2008 Artistic Roller Skating World Championships

[Kathie Fry]

EVENT: 2008 Figure Roller Skating World Championships
DATE: November 8-22, 2008
LOCATION: Koahsiung, Taiwan (aka Chinese Taipei)
WEB SITE: 2008kaohsiung.com (site coming soon)

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE
Nov 08 - Junior Teams Arrive
Nov 09 - Junior Judges Arrive
Nov 10 - Training and Junior Judges Meeting
Nov 11 - Training and Junior Opening Ceremony
Nov 12 - Junior Competition
Nov 13 - Junior Competition
Nov 14 - Junior Competition
Nov 15 - Inline Short and Show Competions
Nov 16 - Inline Long and Precision Competitions + Senior Opening
Nov 17 - Training and Senior Judges Meeting
Nov 18 - Training and CIPA Meeting
Nov 19 - Senior Competition
Nov 20 - Senior Competition
Nov 21 - Senior Competition
Nov 22 - Senior Competition

Announcement from the International Roller Sports Federation (PDF format)

[Kathie Fry]

There's still no information about the 2008 Artistic Worlds on the official event Web site at 2008kaohsiung.com. Can any of our friends in Taiwan or elsewhere give us some preliminary information about the venue?

- Kathie

[rolaboi]

Originally Posted by Kathie Fry

There's still no information about the 2008 Artistic Worlds on the official event Web site at 2008kaohsiung.com. Can any of our friends in Taiwan or elsewhere give us some preliminary information about the venue?

- Kathie

I dont know exactly where its being held.. I thought it might have been at a venue where I did some exhibitions over a few years.. it was great seated about 5,000.. lots of room backstage and good facilities.. and it was right in town! who knows..

that website is shocking... anyone could have registered that domain and just titled it that.. maybe its not even for real?

[LinP]

Kathie,
Most Team USA members have to pay all their own expenses, with only a little help to the Senior members. Juniors pay it all, except for what they can fund raise. Any lead on money people who will sponsor an art skater? Speed has it all over art in that area.

LinP

[Kathie Fry]

LinP, about how much would it cost to send one skater from the United States to the 2008 Artistic Worlds in Taiwan?

Does anybody have any fund raising ideas for sending World Team skaters to Taiwan from countries who don't cover skaters' travel expenses?

- Kathie

[LinP]

Kathie,
Last year it was around $5000 per skater. This year will be about the same. What that doesn't include are the extra practice outfits, and coaching fees and expenses for skaters whose coaches come along. Usually the skater and his/her family pay most of those costs, too.
The skaters need to look like champions every time they hit the practice floor, so they need fantastic practice outfits, too. Although there is an official team coach, many skaters do their best with their own coach at their side.
It is an extraordinary experience for the skater who makes the team, but often a huge expense for the family. Some regions have fund raisers to help out. Some clubs do the same. But there are some skaters whose parents have to try to put together this expense so that their child can represent the USA at the roller world championships. It would be great if there were former skaters who are now business owners/entrepreneurs who would like to sponsor someone on the team.

Lin P

[pastskater]

Originally Posted by Kathie Fry

LinP, about how much would it cost to send one skater from the United States to the 2008 Artistic Worlds in Taiwan?

Does anybody have any fund raising ideas for sending World Team skaters to Taiwan from countries who don't cover skaters' travel expenses?

- Kathie

You could get entertainment or business discounts which can print out coupons for payment. Or cookbooks or books for sale that will then make a slight profit by each one sold. Have a rink night dedicated to the skaters and have a type of feed for which people can eat, skate and be merry. Of course the car wash or candy bars, the bake sale.

Restraurants that would give something from the people eating on a specific night to then make a slight donation..like 2 % or more. Listing of restraurants that would be within the area for the event...(newspaper helping to gain more public support) then the needing of non profit and/or fund raising for discounted or free print up( fingers crossed)

here are some other links of such ideas:
http://www.fundraisingweb.org/
http://www.efundraising.com/
http://www.fundraiser-ideas.org/
http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/ideas/

http://www.cfsfun.com/chefco.asp?fr=chfco

Good luck!

[rolaboi]

Originally Posted by LinP

Kathie,
Most Team USA members have to pay all their own expenses, with only a little help to the Senior members. Juniors pay it all, except for what they can fund raise. Any lead on money people who will sponsor an art skater? Speed has it all over art in that area.

LinP

welcome to the real world Lin, sadly!! its been like this for us in Australia since I can remember.. and yep, its normally an invoice of 5k + that each skater gets every year traveling from AU to anywhere!!! From the US its not usually too bad, b/c its relatively close.. but yeh, US used to get many luxuries included trips etc.. but now, they join the rest of us who have to pay!!! win or lose!!

oh, and get this! WE COST SHARE everything here, so the skaters get slugged for the cost of OUR OFFICIALS, TEAM COACHES AND MANAGERS!!! yep, we pay for them to go too!!!

[Kathie Fry]

Oh cool, there are now pictures of the Taiwan venue on the 2008 Worlds Web site. The competition will take place on the 40 meter x 30 meter wooden floor of the I-Shou University Stadium. Scroll down on this page to see pictures of the venue: http://www.2008kaohsiung.com/

- Kathie

[Kathie Fry]

Official hotels for the 2008 artistic worlds are now on the event Web site:

- Grand Hi-Lai Hotel (5 stars +)
- Splendor Hotel (5 stars +)
- Han-Hsien Hotel (5 stars)
- Hotel Holiday Garden (4 stars)
- Metroplitan Hotel (3 stars +)

For prices and other information see 2008Kaohsiung.com - Hotels

- K

[rolaboi]

Originally Posted by Kathie Fry

Oh cool, there are now pictures of the Taiwan venue on the 2008 Worlds Web site. The competition will take place on the 40 meter x 30 meter wooden floor of the I-Shou University Stadium. Scroll down on this page to see pictures of the venue: http://www.2008kaohsiung.com/

- Kathie

HOW RIDICULOUS.. how can CIPA approve this.. its almost a square! 40 is 10MTRS shorter than the OFFICIAL APPROVED MIN LENGTH (50x25).. this will be a huge issue for the dancers ... not to mention being so wide...

seriously...

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by rolaboi

HOW RIDICULOUS.. how can CIPA approve this.. its almost a square! 40 is 10MTRS shorter than the OFFICIAL APPROVED MIN LENGTH (50x25).. this will be a huge issue for the dancers ... not to mention being so wide...

seriously...

Jayson i take it this about 130 feet long and like 92 feet wide,,,,,much wider then normal but shorter for world meets. we in the usa are spoiled we almost always skate on 180 feet or more long and 80 or so wide. it shouldnt ever be shorter then that for a world venue in my opinion.

[rolaboi]

this has happened before, even though the CIPA officials have been to the venue's to inspect them, 'approve' the facility and cross check they meet the 'rules'.. we still end up with a floor that is too short compared to what the ruling actually states as the MIN (which is 50mts).. in 1998 it was ridiculously small, 1995 even smaller... 2002 very small.. 2005 was short beyond belief!! I just feel for the Dancers.. most of them work on big floors expecting to compete at worlds on a big floor and they get there and have to deal with a small floor and adjust all their patterns to fit.. Precision too, they must really suffer.. although I'm sure they'll appreciate the width in this scenario... hmmmm

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by rolaboi

this has happened before, even though the CIPA officials have been to the venue's to inspect them, 'approve' the facility and cross check they meet the 'rules'.. we still end up with a floor that is too short compared to what the ruling actually states as the MIN (which is 50mts).. in 1998 it was ridiculously small, 1995 even smaller... 2002 very small.. 2005 was short beyond belief!! I just feel for the Dancers.. most of them work on big floors expecting to compete at worlds on a big floor and they get there and have to deal with a small floor and adjust all their patterns to fit.. Precision too, they must really suffer.. although I'm sure they'll appreciate the width in this scenario... hmmmm

your right the precision and dance skaters suffer the most, followed by pairs, the single skaters can adjust more so then the others. doesnt affect figures lol, that figures

[rolaboi]

Originally Posted by rwsz

your right the precision and dance skaters suffer the most, followed by pairs, the single skaters can adjust more so then the others. doesnt affect figures lol, that figures

if figures are lucky they'll be at the same venue!!! remember they were ditched in 2005 and skated out at the training hall!! that was shocking!

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by rolaboi

if figures are lucky they'll be at the same venue!!! remember they were ditched in 2005 and skated out at the training hall!! that was shocking!

yes lets hope so, wasnt that a sad event. worlds isnt consistent as far as size and floor type. it should be 180 ft minimum by 80 and wood.

[rach_sk8]

Totally agree... I feel for the dancers who have to fit dances onto a 40m long floor... made worse by huge width.... Who makes these decisions - I always thought Worlds floors would be 'the best' to show the best ability of the skaters, without having to adjust for these kind of technicalities!?? Have since discovered that I was wrong....

[Wendy Hammond]

Originally Posted by Kathie Fry

Oh cool, there are now pictures of the Taiwan venue on the 2008 Worlds Web site. The competition will take place on the 40 meter x 30 meter wooden floor of the I-Shou University Stadium. Scroll down on this page to see pictures of the venue: http://www.2008kaohsiung.com/

- Kathie

All of you out there with real skating rinks - especially the larger ones should consider yourselves really lucky! We get the use of a small school sports hall once a week; Quads get 4 hours, inline get 2 hours shared with the quads. We also get every other Sunday, but should anything more profitable come up, we get cancelled altogether!!! If Edward makes it to Worlds this year - that size rink would be many times better than he usually gets.

[rolaboi]

Originally Posted by Wendy Hammond

All of you out there with real skating rinks - especially the larger ones should consider yourselves really lucky! We get the use of a small school sports hall once a week; Quads get 4 hours, inline get 2 hours shared with the quads. We also get every other Sunday, but should anything more profitable come up, we get cancelled altogether!!! If Edward makes it to Worlds this year - that size rink would be many times better than he usually gets.

thats really tough having to do it like at.. but i think the real point is here that at a world championship you go there with the confidence that the floor will be a minimum of 50 x 25, in the hope of being a big size floor to do the best you can, with little complications.. having spent thousands of $$ to get there and find the added stress of competition is made all the more difficult by the floor being alot smaller than anticipated, really puts a downer on it...

there are many who struggle with rink time and smaller floors, which is also a reason why skaters in that situation look forward to worlds even more, b/c they get a chance on the 'big floor'... its just really disappointing when venues and floors a substandard for what should be, the premier event of skating...

[Bexskater]

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