The Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena is hosting its annual Skate Chautauqua event this weekend.
The event, which has been put on by the Jamestown Skating Club since 1996, draws competitors from all over the country, said Mary Handley, chairperson of Skate Chautauqua.
"This is a competition for all skaters," she said. "Not only beginners, who get experience in presenting their programs and specific moves to the judges, but also advanced skaters."
Skaters range from age 5 to 18, she said.
The competition is a non-qualifying event, and is put on as a preparation for general competitions, she said.
The very rigorous judging system is overseen by many judges, who come from all over the country. Many have also been involved in judging the Olympic figure skating competitions.
"This is an incredible new process with the judging," she said. "They created a new judging system after the Olympics."
The competition began Friday with its on-ice critique, she said. The skaters present their program and then meet with the technical specialist and the judges in order to discuss the scoring.
"We feel this is a very valuable, very new and very innovative thing," she said. In normal competitions, scores are posted and there is no back-and-forth between the judges and the skaters, she says. Meeting with the technical specialist and the judges allows the skater to learn why they received the score they did, and suggestions on improving their routine.
"This is a learning competition," she said. "The skaters learn from the experience, and the coaches learn from the technical specialist. What they learn from the technical specialist and the judges helps them to better their routines for general competition."
The bulk of the skaters come from New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, she said, however the competition draws skaters from many states.
"There are also competitors from Florida, San Francisco and Nevada," she said.
The coaches also include several Olympic champions and competitors.
The ice arena will also be hosting another competition in February titled the Chautauqua Winter Games.
