An Attempt at a Level 4 Sit Spin
I know that my sit spin is the “money” element in my programs, so I need to find ways that I can gain more points. I’ve been playing around with a Level 4 sit spin lately to see if I can make it more consistent and then will figure out if I can execute it in my program.
For those of you unfamiliar with the leveling of spins in figure skating, it basically means that you get bonus points for executing more difficult spins. A level 4 is the maximum level awarded for features. From there, judges award Grades of Execution (GOE) for a spin – essentially, they are telling you how well you did the element.
In the IJS methodology, it’s almost always better to execute a lower leveled spin with a positive GOE than a higher leveled spin with negative GOE. Think about it – would you rather see an easier spin performed really, really well? Or would you rather see a harder spin that looked like a hot mess? I’ve received positive GOEs on a Level 3 sit spin for my previous program, so I’m trying to figure out if it’s feasible to turn this into a Level 4 sit spin for this coming season.
Here is my attempt at a Level 4 sit spin.
The leveling is as follows, along with some colorful commentary by yours truly:
- Level 1: Difficult entry. I need to get that free leg up higher so it definitely gets called as a difficult entry.
- Level 2: Cannonball position. Would like to try to get my chest lower to my knee so I can maintain speed.
- Level 3: Cannonball position for 8 revolutions. I barely made the 8 revolutions and would like to hold this position for at least 9 revolutions (Note: 8 revolutions in a spin variation gets rewarded a higher level).
- Level 4: Sit tuck position. This needs to be held for 2 full revolutions, and I believe I got 3.
I was so dizzy coming out of this spin that you can see that I fumbled out rather than standing up straight and exiting properly.
I’ll keep working on it. Then Coach B and I will need to figure out which spin to include in my new program. I’m leaning towards the Level 3 at this point since I know I can get positive GOEs, but we’ll see.
