If you are looking for my original compilation post, “Ariana’s Figure Skating Masterpost,” you can find it here
In the ISU judging system there is a Technical Elements Score (TES) which takes into account the grade of execution of elements, and that’s where deductions come in for falls and points off for under-rotations and edge quality of footwork. Then there is the Program Components Score (PCS) or as we called it, performance score, which is just that, how well the skater preformed and portrayed their music based off of five categories.
Short Program Segment Score
+ Free Skate Segment Score
= Competition Score
TES
Each program is permitted a certain number of elements based on the competitive skating level. The base level of each element is different depending on the level of difficulty. Depending on how the element was skated you can get a grade of execution of a +1, +2, or +3 on the element or a 0 -1, -2, -3.
The +’s and -’s usually don’t exactly correlate with the true number of points given or taken. For example, a Quad Flip (abbreviated as 4F) has a base value of 11.3 and a +3 is worth a gain of 3 points, while a -3 is worth a loss of 4.8 points :0
In the free skate of singles skating the base values (but not the GOEs) for all jump elements started in the second half of the program will be multiplied by a special factor 1.1 in order to give credit for even distribution of difficulties in the program. That’s why Yuri and Victor put most of his jumps in the second half of his program, because even if he gets deductions on an element the total will still be worth more than if he had done it in the first half.
For example, the base score of a quad salchow (4S) is 10.5, but if its done in the second half of the fs, its base value becomes 11.55. In his freeskate at the 2015 GPF, Yuzuru Hanyu did a quad sal and its GOE was 3 for a total of 13.5.
Javier Fernandez had a quad salchow in his long program there too, only his was in the second half of his program. The quad sal he did received only a GOE of 1, but because he had the bonus multiplier, it gave him a final element score of 12.55. If he had done that same jump, the same way, but in the beginning of his program, its grade of execution would have only been 11.5.
Here’s another example as seen from a selected score from last year’s GPF and this year’s Cup of China.
In his freeskate last season, Boyang Jin of China had a triple axel planned. The base value of a 3A (Triple Axel) is 8.50. The grade of execution earned was a -3, which ended up making the total value 5.50
In his short program this season, Jin had another triple axel. As previously mentioned, the base value of a triple axel is 8.50. He did a technically great one, and earned a 2 GOE on it, making it’s final value 10.5.
During the last winter Olympics The Wire put out this really beautiful article with gifs and point assignment explanations on Yuzuru Hanyu and Patrick Chan’s jump scores if you want to look at it here.
Because why not have useless information, I also found the point value document for single and pair skating if you want to look at that here.
PCS
There are five judging components of one’s Program Components Score; Skating Skills, Transitions, Choreography, Interpretation, and Performance/Execution. Each category is marked with a value from 0 to 10 in 0.25 increments. These five marks are then multiplied by a factor depending on the type of program and level.
Skating Skills- Edge control and flow over the ice surface, the clarity of technique and use of effortless power to accelerate and vary speed.
Transitions- The skater’s positions, movements, meticulous footwork, and holds that link all their elements.
Choreography- An arrangement of all types of movements according to the principles of proportion, unity, space, pattern, structure, and phrasing on the ice. Skaters can do a required step sequence perfectly but not get any points for it because they didn’t get enough ice coverage.
Interpretation- The personal and creative translation of the music to movement on ice, the appropriateness of the music and the skater’s expression of it. I once skated in a group showcase with my friends against some girls who skated to the Spice Girls and shook their butts in front of the judges… MOST skaters take appropriate music seriously.
Performance/Execution- The way the skaters hold themselves on the ice, their emotional and physical performance that portrays the emotion and intent of the music and choreography.
Now, as you can see all 5 of these categories are interlinked, so a well-balanced program can’t neglect any of these components without the other’s suffering because of it.
*REMINDER* Figure Skating is a tough and demanding sport, both physically and mentally. Please, do not attempt any difficult elements or skating that is beyond your skill level. You may hurt, or cause serious injury to yourself and other skaters. Skate at your own risk.
Good morning campers! Today we are going to be talking about the Flutz. Now you may be thinking to yourself, “Hey Ariana, you spelled Lutz wrong.” I did in fact spell Lutz wrong, I spelled it Flutz, because a Flutz is wrong, a mistake, a big fucking boo boo Terry.
If you dont want to be here, check out my original masterpost here.
Now some background, a Lutz is one of the toe jumps, and like every single toe jump, it takes off backwards. But the unique thing about the Lutz, is that it takes off from an outside edge. A Flutz is when a skater goes into a Lutz, but before the take off the skater flips onto an inside edge, making it a Flip-Lutz, a Fake Lutz, a Failed Lutz, A Fucked Up Lutz.
See how right before the take off she flips to an inside edge.
Really? Still having issues? Lets go back to the basics. EDGES.
Each skate has two edges, and inside and an outside edge. As the names may suggest, their locations on the skate correspond with the kind of edge.
Maybe think of it this way... Imagine a skater gliding in a circle on one foot. The skater’s free leg (the leg they aren’t currently skating on) will tell you what kind of an edge they are on.
See how her free leg is on the outside of the circle? That shows you (not me, i could already tell what edge she was on you losers) she is on an outside edge.
Lutz Jumps
Here we have Queen Kim Yuna keeping a good fucking outside edge on her take off.
Look at the angle of her foot to the ice!!!!
Holy SHit!!!
Scoring
Now you may be thinking, whats the big deal? Why does it matter that skaters are doing a Flutz and getting credit for a Lutz?
Well there’s actually a big difference in scoring between a flip and a lutz once it gets to triples. Coaches should have crushed their skaters’ habit to change their take off edge by doubles, because once it gets to triples, the base value of a Flip is 5.5 and a Lutz is 6.0
And once you get the positive and negative GOE involved it gets really different. A change of edge on takeoff for a Lutz should automatically be given a negative 2 or negative 3 GOE. For example, in this gif of Evegnia Medvedeva she does a absolutely ridiculous Flutz. This was at the WTT in 2017, where she was given a +2 GOE.
Yes, she is doing a difficult variation air position with her arm over her hear like that, but that shouldn’t make up for the fact that she isn’t doing the jump in question, and the IJS doesn’t shouldn’t work like that.
In this example from the 2016 Trophee de France, she falls on her flutz. ‘But Ariana,’ you may interject, ‘she fell, that’s an automatic negative GOE!’
Yeah so is an (e) edge call, which is worth -2 or -3. To people who say that shes compensating for a weakness and playing the system my doing the difficult air position, this example ruins your argument. She is doing it here too, and look, she still gets the negative GOE from the fall. If her air position was really cancelling out her Flutz takeoff, shed be at a 0, which she isn’t.
She has like... never really gotten an (e) edge call, which is fucking ridiculous.
Last night my mom was like, 'Honey you look great, have you lost weight?' And I have literally been studying for 2 weeks straight and have only left my room to go to class and I feel disgusting and awful and I was kinda appreciative of the compliment but also does she think the only way I'll look nice is if I loose weight? Like my moms not the skinniest person ever, but I feel great with how much I weigh and she's always trying to diet and and its not the best feeling when someone you are so much like is always trying to loose weight yeah? (I dropped 15 pounds btw)
