Idea to hold a “North American Challenge” in mid-Feb 2021?

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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Copying this from the US Natls Ladies LP thread in KnC, evolving from discussion on how to select the US team for Worlds 2021 & the need to create additional events, as Russia is doing, to provide more competition experience:

I wish that there would be a way for USFS and Skate Canada to get together and resurrect a North American Championships in a super-secure bubble spot...maybe even Vegas? Do something with the two governments to make it work. Charter a plane from a secure spot in Canada & fly the Canadian team to Vegas, for example. Get Toyota to sponsor!

Results of this North Americans could help decide the two countries’ respective Worlds team. There you have it!

To which I added:

If there’s a simple and safe way to add Mexico’s Donovan Carrillo to the mix - especially if he trains in the USA or Canada - then please do so. Technically, Mexico is in North America.

Update: I’ve since found out that Donovan lives & trains in Leon, Mexico...maybe not so easy to include him in a “crud edition” of a special North Am challenge.

Let’s discuss, please!
 
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alj5

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That would be awesome. Jason and the dancers were able to get from Canada to the US. And surely the Orleans arena would love the business, even at/near cost.
 

miffy

Bad Brit
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Much as I would like to see more skating, I don’t see why Skate Canada would do this right after cancelling Nationals. :confused: Definitely not in mid February. Possibly later if Worlds was cancelled but I expect if it is people would rather the season was over and just move on to preparing for the Olympic season.
And I agree with whoever said in the other thread, no to putting everyone on a plane together :eek:
 

Karen-W

Checking Senior Bs for TES mins...
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It isn't a bad idea at all, especially to help the skaters/teams who don't have their TES minimums yet. I guess we'll see what the ISU decides but it would be a pity if a team like K/F can't go to Worlds because they don't have their TES minimums when they are clearly capable of meeting the standard set by the ISU.
 

Japanfan

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The Canadian and US border is going to be closed for some time I think.

Some of the skaters might like the idea, and there might be ways to keep the skaters safe. But even, a lot/the majority of Canadians do not want to go to the US at this time. That probably won't change until most Americans and Canadians have been vaccinated. We are doing very much better than the US with regard to YKW.
 
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Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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22,098
Much as I would like to see more skating, I don’t see why Skate Canada would do this right after cancelling Nationals. :confused: Definitely not in mid February. Possibly later if Worlds was cancelled but I expect if it is people would rather the season was over and just move on to preparing for the Olympic season.
And I agree with whoever said in the other thread, no to putting everyone on a plane together :eek:

I see your point about the plane but my thought was to turn the special chartered flight into part of the bubble...nobody allowed in unless s/he is cleared...as in the hotel in Vegas.

This would only be 4 or 5 skaters or couples per discipline, per country (plus the one male Mexican who is world class, if he could safely join). Not at all a Nationals-style field, per se.
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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22,098
It isn't a bad idea at all, especially to help the skaters/teams who don't have their TES minimums yet. I guess we'll see what the ISU decides but it would be a pity if a team like K/F can't go to Worlds because they don't have their TES minimums when they are clearly capable of meeting the standard set by the ISU.

Thanks. In my mind, this wouldn’t be an ISU competition...just a special one-off event in these tough times, to provide one more competitive experience - in a safe bubble that includes any planes taken to/from - for the absolute-top 4-5 skaters or teams in each of the two (or three) countries of N Am.

I also thought that, as this would be a special event held for experience, the age restrictions could be loosened...allowing Alysa Liu, for ex...like the Russians are doing with Valieva in recent & upcoming special (non-ISU) competitions.
 
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Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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The Canadian and US border is going to be closed for some time I accept.

Some of the skaters might like the idea, and there might be ways to keep the skaters safe. But even, a lot/the majority of Canadians do not want to go to the US at this time. That probably won't change until most Americans and Canadians have been vaccinated.

Re Borders situation- That’s why I mentioned the government (diplomats) involvement to make this happen. Just a thought. Hey, the ability to cooperate in friendly manner is about to change on January 20! (I can already feel changes in my line of work...foreign aid. Just in practicalities...)

Finally, let me say that this is just an idea and I “don’t give a rusty hoot” (as Dick Button would say) about credit. Nothing would make me happier than to see someone else run with the idea, to allow our top skaters in North America have a competitive opportunity between now & late March. Safely, of course. :)
 
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Foolhardy Ham Lint

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Such a good idea. I've always thought that Four Continents covered too big an area for skaters to attend. It really should be two or three separate competitions.

If it did happen, here's hoping the skaters are able to contain themselves a little better than the tennis players currently in Melbourne in preparation for the Australian Open.

 

AxelAnnie

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It would be great except for that virus, sickness and death thing. I think the stakes are way to high, and the {potential} reward too low.

I will be totally surprised if they hold World's. Same reasoning.

I think we are all screwed for a really long time.
It was so great to watch the virtual competition. I'll be great with that if it keeps people safe, and reduces the time we are spending in this horrid state.

Anyone remember the mumps....spread very much Iike Covid. And another thriller was measels with 400,000 cases an a single year and 500 deaths.

I remember being quarantined inside my house with yellow tape across the door.

now we have MMR shots that keep it under control until the anti-vaxers were popular for a few years.

i just can't imagine why we would put our precious athletes in danger. As to being competition ready...Brandie managed it. As did Amber and others.
we can have it all...it will just be different.
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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22,098
How about a two-venues “live virtual” event - the US skaters in Vegas and the Canadians in an equivalent hotel-with-indoor-arena venue...although I wouldn’t know which hotel that would be, with ice arena of proper size. One of the big luxurious Fairmont hotels? Lake Louise? Where & how were the recent World Jr Hockey Championships held...Alberta?

Anyway, pls carry on. I’ll be at church all morning...turning off the iPhone, LOL. Will rejoin the skating universe by the time that the Nationals Men’s free skates begin.
 
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miffy

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I think it is a nice idea but the Canadians have cancelled their nationals for a reason... and unless I dreamed this I think I read they may not even send their athletes to Worlds if it happens... I can’t see them wanting to do any kind of competition so soon!

However in future years a North American challenge would be great :)
 
C

casken

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Re Borders situation- That’s why I mentioned the government (diplomats) involvement to make this happen. Just a thought. Hey, the ability to cooperate in friendly manner is about to change on January 20! (I can already feel changes in my line of work...foreign aid. Just in practicalities...)
I can't imagine with all the sh*t they're going to have to clean up, the new administration wasting time getting involved in creating a new skating event right now.

Once this thing is over, I'm all for having a longer season, extra events, etc.
 
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allezfred

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The idea that someone thinks an international skating event can be organised from scratch in February 2021 with checks notes a month’s notice in the middle of a global pandemic tells you all you need to know about that person’s critical thinking ability.
 
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Lemonade20

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
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They could totally pull off a virtual North American event. In person would be too challenging with the logistics, border being closed and all. But I’d love to see a virtual presentation where they have another chance to improve their numbers
 

skatingguy

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The idea that someone thinks an international skating event can be organised from scratch in February 2011 with checks notes a month’s notice in the middle of a global ********* tells you all you need to know about that person’s critical thinking ability.
2021*
 

Rock2

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The current situation with the v*rus is THE big thing but the other huge barrier is that a pile of Canadian skaters are simply not training right now. Rinks are closed in 3-4 provinces.

My understanding is that Skate Canada is going to set something up if they can but they can't plan it until rinks open up AND they check in with all the top skaters to understand training plans going forward (both to close off this season and ramp up prep for next season). Only at that point can even a virtual event begin to be considered.

So if I'm a betting man, I would expect some sort of enhanced summer competition schedule, including virtual. Might be needed to figure out international assignment priority. I'm already thinking ahead based on the assumption that world's does not happen...or at least Canada doesn't send a team
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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22,098
The idea that someone thinks an international skating event can be organised from scratch in February 2021 with checks notes a month’s notice in the middle of a global ********* tells you all you need to know about that person’s critical thinking ability.
Didn’t Toyota create the Las Vegas fluff event (after Skate Am) in a few day’s time...if not overnight? That Tara-Johnny event came out of nowhere!

In how much time has Russia created the live fluff (semi fluff) events for February?

So Valieva and the rest keep up their competition skills...
 

misskarne

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Didn’t Toyota create the Las Vegas fluff event (after Skate Am) in a few day’s time...if not overnight? That Tara-Johnny event came out of nowhere!

In how much time has Russia created the live fluff (semi fluff) events for February?

So Valieva and the rest keep up their competition skills...
1. The Las Vegas fluff event was doable because everyone was already there. They were able to tack it on because all the skaters were already in the bubble for Skate America (and all they had to do was add Alysa Liu).

2. Let's not use Russia as a positive example for...well...anything to do with this plague, given their appalling record and the rate of infection among their skaters.
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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22,098
1. The Las Vegas fluff event was doable because everyone was already there. They were able to tack it on because all the skaters were already in the bubble for Skate America (and all they had to do was add Alysa Liu).

2. Let's not use Russia as a positive example for...well...anything to do with this plague, given their appalling record and the rate of infection among their skaters.
Thanks for you input, Miss Karne! Of course...”pie in the sky.” Maybe I’m just giddy over seeing Fabulous Jason this weekend (and the rest). I hate to think that their season has (likely) ended, unless Worlds happens. 💐
 
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With respect to organizing a virtual event, Ted Barton indicated the virtual Challenge event took about 3-4 months to organize (they started last autumn). This included training the judges and technical people on how to use the remote software and assuring that technical standards in equipment, internet access could be met by everybody. Then there was videoing the skaters, some of whom don't currently have access to indoor ice or whose training hours have been seriously curtailed. Teams of videographers were sent to "hub" rinks for the skaters to be filmed. I think in some cases, their skates occurred 4 to 6 weeks before Challenge. Skate Canada did an amazing job but it didn't just happen!

This likely couldnt even happen now in many places in Canada including southern Ontario where there is a declared state of emergency as our ICU beds start to overflow and the news is filled with doctors discussing guidance on how to decide who gets triaged to die because there aren't sufficient facilities / health care workers to handle all the severe cases. This current lockdown isn't because Canada is unnecessarily overprotective, its because individuals decided that COVID wasn't a big deal or not their personal responsibility, and we all are having to deal with that fallout.
 

blue_idealist

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2,641
With respect to organizing a virtual event, Ted Barton indicated the virtual Challenge event took about 3-4 months to organize (they started last autumn). This included training the judges and technical people on how to use the remote software and assuring that technical standards in equipment, internet access could be met by everybody. Then there was videoing the skaters, some of whom don't currently have access to indoor ice or whose training hours have been seriously curtailed. Teams of videographers were sent to "hub" rinks for the skaters to be filmed. I think in some cases, their skates occurred 4 to 6 weeks before Challenge. Skate Canada did an amazing job but it didn't just happen!

This likely couldnt even happen now in many places in Canada including southern Ontario where there is a declared state of emergency as our ICU beds start to overflow and the news is filled with doctors discussing guidance on how to decide who gets triaged to die because there aren't sufficient facilities / health care workers to handle all the severe cases. This current lockdown isn't because Canada is unnecessarily overprotective, its because individuals decided that ********* wasn't a big deal or not their personal responsibility, and we all are having to deal with that fallout.
The virus situation is bad in Southern Ontario, but the high performance athletes are still allowed to train (indoor rinks are closed to the public otherwise).
 

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