Inoue & Baldwin & World Professional Championships

[cryptick]

Just wondering firstly if Inoue & Baldwin have retired. Also do they still have the World Professional Championships? It used to be on tv years ago.

[tarotx]

Not yet
and no

[Tony Wheeler]

I heard about a month ago that Scott Hamilton was planning on trying to revitalize the pro competition scene, aiming on holding six competition in the winter of 2011. He had apparently just gotten a major investor to jump on board when I heard the news, but I haven't heard anything since. I'd imagine at least one of the planned competitions would be a "serious"-type format like the former World Pros and Ladies Pro Championships.

[tarotx]

A new pro worlds would rule!

[PEKINGMOO]

I miss World Pro's. In the late 80's - early 90's that comp was more interesting than most anything going on in the amature world. Brian B. & G&G in their primes ...even Midori Ito throwing her 3x.

Nostalgia...I think this would be an amazing platform to see Kwan return to public ice...if she ever chose to. Sort of like Janet Lynn kicking off the original in the early 80's.

[attyfan]

...
Nostalgia...I think this would be an amazing platform to see Kwan return to public ice...if she ever chose to. Sort of like Janet Lynn kicking off the original in the early 80's.

From your post to G-d's ears! Seriously, it would be a great platform for renewed matchups between classic rivals -- Kwan/Slutskaya; Yags/Plush, etc.

[BigB08822]

I think some new pro comps would be great, especially if you got someone like Kwan in on the action. For the competitions to have any shot there needs to be BIG names. Try to get a line up of Kwan, Cohen, Yamaguchi (she can probably still outjump the current world bronze medalist, just saying...), Arakawa, etc. etc.

The problem to me would be television interest. We don't even get to see the World Championships or anything at the moment. The only competition aired on Network television right now is Nationals and Skate America LP's, right? If they wont even air other major competitions it may be really hard to get them to air a professional competition.

[mmscfdcsu]

I think some new pro comps would be great, especially if you got someone like Kwan in on the action. For the competitions to have any shot there needs to be BIG names. Try to get a line up of Kwan, Cohen, Yamaguchi (she can probably still out jump the current world bronze medalist, just saying...), Arakawa, etc. etc.
.

I think that you need more than names. You need great skating. Pro competitions were really lame until Boitano came along and kept his technical skills so strong. He WAS Pro skating. The thing that I fear with Scott involved is that it will turn into a bland Disson like show with mediocre skating to putrid kiddie tunes. I want real competition. No appearance fees. Rewards for real quality skating.

[jlai]

I think that you need more than names. You need great skating. Pro competitions were really lame until Boitano came along and kept his technical skills so strong. He WAS Pro skating. The thing that I fear with Scott involved is that it will turn into a bland Disson like show with mediocre skating to putrid kiddie tunes. I want real competition. No appearance fees. Rewards for real quality skating.

Amen!

[kwanfan1818]

Pro competitions were lame because they were by invitation, not by qualification.

[alchemy void]

Yamaguchi (she can probably still outjump the current world bronze medalist, just saying...), Arakawa, etc. etc.

Cute.

Anyways professional skating is dead in the United States, thanks in part to Hamilton. I can't imagine it making a comeback anytime soon.

[Jubak]

Cute.

Anyways professional skating is dead in the United States, thanks in part to Hamilton. I can't imagine it making a comeback anytime soon.

Totally wrong statement, sorry. ProComps are dead due to a greedy ISU wanting a piece of it. The last "Landover" comp had pros with amateurs who were skating their regular ISU-type programs. It was beyond boring.

Hamilton was a star in ProComps. He didn't kill it, he was one of the golden gooses. If anyone can bring it back, it will be him. (and I'm not a huge Scott fan, esp. of his commentary-yuck!) He just is a skater who has a pretty good business acumen.

[Jayar]

It was stuff like Phillipe Candeloro's 30 minute programs that beat an exquisite Rudy Galindo that killed pro skating.

[Frau Muller]

I would love to see a World Pros come back but NOT if it's bankrolled by Scott/Stars on Ice, which would not be fair to skaters not affiliated with SOI.

[Willowway]

they were by invitation, not by qualification

How does a professional skater who, by definition, is not competing regularly 'qualify'?

[Frau Muller]

How does a professional skater 'qualify'?

There could be regionals or country-specific qualifiers, open to any professional skater, to avoid only those skaters affiliated with SOI (if it's Scott organizing). A skater from Japan first enters the Japanese Pro Ch'ps. Top two in each discipline go to the World Pros. That sort of thing.

[Willowway]

There's a very large difference between funding/producing an event and establishing a global network of events. I suspect Scott wasn't thinking of the latter. I too would like all pros to be 'eligible' for any pro championship but without a entire professional competitive system (read lots and lots of money to do it), that is a difficult call. Maybe Scott can attract that level of global investment - it would be wonderful but it's a long shot.

[kwanfan1818]

How does a professional skater who, by definition, is not competing regularly 'qualify'?

By having auto-qualification standards, i.e. anyone who was a major championship and/or Olympic medalist or top 5 as an eligible skater. By having a qualification event or round for anyone who doesn't auto-qualify. By using the first program as a qualifier for the second program.

[tarotx]

Anyone who isn't a major championship medalist is most of US. I guess they could have a couple of open events where the skater has to pay an entrance fee otherwise I don't see that ever having a chance of happening-Unless Yu Na Kim turns pro. I don't see a return of pros so and even less chance of qualifying anything.

[Willowway]

Thanks tarotx - I was just about to ask how large the first round was and who is paying all those people to skate? The skaters aren't going to pay to skate - that's the opposite of professional skating. And then if you only get those who are willing to pay to skate you get the bottom level - champions won't do that.