What Makes a Gold-Medal Program?

Actually, there is no magic answer to putting together a winning program. (Sorry!) There are just too many different ways to put together a program full of jumps, spins, and moves. No one formula guarantees success.

But there are some general principles that are pretty-much guaranteed to be a part of most gold-medal programs. The things I mention below are ideas based on my observations only, and may not be the best for you. Trust your pro's judgement on this - he or she knows you & your abilities. And also knows what other skaters in your area are doing.

Almost all good programs honor the following 4 principles:

Good Skating

First and foremost! Good posture, good flow, good (non-toe) pushes, good extension. Clean, quiet, edges without a lot of scratching. Consistently solid one-footed landings with no touches, cheats, 3-turns, dips, hooks. Good flowthrough on jumps. This stuff sounds "boring" and not as important as packing in lots of stuff -- don't believe it! Judges form their initial impression based on this stuff - and often get you placed into a "top / middle / bottom third" category based on it -- even before looking at the specific elements you do.

Balance

A well-balanced program is essential. You should have a good mix of spins, "moves", and jumps. Don't repeat one element over and over just because it's hard and you happen to do it well -- most judges stop writing down an element once you show them you know how to do it (and 1 or 2 times is plenty for that…). It's better to show that you can do a wide variety of elements, and connect them nicely.

The right elements

Try to demonstrate command of all the elements specified for your test level. Show off a couple from higher levels if you can do them well. It's probably better to not try the hard ones if they're not consistent - you don't get much credit for a poorly performed element, and the stress you'll be putting on yourself worrying about it might cause the rest of the program to suffer.

Presentation

Use your arms, your face, and body positioning to help you present your program. Good skating with no expression is boring skating. Try to "hear", feel, and "present" your music. Too often we see programs that use the music only to fill in that nasty silence that exists if it's not playing. Let the judges & the audience "see" the music in your presentation. Try to "connect" with your audience - look at them, make eye contact. Look like you're enjoying yourself.