ISI Levels

A skater may take a test to demonstrate that he or she has mastered the elements required for a particular level. Once the test is passed, the skater may enter ISI competitions at that level. The levels must be passed in order so that testing must be completed for one level before attempting to test at the next level. There s no age limit associated with the levels so that you are not too old to begin nor too young to be at the top level. Tests are given once a month at Parade Ice Garden.

ISI competitions, such as the Blades of March at Parade, are designed to be fun for the skaters. The skaters within each level are grouped into small  events (usually 7 skaters or fewer). For example, if 20 skaters at Freestyle 3 enter the same competition, they would be divided into smaller competition groups generally by sex and age. If there are still 10 twelve year old girls at Freestyle 3, they would generally be divided into group A and group B.

Within each skating level there are many different events. These include both technical and artistic events. The technical events allow the skater to demonstrate the mastery of the elements required to pass each ISI level. The artistic events allow the skaters to perform while including the skating elements. The artistic performances can be Dramatic, Entertainment, or Character. There are also events for synchronized skating teams and smaller teams of skaters. The specific set of events at any competition is determined by the host club.

ISI competitions are team events. Skaters earn points for their team if they finish in the first five places of their event. Since the number of skaters in each event is small, there is a very good chance that each skater will be able to contribute to the team total. Since skaters are grouped into skill level and age categories, the competition is with skaters of similar abilities and experience. As such, beginning skaters can contribute to the team totals as much  as the  more experienced skaters. Individual skaters usually receive awards such as ribbons, medals or trophies for finishing in the top five in any event.

The team results are based on both participation and skating performance. Since there a small number of skaters in each event, the more skaters a team enters, the better the team's results will be. The more events that each skater enters, the bettter the team's result will be. And of course the better each skater performs within each event, the better the team's results will be. It is not unusual in the annual World Team Championships for the local clubs to be the champions. Parade was represented by many  skaters in the 2007 ISI championship in Chicago, IL, and finished 14th out of 125 teams.  Each skater, regardless of ISI level from the beginners to the most advanced, has the same opportunity to generate points for the team.

The elements required for each ISI level are spelled out in detail in the official ISI rule book which can be ordered at www.skateisi.org.  

For a one page summary of ISI skating levels  click here to see their descriptions. 

A link to a Glossary written by the USFS (United States Figure Skating assn.) is helpful to see what many skating elements are comprised of.