see the details of the OBO system!  Have a look at the ISU web site. On the main page click on "News Release" and look for ISU Communication #997, which says it all ! 

[021215] Officially "no", although it has certainly been the trend in recent years. At present there are only four rinks considered as candidates for Nationals. Glenburn and Auckland in the North, Christchurch and Queenstown in the South. Of the three other main rinks, Dunedin and Gore are too small, and Alexandra is not considered because it is an outdoor rink and unlikely to have ice during September.  What can happen however, is that the hosting club can actually conduct the event at one of the other rinks. That allows a situation where for example, Gore can 'host'  the South Island championships, but the event is held in Queenstown.

[021214] At the 1990 ISU Congress held in Christchurch NZ the decision was made to delete Figures from  World Championships and International Competitions from 1991 onwards.  New Zealand followed this decision and deleted figures from its championships as from 1991.
 However figures have been retained as a test discipline.

[021213] In answer to your question, yes some ice arenas have sand under the ice. To be more specific it is silica sand (very fine sand from which glass is manufactured). Sand bases are generally only used if the ice floor is going to be a permanent fixture. A permanent ice floor is generally constructed as follows :- On top of course is the ice itself, then a very thin layer of tissue paper. This is how the ice gets it's white colour, as well as all the hockey markings or advertising slogans. Under the tissue paper is another thin layer of ice (a level surface to lay the paper on). Then there is the sand, this sand is essentially used to insulate and protect the refrigeration pipes (which are filled with a suitable refrigerant). The refrigerant in the pipes is what freezes the ice. The sand layer is thick enough to cover the pipes above and below. Under the sand is a sheet of black polythene, used as damp proof course to stop sand and water getting into the layer of polystyrene underneath the sand. The last layer which is under the polystyrene is concrete with hot water pipes running through it, this is to keep the permafrost from freezing the ground underneath everything.
This is only one way ice floor construction, there are obviously different ways for different climates or situations. This only a very quick insight into how our ice floor is constructed. I hope this has still answered your question though.

[021212] Yes. I asked the ISU for an answer on this as I have heard lots of conflicting opinions. Below is their response.
Rule 102, paragraph 4 b) of the ISU General Regulations does say:
"paid employees of ISU Members and their affiliated clubs, and remunerated
coaches, may not be a Referee, Assistant Referee, Judge, Starter of
Competitors Steward in ISU Events or any other international competitions
sanctioned by a Member or the ISU and such persons may not be a member of the ISU Council, a Technical Committee or the Appeals Commission....."
However, the ISU's rules do not contain anything preventing the election of
paid coaches as officials in national federations. That is a decision for
you and for the NZISA to take.

We hope that this is helpful.
Best wishes,
ISU OFFICE

[021211] Centaurus skaters also use a harness in training.  It is suspended from a cable that straddles the rink towards the 'skate shop' end. The whole contraption roughly resembles a flying fox, and works on the same principal.  It does get in the way of other skaters, and rink etiquette is to give way to whoever is using it, or at the very least use caution and common sense when approaching the area.

[021210] Click here to view an article on ice skating blades. Among other facts it discusses wear and tear on blades. 

[021208] A professional skater can't compete in amateur (or eligible as they say in skating) competitions. I would  question whether they get paid for their contribution to skating. More likely they get paid for contributing to the profits of the promoters, sponsors etc.. If sponsors make money, the skaters make money, it's a win-win situation. 
Amateurism and it's pure ideals have a place, but doesn't pay the bills. I personally can't see anything wrong with someone making a professional career and lots of money from a sport they love and are good at. Your peak sporting years are limited, you might as well make the most of them.
(Perhaps this and similar types of questions where there is no clear cut answer, are more suited for general discussion - try posting them on the bulletin board instead).

[021207] A Hamill Camel is a camel spin that turns into a sit spin. It is named after the famous US skater Dorothy Hamill who popularised it.

[021206] Land it ! 
Failing that, there are many products you can buy or improvise to pad sensitive areas. Knee and elbow pads, hip and tailbone protectors are the most common. Some kids have an aversion to padding - 'it's not cool'  to be seen wearing it, while to others it's a status symbol and proves they are trying more difficult jumps. You are probably using one of the cheapest form of padding right now - your mouse pad !  Stuff a couple of those inside your clothes to provide hip & tailbone protection. 
You should also practice the new jump off ice as much as possible before doing it on the ice. You have to be able to coordinate all the movements without having to think about it. Hurtling down the ice at full speed a metre in the air NOT the time to wonder why your feet are wrapped round your neck ! 

[021205] The standard 'textbook' execution is appropriate for tests and compulsory programmes, because that is what the judges are looking for. The delayed, inside, tuck or any other variations are more suited to the freeskate where it shows you have progressed beyond the plain old axel.
I'm not a judge but I image it would help a lot toward the artistic mark in the freeskate programme.

[021204] Yes - If it causes the skater to go over the allowed time to complete the program.

[021203] A layover position is a variation on a camel spin. If you can visualize yourself in a camel spin with your upper body rotated to look up at the lights in the rinks ceiling then you have it !

[021202] To quote from the rules ...
If there is an interruption in the music, or circumstances arise which jeopardize the safety of the skater (i.e. untied lace, obstacles on the ice, building fire, etc) the Referee may signal the skater to stop skating (note that the skater may initiate the stoppage under these circumstances, as long as she/he is confident that the referee would agree with the assessment of the problem).
If this happens, the skater will be allowed up to 2 minutes to rest or correct the problem; then the program is continued from the point of interruption.  No restarts are permitted (except as noted in SSR 13.02).  If the skater is unable to continue the program, the skater is considered to be withdrawn.
If the tempo or quality of the music is deficient, the skater should stop and inform the referee within the first 30 seconds of the performance.  Usually, a restart will be allowed under those conditions.  No restart may be made if the skater fails to inform the referee within the specified 30 seconds (same rule applies if the wrong tape is played, or the tape is started somewhere other than “the beginning”).

[021201] If a double jump is a requirement in the short programme and a skater does a toe axle (a cheated double toe) and this is seen by the judges - then yes a deduction will be made. A toe axle takes off forward and is one & 1/2 revolutions - a double toe takes of backward and is 2 revolutions.

[021130] No International figure events have been held in NZ but there has been an ISU Short Track Speed event held at the Alpine in Christchurch a few years ago.

[021129] There was an article on this in the October newsletter 2001. If you dont have a copy contact the club for back issues.

Centaurus Ice Skating Club Incorporated, P.O. Box 30041 Christchurch New Zealand