Challenge

Swim Competition

February 28, 2020 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

Recreational swimming can be traced back to prehistoric times. It became a competitive activity starting in 1830s England, and today, competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports.

In competitive swimming, the goal is to break personal or world records while beating competitors in an event. There are varied distance individual events in competition, including the butterfly, backstroke, freestyle, and individual medley as well as freestyle or medley relay (teams of four swimmers), and each swim stroke requires specific technique with rules governing the acceptable form. There are also regulations concerning athlete’s swimsuits, caps, jewelry, and injury tape and competition pool requirements. The international governing body for competitive swimming is the Fédération Internationale de Natation (“International Swimming Federation”), aka ‘FINA’, and there are a large number of recognized national federations throughout the world.

Training for competitive swimming requires many hours working out in the pool (usually twice a day, 6 days a week) and outside the pool (serious gym time lifting weights, running, yoga, pilates, etc). Prior to a competition, athletes typically decrease their training workload in order to rest their bodies.

The TYR Pro Swim Series is one of the most competitive events series on the USA Swimming calendar, attracting between 400-600 of the world’s top swimmers, including USA Swimming National Team members, National Junior Team members and top-50, world-ranked swimmers.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville event, there’s still time watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below or select from ‘Event Posts’ in top right corner.

If you missed watching live as the best swimmers in Europe and overseas race sprint distances at the 2019 International Swimmeet in Italy, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts (top right corner) located on the media player below ↓

WATCH 2019 Artistic Swimming Canadian Championships

Can’t swim? Why Not Learn Now? Find inspiration and information on where and how you can learn this life saving skill and have fun doing it!

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this article, join the conversation, or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy (unless you’re a robot).

Feature photo is courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels CC0

Voyageurs

February 27, 2020 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

This “More Than Just Parks” video, Voyageurs 8K, is a Pattiz Brothers Film, produced by Sea Raven Media. It was filmed during a few weeks time spent at Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota USA. The views are breathtaking, and will take you to a wonderful place. Watch in full screen and use earphones for the ultimate experience.

After eight decades of public and legislative contention, 218,054 acres of the lake country of northern Minnesota were established a US national park in 1975, Voyageurs National Park. The name of the park is in recognition of the legendary French-Canadian “voyageurs” canoe men hired by trading companies to transport trade goods and furs in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s a beautiful park with landscape, geology, wildlife and history creating an exceptional outdoor setting for an awe-inspiring visitor experience and year-round recreation.

There are 30 park lakes (40% of the area), providing open water for boating, canoeing and kayaking from mid-spring through mid-fall, and fishing throughout the year (ice fishing in winter). The eco-rich landscape and diversity of wildlife offer opportunities for hiking, birding (over 240 species, including bald eagles and osprey), and nature walks while the northern latitude location and dark skies make for excellent stargazing and a chance to see the Milky Way and northern lights. During winter months, the park becomes a frozen wonderland—perfect for snowshoe and cross-country skiing as well as snowmobiling over 110 miles of maintained trails.

Voyageurs National Park Information/Resources:
“The Heart of the Continent“, Voyageurs – National Park Minnesota
Voyageurs National Park Association

More Fun in the Parks: There are more than 400 US national parks available to everyone, every day. Most are free to enjoy, and the 117 that charge an entry fee offer fee-free days throughout the year. Use the search tools here → Find Your Park to find the perfect place to visit.

FREE To WATCH the Natural Beauty channel, an On2In2™ collection of short videos, including other More Than Just Parks films. It’s a great way to escape for a few minutes, and start planning your next outdoor excursion.

Located on the Island of Hawaii (the Big Island) in the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on planet Earth, and the fire goddess really puts on a big show. You’ve got to see it.

See the historic natural beauty of Bears Ears National Monument
in the high desert country of southeastern Utah.

The feature photo is a screen shot taken from the “Voyageurs” video

My Tree Swing

February 26, 2020 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

Grandfathers are for loving and fixing things.
— author unknown

The tree swing my DIY grandfather made for me became my happy place. — Swinging © Zeester Media LLC

I was only 3 years old, but I still remember the day my grandfather installed a tree swing for me on a branch of one of the big pecan trees in the front yard. And, I remember the events leading up to that day as well as the feeling of pure joy while swinging in a very special swing.

Guess I was having a little trouble adjusting to the new baby sister situation in our house because my mother had her hands full, and I was feeling somewhat ignored as do most children when first realizing they are no longer the center of their parents’ attention. The final straw for me was when I asked my mother to swing me in the baby swing she had set up in the kitchen. It looked like so much fun, and I wanted to try it out. But, my mother said “no”, I couldn’t sit in the baby’s swing because I was “too big and would break it”. Of course, she was right, but I was more than just a little upset, and wondered why this baby got all the fun and attention. Life was becoming a drag.

Then, my grandfather came to my rescue.

He appeared one day carrying a couple of tools, rope and a piece of wood, and said “come with me”. Then, I watched as he set up a simple, but amazing tree swing. A swing just for me. No babies allowed.

Over the years, that tree swing became my happy place, and a reminder of my good fortune to be so loved by an understanding, DIY grandfather who knew exactly what I needed.

Benefits of Swinging

Swinging is a lot of fun, but there are also big benefits, both physical and emotional, for children as well as adults.

Motor Skills. Swinging requires using legs, arms, and core in a way that helps a child’s development of gross motor skills (locomotion, balance and coordination) and fine motor skills (hand, arm and finger coordination; grip strength; and arms and legs circling motions).

Feels Like Flying. Finding a sense of balance and spatial orientation while the body moves about in different positions takes a bit of physical exploration, and swinging is a sensory experience like no other because flying through the air on a swing helps a child learn to respond to movement and gravity and develop balance, coordination and body awareness.

Inspires Imagination. A swing is the perfect activity for imaginative play— maybe you’re a bird, on a magic carpet, or flying high in the sky like a superhero.

Uplifts Spirits. There’s just something about the easy rhythmic movement under a tree, breathing fresh air and feeling a gentle breeze that seem to trigger feelings of pleasure, relaxation and calm, and there’s also a rush of excitement when swinging faster and higher. This magic works for people of all ages.

It’s a Good Workout. Keeping a swing in motion burns off a few calories (200/hr) and helps condition ligaments, tendons, muscles and joints. The swinger controls speed and height of swinging, so you can do as much as you like at your own pace. For more challenging adult workouts, try kneeling or standing on a swing.

Grandfathers are for loving and fixing things — Opa & Me © Zeester Media LLC

In memory of Ben F. Kneupper “Opa” (1903-94), small business owner, barber, florist, volunteer fireman, gardener, baker of pies and cookies, fixer-upper handyman, cancer survivor, devoted family man, and much loved grandfather. He inspired all who knew him with his ability to overcome adversity and find joy in the everyday. ❤️

Want to build a tree swing?

Below are links to helpful ‘how-to’ information and DIY instruction, plus shop for tree swing assembly kits.

Children’s Tree Swings – A Guide To Good Practice, written by Monkey-Do, produced by London Play (downloadable pdf) — Expert advice on the safe sitting, installation and use of children’s rope swings in trees.

How to Make a Rope Swing, WikiHow

How To Make A Tree Swing, step-by-step DIY instruction on building and installing a backyard tree swing

SHOP Check out variety of tree swing assembly kits that can make construction easier here → TREE SWING KITS and SUPPLIES *Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a purchase you make via this Amazon link. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

A bicycle is so much more than a toy — The Power of a Bike

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this article or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy (unless you’re a robot).

Feature photo of swing is courtesy of Pixaby, CC0

Synchronized Swimming

February 22, 2020 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

Don’t be fooled by the showy costuming, heavy makeup and incessant smiles. Originally known as ‘water ballet’, synchronized swimming is an aquatic sport and art form requiring a combination of exceptional water skills, strength, endurance, flexibility, artistry and precise timing, as well as extraordinary breath control.

In 1891, the first recorded synchronized swimming competition was held in Berlin, Germany (at the time, a male-only event). The sport began to breakthrough in Europe and North America in the early 20th century when it became a women’s sport and popular entertainment at large halls and theaters equipped with big water tanks on stage. Katherine Curtis, an American synchronized swimming pioneer and educator, organized and trained the ‘Kay Curtis Modern Mermaids’, a water ballet act that performed at the Chicago ‘Century of Progress’ World’s Fair (1933-1934), and during the 40’s and 50’s, Hollywood movies starring swimming sensation, Esther Williams, boosted the interest in synchronized swimming with elaborately produced routines.

Six decades following those big synchronized swimming movie productions, the film, Breathless, presents a very different approach with a dramatic story shot entirely underwater. Totally captivating.

Depending on the level of competition, synchronized swimming includes solo, duet and team events, and begins with a “technical” routine or “figures” with predetermined elements performed in a specific order without touching the bottom of the pool. Then, swimmers perform a longer “free” routine, requiring no specific technical elements and allowing more creative choreography (but, again– no touching the bottom). Routines are scored on a scale of 100, with points for artistic impression, execution, and difficulty.

The first Olympic demonstration of the sport was at the 1952 Olympic Games, but synchronized swimming did not gain acceptance as an Olympic sport until the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In 2017, FINA, the international governing body for aquatic disciplines, renamed the sport of synchronized swimming to ‘artistic swimming’ for the stated purpose of clarifying the nature of the sport and enhancing its popularity; however, the decision has been criticized by some swimmers and coaches.

Not For Women Only?

It’s a bit ironic that synchronized swimming started out as a male-only swimming competition, and now the sport excludes men.

Pau Ribes, a professional artistic swimmer from Barcelona, Spain, first saw a synchronized swimming show when he was a child, and was immediately hooked on the sport. But, there was a problem. Synchronized swimming was, and still is, considered a sport for women, and men have been excluded from amateur and professional competitions.

Synchronized swimming, however, is not just about competition these days. It’s a sport that can be enjoyed by everyone at any age.

Information/Resources:
Synchronized Swimming Lessons For Adults, Swim England Synchro
The Los Angeles Synchronized Swim Club offers free monthly “Synchro Basic Clinics” and other programs
Why Doesn’t the US Have a Synchronized Swimming Team in Rio? by Vicki Valsik, The Atlantic (August 19, 2016) [Americans once dominated the sport, but things changed after 1996, and you guessed it — money is a big factor]
Synchronized Swimming Has a History that Dates Back to Ancient Rome, by Vicki Valosik, Smithsonian.com (August 12, 2016) – Before it reached the Olympics, the sport was a spectacle of the circus and vaudeville
Wikipedia: Synchronized Swimming

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Canada Artistic Swimming is on a mission — to pioneer the sport of synchronized swimming…. “transform what is expected, what is possible, and what people around the world think about artistic swimming”.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2019 Canadian Championships, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts located right top corner of the media player below ↓

More than 225 athletes from across Canada competed in the 2018 Artistic Swimming Canadian Championships (April 24-28) at the state-of-the-art Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre, Windsor, Ontario, all vying for national titles in over 18 events. If you missed the live stream broadcast of the competition, there’s still time to watch video recordings. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts located on the media player below ↓

Don’t know how to swim?
It’s never too late to learn this life-saving skill.

Feature photo by Flickr user, Voxsports Voxer, CC BY-NC 2.0

Why Not Now?

February 21, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Vivian Stancil was 50 years old, blind, weighed more than 300 pounds, and was terrified of water when she decided she would try swimming lessons.

Learning to swim will change your life, and it's never to late to start swimming lessons. — Dad’s two star swimmers at Landa Park pool

I was lucky. I grew up around water — lakes, rivers, streams and a large, spring-fed community pool. The summer I learned to swim I had just turned 7 years old. My dad (a former lifeguard) considered swimming an important life skill as well as a recreational activity. So important, in fact, he took two weeks vacation time from work to give me and my sister an intense course of daily swim instruction after he determined we had not learned enough taking beginner classes.

I did become a confident swimmer after dad’s training, later working as a life guard and swim instructor during summer breaks just as he had done and enjoying water skiing and scuba diving. Even tried windsurfing, but struggled with directional control, resulting in too many wild one-way rides. Boating was a favorite family pastime (also the family business), and some of my best childhood memories are summer vacations at the beach with family and friends.

But, more important than water sports and recreation, I learned from dad to love and respect the water. It wasn’t until leaving my water-centric childhood home that I began to understand not everyone has the same opportunity to learn to swim and so many people have absolutely no experience in or around water.

Somber Stats

A 2014 Red Cross survey found that 54% American adults either can’t swim or don’t have basic swimming skills, and only 56% of those claiming to know how to swim can perform all five basic water safety/competency skills: 1) the ability to step or jump into the water over your head; 2) return to the surface and float or tread water for one minute; 3) turn around in a full circle and find an exit; 4) swim 25 yards to the exit; and 5) exit from the water without using a ladder.

The Red Cross survey also revealed that nearly half of Americans say they have had an experience in the water where they were afraid they might drown, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 10 people die every day in the US from unintentional drowning. Twenty percent (20%) of those deaths are children aged 14 or younger, making drowning the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death for children and sixth for people of all ages.

There are similarly grim statistics reported throughout the world. In both Hong Kong and England (each surrounded by water) – one in five can’t swim. According to government statistics, approximately 60,000 people drown in China every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified Africa (a region where children are taught to avoid the water, not how to swim) as having the highest rate of drowning deaths in the world (8 drownings for every 100,000 people), and Lake Victoria is considered one of the most dangerous spots with an estimated 5,000 drownings each year.

FACE YOUR FEAR – CHANGE YOUR LIFE

For non-swimming adults, fear and access were the main barriers to learning to swim as a child. That fear then carries on through adulthood and develops more issues of embarrassment and disinterest, causing serious risk to personal safety and an inability to enjoy the water. But, these things can be conquered with some inspiration, determination and swim lessons from a certified instructor.

Why not now? It’s a great question, and Vivian Stancil reminds us all that it’s never too late to learn to swim or take on any challenge.

Information/Resources:

Recommended Reading → *Swimming Lessons: Life Lessons from the Pool, from Diving In to Treading Water” by Penelope Niven. [At age 44, Penelope needed a change, and decided to learn to swim.] *Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via this link. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Find local Red Cross ‘Learn-to-Swim’ providers
Adult learn-to-swim instructors – US Masters Swimming search tool
Vivian Stancil Olympian Foundation – Drown-Proof/Swim Clinic (April 28, 2018, Riverside, California)
2014 Red Cross Water Safety Survey Results – study conducted using a representative sample of American adults
Learn to Swim England The Amateur Swimming Association found that 20% of men and 22% of women over the age of 14 in England can’t swim.
Why do so many Africans drown? by Julian Hattem (April 27, 2017) NPR Goats and Soda
8 Health Benefits of Swimming + 5 Tips to Help You Swim Better by Jesse Miller, Jen Reviews (July 9, 2017)
When Death Rocks Your World, Maybe You Jump Out of a Plane by Hanna Rosin, NPR Health (March 9, 2018) – A personal essay on facing “one single deep, visceral, nausea-inducing fear of heights” when her mother asked her to jump out of an airplane.

Synchronized swimming is like watching ballet in the water, but watch closely. You’ll discover it looks much easier than it is, and competition is fierce.

Feature photo is courtesy of Unsplash CC0

BOLDNESS

February 19, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Lose this day loitering—’twill be the same story
To-morrow–and the next more dilatory;
Then indecision brings its own delays,
And days are lost lamenting o’er lost days.
Are you in earnest? seize this very minute–
What you can do, or dream you can, begin it,
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it,
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated—
Begin it, and the work will be completed!

—– John Anster*

However you go, it’s a wild and dangerous ride through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. The first to do it was geologist/explorer, John Wesley Powell, and his team during a three month expedition in 1869. A hundred and fourteen years later, the river had changed because of the river’s damming in 1963, but remained a formidable challenge when three river guides in a small wooden boat rowed the 277 miles from Lee’s Ferry to the Grand Wash Cliffs in 36 hours and 38 minutes. No one much cared about their accomplishment until the story was told by Kevin Fedarko in his book, The Emerald Mile (2013)**, inspiring more paddlers to make an attempt to break the record. The current record (34 hours, 2 minutes) was set in 2016 by Ben Orkin in a sea kayak.

After eight months of preparation and training, the USA Men’s Rafting Team launched an attempt to beat Orkin’s record on January 13, 2017. The Time Travelers short documentary video chronicles the journey with “a dose of inspiration” for all of us.

Not going for speed, but for study — A group of scientists took a 16 day journey down the Colorado River thru the heart of the Grand Canyon to observe and study the river and its environment. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful view, but much has been lost during the 50+ years since the completion of Glen Canyon Dam. So, the goal is to find a way to restore and maintain a ‘naturalized’ ecosystem that’s currently in peril.

Information/Resources:
Grand Canyon Private River Trip Planning and River Trips and Permits, US National Park Service
10 Peaceful Places To Paddle by By Bill O’Brian, US Fish and Wildlife Service (for paddlers looking for an easy, scenic ride in a canoe, a kayak, a rowboat, or on a paddleboard through natural beauty of America’s wildlife refuges)
Colorado River: Grand Canyon Rafting Trip Reveals River in Peril by Brandon Loomis, Arizona Republic (October 22, 2018)

*Boldness has genius quote is taken from 1835 publication by Irish poet, John Anster, whose words were inspired by translation of “Faust”, Part One, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Feature photo is a screen shot taken from video, “The Time Travelers”, Gnarly Bay Productions, Inc.

**Editor’s Note: Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via the Amazon link within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

More stories of great adventure are available on-demand at Watch: Tours de Force, an On2In2™ collection of favorite videos

Silver King

February 15, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Tarpons are large, air breathing fish of the genus, Megalops, and they’ve been swimming the seas for 18 million years. There are two species, both found in saltwater as well as freshwater habitats. Megalops cyprinoides (Indo-Pacific tarpon) populate the east African coast, southeast Asia, Japan, Tahiti, and Australia. Megalops atlanticus (Atlantic tarpon, aka ‘Silver King’) is native to the Atlantic, and found along the western Atlantic coast from the US state of Virginia to Brazil, throughout the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and on the eastern Atlantic coast from Senegal to South Angola. Since the mid-1960s, there’s been a significant decline of Atlantic tarpon populations in the Gulf of Mexico, most dramatically at Port Aransas, Texas, likely the result of damming of rivers, toxic run-off, dredging of canals and shipping channels, and overfishing.

“He is a battle flotilla in full blazing armor, and peace and good will are not in him for an instant.” — Henry Wellington Wack

In 1885, the first tarpon was caught on a rod & reel in Florida. After more than 130 years, tarpon is still considered one of the great saltwater game fish because of its size (tarpon reach a length of 4–8 feet and weigh 60–250+ pounds), extraordinary ability to jump high out of the water, and fast, powerful fight at the end of the line. It’s tough to hook and land a tarpon—about one in eight hookups are successful catches, and a challenge to locate as they’re a warm-water migratory fish.

Florida is considered one of the world’s top destinations for tarpon fishing, with “hot spots” at Boca Grande in southwest Florida, Homosassa, and the Florida Keys. High season is May through July, but records indicate all sizes are caught throughout the year. Other places on the best tarpon fishing list: Yucatan Peninsula (year round); Costa Rica (Fall season); Angola (Dec – Feb); Gabon (late Oct – early Jan); Guinea-Bissau (Feb – March)

WATCH the THRILL of the CATCH! 120 Days: Tarpon Season, a short documentary video that captures a close-up view of the sport, featuring tarpon fishing guide, David Magnum, in his fervent search for the Silver King in the beautiful waters of Florida.

Information/Resources:

Tarpon, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Tarpon, Florida Parks and Wildlife Research Institute
Atlantic Tarpon, University of Southern Mississippi
Tarpon Research, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust
Megalops atlanticus-Gulf of Mexico, assessed “Vulnerable” by the International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
The Silver Kings – Once so plentiful. Where did they go? by Stephen Harrigan, Texas Monthly (May, 2013) [Veteran fishing guides recall a time when Port Aransas, Texas was known as “The Tarpon Capital of the World”]

Ready for more water sport adventure? Watch as 8 paddlers set out to break the rafting speed record through the Grand Canyon on the wild and dangerous Colorado River in The Time Travelers video

Feature photo by Flickr user, Jack, CC BY-NC-ND

USA Racquetball Doubles Championships

February 2, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Racquetball doubles is a high speed game of strategy and position, and good teamwork is an essential element of successful doubles play. The USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships is a premier event, and the competition is intense and fun to watch. Games are also fast, so here are a few basic racquetball doubles rules to help you keep up:

Only the serving team can score a point.
In doubles, the serve is lost to the receiving team when both partners of the serving team have lost service, except that the team that serves first at the beginning of each game loses service when the first server loses service.
The serving team has to be between the serving lines at time of serve.
The receiving team must be at least 5 feet behind the serving line and stay there until the ball bounces off the serve.
The serve must hit the front wall and bounce behind the short serve line (second line from the front wall) in order for it to be a legal serve.
The return may be taken by hitting the ball into the air off the serve, or after the ball has bounced behind the short service line off the serve.
Either member of a doubles team may hit the ball on each rally—they do not have to alternate shots.

Information/Resources:
Official Rules and Regulations, USA Racquetball

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The 2020 USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships is the sport’s premiere doubles tournament — everyone is invited to play and watch! If you missed the live stream broadcast, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button, or select matches from the video posts located at top right corner of media player below.

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this post, join the conversation, or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy.

Feature photo: Racquetball Swing by Flickr user, IMCBerea College, CC BY 2.0

Figure Skating

January 1, 2020 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

Figure skaters compete at local, regional, national, and international competitions at different levels from beginner up to the Olympic (senior) level, and disciplines, including singles (men and women), pair skating and ice dancing. Skaters typically perform two programs in competition (short and long) that include elements such as spins, jumps, spirals and lifts.

The International Skating Union (ISU) regulates international figure skating judging and competitions, including the Winter Olympic Games and World Championships. The current ISU judging system requires a competitive program to have a set number of elements, and awards points separately for each skating element performed. The sum of these points is called the total element score (TES).

The score received for an element is based on the element base value and the grade of execution (GOE). A technical specialist determines base value of an element by verifying the specific movements and positions of the element. A panel of judges determines GOE marks based on the quality of the element and how well the skater executed the element. Then, things start to get a bit more complicated as the GOE value from the twelve judges is processed using a computerized random selection of nine judges, discarding the high and low value, and averaging the remaining seven. The average GOE value is then added to (or subtracted from) the element base value to determine the TES. OK, still with me?

The program components score (PCS) awards points for holistic aspects of a program or other nuances that are not rewarded in the TES judging, including skating skills, transitions, performance execution, choreography, and interpretation (exception: compulsory dance has no choreography or transition marks). Finally, the sum of the TES + PCS is the total score for a competition segment (TSS). A skater’s final placement is determined by the total of their scores in all segments of a competition. No ordinal ranking (i.e. judge’s preference ranking) is used to determine the final results. Got that? Me neither, and we haven’t even gotten to the jumping which can really make a viewer’s head spin. In fact, it’s probably the most confounding scoring in sports. Now, let’s get to the jumps — always exciting to watch.

There are many types of jumps in figure skating, and they are distinguished by the way the skater takes off and lands as well as by the number of rotations that are completed while the skater is in the air. However, there are only six jumps that count as jump elements in figure skating competition. All six are landed on one foot on the back outside edge of the skate blade, but there are different take-offs. The two categories of jumps are toe jumps and edge jumps. Toe jumps are launched by tapping the toe pick (large, jagged teeth on the front of the blade) of one skate into the ice, and include: Toe Loops, Flips and Lutzes. Edge jumps use no toe assist, and include: Salchows, Loops and Axels. A jump combination is a set of jumps, each jump taking off from the landing edge of the previous jump, and there are no steps, turns, or change of edge between jumps. Jump sequences are sets of jumps that may be linked by non-listed jumps or hops.

As with most competitive sports, there’s often some drama as a result of judging and scoring controversies. Ashley Wagner, three-time US national champion, 2016 world silver medalist, and Olympic team bronze medalist, did not make the 2018 US Winter Olympic Team, finishing 4th at the 2018 US Figure Skating Championships as her PCS scores (the highly subjective score awarded for interpretation aspects and the like) were surprisingly low. In fact, her PCS scores were lower in these US Championships than they had been with international judges at recent 2018 Grand Prix events. It’s unclear what exactly went wrong for Wagner because she did not fall or make a major mistake during her programs, and she’s been criticized for expressing her anger at the judge’s scoring. Regardless, she’s now learning to deal with the heartbreak, and deciding what to do next. (Ashley tells her story in the short video documentary, Showpony, below)

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From 10 to 19 January 2020, Innsbruck hosted the Winter World Masters Games – the world’s biggest winter sports festival for 30+ year old competitors. More than 3,000 athletes too part in this major international tournament, supported by 700 volunteers and the local population, in a shared celebration of sport with many unforgettable moments.

At the 2020 Winter World Masters Games, the figure skating competitions were divided into the following events: Men’s Singles, Ladies’ Singles, Pair Skating, Ice Dance and Synchronised Skating. If you missed the live stream broadcast, there’s still time to watch video recordings. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below, or select an event from ‘Event Posts’ in top right corner.

The competition was intense and the figure skating — fantastic at the 2019 Winter Universiade, an international student and youth winter sport competition. If you missed the live stream broadcast, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the event. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media players below ↓

Feature photo “Queen Yuna” is courtesy of Flickr user, Song Joo Chea, CC BY-ND 2.0

Mer de Glace

December 15, 2019 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) is categorized a “valley glacier”, a type of glacier that originates from mountain glaciers and flows down valleys, and located above the Chamonix valley within the Mont Blanc massif mountain range of the French Alps. Formed by the confluence of the Leschaux and Génant glaciers, the Mer de Glace is the longest and largest glacier in France, and one the biggest tourist attractions in the Chamonix valley as it’s accessible by the historic Montenvers Railway (Chemin de fer du Montenvers) and offers spectacular mountain views as well as tours, exhibits, and restaurant/hotel. However, the powerful beauty and recreational benefits of Mer de Glace were not always appreciated.

During the classical and medieval periods of European history, ice was deemed mysterious, evil and dangerous, and glaciers aroused intense fear as they were thought to be inhabited by demons that swallowed up unwary victims as well as whole villages. Consequently, glaciers were avoided, not explored, deepening myths and superstitions for many centuries. In 1690, fearful villagers of Chamonix took action against glacial evil by retaining the services of a bishop to exorcise the glaciers.

Two Englishmen on expedition to Chamonix in 1741, William Windham (1717-1761) an English landowner and Richard Pococke (1704-1765) a high ranking clergyman and anthropologist, disregarded the forewarning of evil lurking in glaciers, and climbed up the mountain for 3¾ hours with the aid of local guides and porters to carry wine (essential drink for 18th century adventure travelers) and provisions. It was a successful excursion as they returned safely and were able to provide the first written description of the glacier they called ‘Mer de Glace’. The achievement also marks the beginning of change in attitude as the phenomena of the Sea of Ice later attracted writers, adventurers, artists and photographers.

Crossing the Mer de Glace on foot (1902-1904) — Mer de Glace Crossing, Zurich Central Library collection, 1902 – 1904, Public Domain

Two hundred and seventy-five years later, the explorers of Mer de Glace are on skis. In the video Ice Call from PVS Company, pro skier, Sam Favret, takes you on a freestyle tour through the icy waves, trails, and tunnels of Mer de Glace.

Vallée Blanche

Mer de Glace is certainly skiable, and you don’t have to be a ski pro like Sam Favret or an expert to enjoy the unique backcountry experience via the iconic off-piste ski route, Vallée Blanche. But, there are risks. The surface of Mer de Glace is very rough with gradient drops, large hunks of ice, deep crevasses, and seracs, making it extremely dangerous without sufficient snowfall, good intermediate skills (in all types of terrains & snow conditions) and a local mountain guide.

The Vallée Blanche is accessible from Chamonix, France via a 20 minute ride on the Aiguille du Midi cable car to the mid-station Plan de l’Aiguille (2,317m), then a walk through a tunnel and down a precarious ridge to a small, level area— the starting point for the main Vallée Blanche runs. There are four: the classic “voie normale” (the normal way), and the more challenging, Le Vrai Vallee Blanche, the Petit Envers du Plan and Grand Envers du Plan.

For the most part, the voie normale follows the valley floor through dynamic terrain, beginning with a descent into a bowl toward a large rock outcrop known as Le Gros Rognon (The Big Rock) and continuing along the mountainside. The run can be nice and smooth in spots, but depending on weather conditions, there could be deep powder, crusty layers, and icy moguls to navigate. About 2/3 down, the Refuge du Requin is a popular place to take a break, and 250 meters from there is the start of Mer de Glace. If snow conditions are good, it’s possible to ski all the way down to Chamonix. If not, the run ends at Montenvers, thus requiring a steep climb up iron stairs (misery!) to a gondola that connects to the Montenvers Railway. At a leisurely pace, including lots of stops, sightseeing and long lift queues, the up/down round trip will take 4 – 6 hours, but don’t rush…..enjoy the ride and take in the views.

The Fateful Retreat of Mer de Glace

Valley glaciers like Mer de Glace are relentlessly moving, flowing, growing, shrinking and deforming as a result of weather (temperature and snowfall) and stresses caused by the massive weight. As a result, they are appreciable indicators of climate change.

After a significant cold period in Europe during the late 19^th century, Mer de Glace was so large that it reached as far as Chamonix in 1850. Today, it’s hardly visible from Chamonix as the lower end of the glacier (the ‘snout’) has been shrinking during the last 30 years at a rate of about 4-5 meters (13-16 feet) a year. There is concern the retreat will not stop as Mer de Glace is an important fresh water source for the region as well as a tourist destination, and Christian Vincent, a French glaciologist with the Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique (LGGE) and Institut de Recherche pour le Development (IRD), has warned it may shrink as much as 1.2 -1.4 kilometers (about ¾ of a mile) by the year 2040.

Resources/Information:
Wikipedia (Mer de Glace, Mont Blanc massif, Glacier, Richard Pococke, William Windham, Sr., French Alps, Chamonix, Chemin de fer du Montenvers, Aiguille du Midi, Little Ice Age)
The Annals of Mont Blanc – A Monograph by Charles Edward Mathews (1900)
Because It’s There – A Celebration of Mountaineering from 200 BC to Today (William Windham..from an Account of the Glaciers or Ice Alps in Savoy, in Two Letters) edited and translated by Alan S. Weber (2003)
Celebration of the Franco-English Friendship in Chamonix (1936), summitpost.org
Spiritual History of Ice: Romanticism, Science & Imagination by Eric G. Wilson
Chamonix visitor information: findtransfers.com (see also; chamonix.com, chamonix.net, ski-chamonix.net)
“Climate Change on Mont Blanc: The Vanishing Mer de Glace” by Helena Fouquet (2015), bloomberg.com
Mont Blanc: Glacier in Danger of Collapse, BBC News (September 25, 2019) – Italian authorities have closed roads and evacuated mountain huts after experts warned that part of a glacier on Mont Blanc could collapse.

There are more bold backcountry runs, big jumps and tricks to see on the “Downhill Runs” video channel and explore at Skiing China

Filmakers traveled to Alaska to explore Exit Glacier, but along with stunningly beautiful mountain views and amazing blue ice, they saw melting. FREE 2 WATCH → Glacier Exit

Feature photo is a still shot from the video “Ice Call” by PVS Company
Mer de Glace photo by Detroit Publishing Co. (1890-1900), US Library of Congress Prints & Photographs, Public Domain
Chamonix Valley Map sourced from chamonix.net
Crossing the Mer de Glace on foot, photo taken about 1902-1904, Zurich Central Library, Public Domain

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