Should the 6 Grand Prix Stops be Switched Every Season?

[tony]

Finland is getting a Grand Prix event for the first time after China withdrew their events from the ISU calendar this season.

In the beginning of the Grand Prix, there were five stops: USA, Canada, Germany, France, and Japan. Each of these events had already been held in previous seasons but were combined to create a circuit for top athletes to earn more money/create even more interest in the skating boom. Cup of Russia was added a season later.

We've seen some of the meh fields year in and out at Grand Prix events throughout the last few seasons.

Do you think it would be better for the ISU to switch things up each year, and add countries like Finland, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, etc? These countries can attract large and knowledgable crowds. Before the case of money being an issue comes up, remember Junior Grand Prix events are often held in much harder to access/longer traveling time countries and there are MANY more athletes than in the senior events. And if an event like Skate America is taken off the Grand Prix calendar, should it stay as a fall international to keep the tradition going?

I thought it was a great idea to move the Final out of one of the big six nations, but that only happened four times- Italy, South Korea, and Spain twice in a row.

 

[aftershocks]

I'm glad to see Finland get the nod. And I think Russia should have lost their GP as punishment for their doping violations, insubordination, and their leadership's ongoing refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing.

I definitely think Spain, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and even Great Britain deserve GP hosting opportunities, aside from the final.

 

[Dobre]

I think the Grand Prix stops should remain equally distributed among the continents as much as possible, though I'd be happy to see Australia, South America, and/or Africa get to the point where they wished to host. However, I would see no problem with a traveling GP or traveling GPs within a continent if there were various countries interested in hosting.

 

[Vagabond]

How many other Federations would be willing and able to pay the costs of hosting? IINM, the Grand Prix is unusual in that host federations pay for skaters' (and coaches'?) travel and accommodation expenses as well as more customary costs such a venue rental. Paying for intercontinental airfares and business-class accommodation for 60-70 skaters (and perhaps 20-30 coaches) would be a very expensive proposition for Ice Skating Australia, for example.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Do you think it would be better for the ISU to switch things up each year, and add countries like Finland, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, etc?

YESSSSSS Papi!

Ive been saying that for years...or at least have France be the non-Russian European floater. Lets face it its a lowly attended event (Like SkAm), they no longer produce any volume of skaters nor consistent breakouts, and they are becoming extremely cheap (plastic stars anyone?) lol

Im thrilled another Euro country got a chance because I have always missed Nations Cup (Germany) on the circuit.

Now we have countries like Spain and Italy breaking though in not just one discipline but all 4 (although Spain needs a leading lady). So I wouldn't mind seeing some change.

 

[Orm Irian]

I'd like to see them fixed at one on each continent with at least one active (figure) skating federation. Or major tectonic plate with landmasses, to create a wider range of options such as hosting one in NZ or India, though that would reduce the number of events to five.

Of course, the trouble then would be locating the final. Antarctica could be considered neutral territory...

 

[RoseRed]

I think that since so many skaters train in North America, I would want there to always be two events in NA, which means (for now anyways) Canada and the US always having one. It would also make no sense for Russia or Japan to not have one imo - skating is very popular there (especially Japan) and they have many top skaters. If one of those was not going to have it one year, then I feel they'd need to get the GPF. I'm totally fine with France not always having one - fewer top skaters than the others, cheap (the stars), and sometimes organizational problems. Also, because of location, there would be other countries that could do it not too far away (Spain, Italy, maybe Germany, etc). And I wouldn't mind seeing South Korea get a chance at the 2nd Asian GP from time to time, though they seem to have passed this year.

Anyways, I'd be okay with SA, SC, CoR and NHK as permanent events, with 2 rotating GPs. One mainly in Europe and one in Asia. Then a place like Australia could get one once or twice, if they could afford it and had the facilities available.

But I would be opposed to, say having 3 in Europe and 1 in NA one year. I don't mind 3 in Europe this year, of course, since China cancelled and SK got first dibs.

 

[nimi]

Do you think it would be better for the ISU to switch things up each year, and add countries like Finland, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, etc? These countries can attract large and knowledgable crowds. Before the case of money being an issue comes up, remember Junior Grand Prix events are often held in much harder to access/longer traveling time countries and there are MANY more athletes than in the senior events.

For some reason I thought the JGP travel costs were covered by the skaters' Feds (with the exception of the JGPF) and the organizers only cover lodging costs?

I tried to check and find the "Memorandum for hosting an ISU Junior Grand Prix event" they refer to in the last year's JGP announcement (where I didn't find anything about the skaters' travel costs for the regular JGP comps) but failed. Probably it's somewhere on the ISU page but ugh that crap is not easy to navigate...

 

[Carolla5501]

I would like to see the schedule changed around more. US gets the early skate most years and after going a few times I am not really that excited to see "not ready for prime time" skating again. (Of course the one year they get a late spot they put it in a place you can't get to easily.... Sigh!)

 

[Meoima]

I definitely think Spain, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and even Great Britain deserve GP hosting opportunities, aside from the final.

You have to ask them if they want to host Gp events in the first place. For example, some Italians have said it is too expensive to rent a rink at Italia. And if you talk about SK: https://twitter.com/boyangsupremist/status/1012669484144848896

ksu is incompetent and corrupt. their president recently resigned and the fed is being investigated for embezzlement + multiple harassment cases. samsung, one of their biggest sponsors, pulled their funding yesterday. we’ve got way too many internal problems to host a gp

 

[aftershocks]

You have to ask them if they want to host Gp events in the first place. For example, some Italians have said it is too expensive to rent a rink at Italia. And if you talk about SK: https://twitter.com/boyangsupremist/status/1012669484144848896

Well it certainly is beneficial to have a lot of accurately confirmed information about behind-the-scenes logistics, finances, corruption or lack therof, administrative mishandling and shenanigans among feds.

 

[berthesghost]

What a logistical nightmare that would probably be. The GPF is already shopped around each year, shopping 7 events on a yearly basis would probably need a team of admins alone just to project manage, and for what? As it is, the shopping around within each country falls on the federations. Moving from country to country each year requires ISU man hours.

the GPS is coming up on it’s silver anneversary, so kudos on that, but it does seem to be showing some foundational cracks. How much longer will it survive if worldwide skating popularity continues its decline?

 

[aliceanne]

I would like it, but I don't know how many cities or federations are willing to host. I always thought that was the problem.

 

[Bellanca]

I wouldn't mind it at all and love the fact that Finland is a GP stop this season.

 

[VGThuy]

I'm glad to see Finland get the nod. And I think Russia should have lost their GP as punishment for their doping violations, insubordination, and their leadership's ongoing refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing.

I definitely think Spain, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and even Great Britain deserve GP hosting opportunities, aside from the final.

If I were to continue on this note, I could think of a particular non-Russian GP event I wouldn't mind being moved.

 

[mag]

I'd like to see them fixed at one on each continent with at least one active (figure) skating federation. Or major tectonic plate with landmasses, to create a wider range of options such as hosting one in NZ or India, though that would reduce the number of events to five.

Of course, the trouble then would be locating the final. Antarctica could be considered neutral territory...

I love the idea of moving them around, but NZ and India ... hmmm that might be taking things a bit too far.

 

[SamuraiK]

It's a matter of how many are really willing to.. KOR a rising fed turned it down, GER stopped being part of the series because of lack of interest. Besides FIN I only can see ITA being interested. ESP without Fernandez will not bother.

As for JGP being held in more obscure countries, the main difference is the hosts dont pay for all the travel expenses of the participants. That's why you see smaller fields when they are in far away countries.

 

[Vagabond]

As for JGP being held in more obscure countries, the main difference is the hosts dont pay for all the travel expenses of the participants. That's why you see smaller fields when they are in far away countries.

JGP competitions also take place in much smaller venues than their Senior counterparts. AFAIK, at least some of the JGP venues in Eastern Europe are publicly owned and can be used for competitions at little or no expense to the organizers.

 

[Seerek]

The ISU already semi-rotates the countries that host the 5-7 stops on the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup every season (Canada/China always get 1, USA hosts alternate years, Europe rotates b/t Netherlands/Hungary/Germany/Russia, Japan alternates with Korea).