Wendi Dunlap-Simpson
<litlnemo@...>
wrote: At 9:00 AM -0800 3/6/02,

(PART 1)

RE: EIFSA IN-LINE ARTISTIC FREESTYLE TESTS
http://www.geocities.com/eifsaweb/eifsa_freestyle_tests.html

Not a flame, just commentary:

I think these tests need more development. Elements like a camel spin
or a stag/split jump in bronze seem far too difficult for the first
test in a testing structure. Perhaps the designer of the tests was
thinking from the perspective of an ice skater, who already can do
those elements, switching to inlines -- but I think it's important to
assume that testers are starting from scratch, not as already
experienced figure skaters.

(FWIW, I can do a camel just fine on ice -- but have not yet been
able to do more than 2 revs on inlines. It's NOT an easy or an
introductory element.)

It is also odd to require moves like spread eagles in all directions
(many skaters are physically incapable of this no matter how good
they may be otherwise -- it requires an openness to the hips that
some people will never have. US ice skating tests don't require this
move as far as I know, maybe for that reason) and layback spins
(generally difficult for men to learn because they don't have the
same low-back flexibility that women do).

There is some terminology I am not familiar with as well
-- swallow dives, flamingos. We may call those something else here.

As an inline free skater, I would like to see a good testing program.
But I don't think this one would work. Perhaps it needs more than 3
levels. And perhaps the World Class level requirements should be in
the Gold test. I think it is important to start with developmental
tests to give people an easily-attainable first step on the ladder.
Right now the Bronze looks like a basic test, but then suddenly these
very advanced elements appear in it (like the camel).

Would people take each part separately? A Spins text, a Jumps test,
etc? It makes slightly more sense in that case, because people would
just start with the basic skills and go on from there.




(PART 2)

Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2002 18:35:36 -0800

From: "Wendi Dunlap-Simpson" <litlnemo@...>

Subject: Re: EIFSA IN-LINE ARTISTIC FREESTYLE TESTS
http://www.geocities.com/eifsaweb/eifsa_freestyle_tests.html


At 11:14 AM -0800 3/7/02, Samantha Bennis wrote:

3) Artistic Inline Skaters include:

a) ICE SKATERS crossing over,training off-ice on
inlines.

b) QUAD SKATERS (Artistic) crossing over to inlines.

c) INLINE SKATERS (Agressive & Recreational) also
crossing over, to Artistic Inline.

I would add:

d) "native" inline figure skaters -- i.e. those who started on inline
figure skates fron the beginning with the intention of doing artistic
skating. There are probably very few of these if any, but I think
that once the sport gets going, there will be some. Skaters who have
barely started on quads or inlines and then decide to take up inline
free skating right away would probably qualify here, as well.

Moves/ Compulsory Dances/ Original Dance/ Free Dance

Which can be taken separately "horizontally".

5) Ideally we thought for example: JUMPS TESTS

I kind of like this idea... a jumps test, a spin test, etc., and
being able to be, say, a Gold jumper and a Bronze spinner. :)

But...

Bronze: including ALL single jumps.

That is a ton of difficulty for one test. From my perspective, I like
tests to be manageable "bites" of difficulty. For example, if I had
been told when I first learned to ice skate that I couldn't pass a
test until I had my flip, I would have been horribly discouraged
because it seemed so far off, and I might have just given up. But my
first tests had half-jumps, which seemed possible. And when I had
passed those, then the salchow seemed possible (actually, I got the
salchow the first day I tried it and never had a problem with that
one ;). And then the toe loop seemed possible. And so on.

But this is sort of a philosophical issue. What drives/encourages
skaters more? The distant goal or the close one?


Silver: All double jumps (Novice & Junior World Class)

Gold: Triples (Senior World Class)

Is *anyone* doing triples on inlines yet? The last I heard, the
biggest jump done on PicSkates is a double axel.

The question then is -- should the tests include elements that no one
-- or only one or two people -- can do yet? Or should the testing bar
be set lower and then gradually raised as the competition level
improves? There are still so few skaters that the competition level
is extremely low. (I am the only inline free skater in my region, and
my skating level is quite low... but since I'm the only one...) In
Europe, are there a lot of inline free skaters, and how many are
doing doubles and triples?

I suppose it depends on the purpose of the tests. If the purpose is
just to show off that you've achieved a high level, then making the
requirements high is good... but if you are going to require testing
to compete, the requirements should be lower.

Once again thinking from the ice perspective, I note that the USFSA
Senior Free Skating test doesn't even require a triple jump, though
of course triples are necessary to be competitive there. The test
requirements are low but people skate to a higher level in
competition.

- SWALLOW DIVES:
are deeply bent inside edges with a straight free leg
crossed behind the bent knee, and the arms spread
diagonally with the inner-hand fingers almost touching
the floor.(Often followed, for example, by a
change-of-edge into a FO spiral.)

Is this what we call "shoot the moon" here? I do this move on ice but
my ice coach didn't have any idea what to call it. :)

Wendi Dunlap Simpson
Seattle, WA, USA *
USFSA Ad.Bronze Free / USARS Esquire Figures
Ice? Roller? It's all skating!
http://www.slumberland.seattle.wa.us