IJS Spin Levels And Points (Bobbe Shire)

Bobbe Shire discusses some of the issues surrounding maximizing IJS points for spins. She addresses this by discussing a few Level 4 spin examples by her skaters.

Bobbe notes at the beginning how everyone is focused on having Level 4 spins. But she makes it clear that it is often better to sacrifice a spin level for better GOE marks. She offers some advice to coaches who feel pressure to put out high “level” spins even when the skater isn’t ready for it.

Notice that Bobbe also discusses spins in terms of amount of time required to get the level, as time spent spinning is less time for other things that might accumulate element points or add to the component scores. She also mentions that in any given program she tries to get all the primary spins included (forward camel, back camel, forward sit, back sit, forward upright, back upright), although they may not be in basic positions. Bobbe notes that she is generally not a fan of back entrances for the CCoSP even though it counts as a level (for at least one spin in a program) because most skaters cannot make a strong transition to the forward spin.

The two demonstrators each show one Level 4 combination spin with change of foot. Bobbe comments on these spins and offers additional insights. Please keep in mind that the IJS rules are constantly changing, so these may or may not be Level 4 spins when you watch this video. [At least one of the demonstrated spins is no longer level 4. If you are developing level 4 spins with your skaters, you MUST thoroughly understand the IJS rules. Please read the appropriate ISU publications.]

The point of this video is NOT to show examples of level 4 spins. Instead the point of this video is to show how Bobbe creates high level spins with her skaters and what trade-offs she considers in terms of program development. The discussion of the process and strategy here is what’s important.

At the very end, Bobbe offers a bonus discussion of the spaghetti spin (the Corkscrew) and one of the skaters shows a nice demonstration.