question for isi judges

[falen]

Hi,
DD has a no test program but only isi comps in neighborhood until july.  Coach wants her to do the isi to get experience with it in competition so as to build confidence.  So the open silver event would allow her to do the program as is.  However open silver has axel.  Now the director said that the new rule for open is correctness of jumps not difficulty of jumps.  Coach seems happy with that.  But how does that work?  I am not looking for a win, but will she be dead last without an axel?  I know my kid and getting dead last for the next 3 comps would not build her confidence.  It may be better just to do the usfs comp without the "experience."  So what do you think?

[hopskipjump]

Dd tied for 1st in open silver with no axel (the other girl had an axel) and the other 4 girls also had axels.

Adding at the time dd was also no test without an axel. 

[LilJen]

There are plenty of folks in Open Silver who don't have an axel, an axel being a huge stumbling block for a lot of people. Lots of people have great camels and lutz jumps--which cannot be used in ISI 4 but *can* be used in ISI Open Silver. I say tell her to go for it! It's always good for training the nerves to do it in front of judges.

[falen]

Thanks.  What about the dance step.  They are planning the isi 4 dance step.

[drskater]

Doesn't matter since there are NO required elements. The FS4 dance step, a variation, or something entirely unique would all fufill "balanced program," and "rhythm and flow" judging criteria. In a seminar I once heard an ISI judge (and coach) point out that using an established freestyle pattern in the open category was "boring" since skaters have the opportunity to come up with something different.