An Open Letter to the ISU (AKA Please Fix the IJS)

As a skater and a skating fan who has lived and skated through the change from the 6.0 to the IJS, let me first just say how much of an improvement it has been and how much it has pushed figure skating forward as a sport. It has made the judging slightly more impartial (though, let's be real, it's never going to be truly impartial no matter how hard we try) and it has been improved in recent years. Now that judging is no longer anonymous, hopefully we will see a little more accountability to help with the impartiality. And cracking down on flutzing will be great, ensuring that skaters can actually do the jumps in their programs, but the system is still far from perfect.

The talk of changing the GOE system to allow for higher scores is a little infuriating to me. It's not a change that has a whole lot of real meaning, and it seems that it has only been created for the sake of making it possible for new world records, but if I had any say, that is not the route I would have taken.

While I know first hand how hard those jumps are (nevermind quads, I never mastered all my doubles), they are not the only difficult aspect of figure skating, and I really do believe, especially with the new GOE system, they will continue to be rewarded above all else. I have 2 changes I would recommenced to the IJS, and though I know they probably will never happen, I need to get these off my chest.

1. I would love to see unlimited levels in elements that are leveled (spins, step sequences, etc.).

This would allow skaters whose strengths are not in the jumping elements to shine. Some of the best spinners in the world have, for example laybacks that could be counted as level 7 or 8 laybacks that they continue to do in competition, despite the fact that they are not rewarded for the extra difficulty. This same idea would push skaters to improve their skating skills to max out levels on step sequences. The way that they are currently set up, skaters who don't have the greatest skating skills are able to disguise them pretty effectively by only just meeting the requirements of the level 4 step sequences while others who clearly have better skating skills also complete a level 4 step sequence, and though they get a higher GOE, they start at the same base value when they are sometimes not at all comparable

2. I would like to see a system for the judges that is divided, half the judges providing the TES and the other providing the PCS.

Often, PCS can become a little like reputation points, where high marks are given to well-known, well-established skaters who are not as strong, simply because the judges have so much to do, they can't effectively watch for both PCS and TES at the same time. The easiest solution (in my mind) would be to leave the TES to the technical pannel, and just add one or two of the judges to that pannel who provide both levels and GOEs for technical elements while the judging pannel, now down a few members evaluate the PCS. By altering the judging system in this way, skaters can be rewarded for the skills they have regardless of whether they are technical, artistic, or both without any category being underrepresented because the judging panel have so much to do. Judging is hard. I'm certainly not denying that, but a change in the system, to make it more like synchronized diving, would make the judges' job easier while also giving skaters with different strengths an equal opportunity to succeed.

A perfect illustration of my second point is a comparison between Shoma Uno and Max Aaron at last year's Skate America. Even Max Aaron's fans (well, most of them) will admit that he doesn't have the best skating skills or performance quality. His best ability is in the jumps, and admittedly, when he's having a good day, they're pretty fantastic. However Shoma Uno, though not the best of the best when it comes to skating skills and performance, should be up near the top. However, when they competed against each other at Skate America 2015 in the short, Max Aaron's PCS was higher than Shoma Uno's (he was still brand new to the senior circuit and had yet to make a name for himself). Their PCS were 38.71 and 38.50, respectively. And though they're close it's not all that debatable that Uno's PCS based on the way he skates should be better (and by a wide margin). Though Uno had higher PCS in the free, they were still far too close for my liking (in that Aaron's were too high, objectively, he doesn't perform or skate as well as the top men in the PCS, whereas Uno undoubtedly comes close).

Though these changes may look immense at first glance, they would take very little change to the IJS but would work wonders to continue to propel the sport forward in segments beyond the jump elements and would change the sport forever in a way that I think would be positive overall, much like the way the change to the IJS was a huge uprooting for long-time skaters, but in the end made positive contributions to the sport.

Signed,
A Great Lover of Figure Skating.