Death Spirals

Question 1

General requirements of a death spiral

Answer 1

In the final position while the Woman is performing the actual death spiral, both the Man and the Woman must execute a minimum of one (1) revolution with the knees of the Man clearly bent and in full pivot position. For a possible higher level, the Man should stay in a low pivot position.

The Woman simultaneously must skate on a clean edge with her body and her head close to the ice surface, however she must not touch the ice with her head or assist herself with the free hand or any part of the body. The Woman’s body weight is supported by the force of the spiraling edge and the hold of the Man.

The Man must be in a centered position with a fully extended arm. Any kind of position is counted as a feature if the Skaters’ hold lasts for at least one continuous revolution

Question 2

Definition of a pivot figure

Answer 2

The man performs a pivot holding the Woman, who is following him with hand to hand grip. The Woman can be in a spiral, spreadeagle, or have an extended leg position

Question 3

Backward Outside Death Spiral Definition

Answer 3

BiDs

Both partners are skating on a backward outside edge.

The Man performs a pivot and holds the hand of the Woman with the same arm as his skating foot fully extended

The woman is leaning backwards to the ice and her arm is fully extended as she circles around the Man in this position.

Any variation of the mans position is allowed as long as he keeps the pivot position described and the Woman circles around him on a backwards outside edge

Question 4

Forward inside death spiral definition

Answer 4

FiDs

The Man is skating on a backward outside edge, and the Woman is skating on a forward inside edge. The Man performs a pivot and holds the hand of the Woman with the same arm fully extended as his skating foot fully extended.

The Woman is leaning sideways to the ice and her arm is also fully extended as she circles around the Man in this position.

Any variation of the Man’s position is allowed as long as he keeps the pivot position as described and the Woman circles around him on an inside edge.

Question 5

Back inside death spiral definition

Answer 5

BiDs

The man is skating on a backward outside edge, and the Woman is skating on a backwards inside edge.

The Man performs a pivot and holds the hand of the Woman with the same arm as his skating foot fully extended

The woman is leaning backwards or forwards to the ice and her arm is fully extended as she circles around the Man in this position.

Any variation of the mans position is allowed as long as he keeps the pivot position described and the Woman circles around him on a backwards outside edge

Question 6

Forward outside death spiral definition

Answer 6

FoDs

The Man is skating on a backward outside edge, and the Woman is skating on a forward outside edge. The Man performs a pivot and holds the hand of the Woman with the same arm fully extended as his skating foot fully extended.

The Woman is leaning sideways to the ice and her arm is also fully extended as she circles around the Man in this position.

Any variation of the Man’s position is allowed as long as he keeps the pivot position as described and the Woman circles around him on an inside edge.

Question 7

Death spiral level features

Answer 7

1. Difficult entry
2. Full revolution(s) of the Woman when both parters are in “low” positions (counts as many times as performed)

Question 8

Definition of Woman’s “Low” position for inside death spirals

Answer 8

the lowest hip/buttock and head should not be higher than her skating knee

Question 9

Definition of Woman’s “Low” position for outside death spirals

Answer 9

head should not be higher than skating knee

Question 10

Definitions of Man’s “Low” position

Answer 10

buttocks not higher than the knee of his anchored foot

Question 11

What can the level of a death spiral be without one full revolution in the described Man’s and Woman’s simultaneous “low” position

Answer 11

Max level 1

Any part of the Death spiral with a higher Womans or Man’s position that the “low” position is not valid for features 2

The counting starts only when the Woman and the Man are in the actual low death spiral position

Question 12

Loss of “low position”

Answer 12

In order to get features 2), the “low” position of both partners has to be continuous. If the low position is lost, features 2 can be counted only if performed prior to the loss

Question 13

If the Woman’s head (for all death spirals) and/or lowest hip (for inside death spirals) is (are) higher than the skating leg knee, the Level cannot be higher than ___

Answer 13

Max Level 1

Question 14

If during the death spiral the lowest part of the Woman’s head NEVER reaches the level of her skating knee, the Level cannot be higher than __

Answer 14

No Value!

Question 15

Execution of a different death spiral in the SP

Answer 15

No level and no value and the box would be blocked
(via an asterisk?)

Question 16

Woman skates on boot

Answer 16

If the Woman loses the edge and goes to the boot or the knee, this is considered as the conclusion of the death spiral and no other features will be considered

The tech panel must determine if this meets the definition of a fall (majority of weight is off of blade - question is whether or not there is a loss of control)

Question 17

If the man does not reach the pivot position at all, what is the max level possible

Answer 17

No value

Question 18

If the man does not stay in a pivot position for one revolution, what is the max level possible

Answer 18

No value

Question 19

If the man’s knee of this leg with the toe pick in the ice is not clearly bent for one revolution, what is the max level possible

Answer 19

No value

Question 20

If the Man’s holding arm is not fully extended for one revolution, what is the max level possible

Answer 20

No value

Question 21

If a man does not do one full revolution in prescribed low pivot position, the level cannot be higher than __?

Answer 21

Max Level 1

Question 22

What happens in the SP if the Man does a change in pivot position?

Answer 22

In the SP only the traditional pivot position of the Man is allowed in which he skates on a backward outside edge, holding the hand of the Woman will fully extended arm with both knees clearly bent and in full pivot position

No variation of the pivot position is allowed. If there is a variation, the element will receive no value

Question 22

What happens in the SP if the Man does a opposite hand hold on the entry of the death spiral?

Answer 22

The opposite handhold of the man is not allowed in the SP - no value

Question 22

What happens in the FS if the Man does a change in pivot position?

Answer 22

In the FS any death spiral will be considered as ended, once the Man changes the pivot position. Consequently, only that part, in which the Man is in the proper pivot position as to the text above, will be taken to determine the Level.

Question 23

What happens in the FS if the Man does a opposite hand hold on the entry of the death spiral?

Answer 23

The opposite handhold of the Man is allowed in the FS but is not considered a level feature

Question 24

What happens in the SP if the Woman does a opposite hand hold on the entry of the death spiral?

Answer 24

The opposite handhold of the Woman is allowed in the SP but is not considered a level feature

Question 25

What happens in the FS if the Woman does a opposite hand hold on the entry of the death spiral?

Answer 25

The opposite handhold of the Woman is allowed in the FS but is not considered a level feature

Question 26

Change of arm hold

Answer 26

In both SP and FS change(s) of arm hold of the Man and/or Woman is allowed at any moment but is no longer a level feature

Question 27

Whose revolutions are counted for feature 2?

Answer 27

Only the woman’s revolutions are counted

It is possible that the Man does less full revolutions in the low position than the Woman if the Woman passes behind the Man during the death spiral. This would require changes of hold

Question 28

When does the death spiral start?

Answer 28

Entry commences at the beginning of the entry curve when one partner is on one foot on the edge of the death spiral and the other partner is also on one foot or in a position such as spread eagle, shoot the duck etc

Question 29

When does the exit start and end?

Answer 29

The exit from the death spiral starts when the Man starts bending his “holding” arm in the elbow and ends when the Woman comes to the vertical position

Question 30

When do the death spiral revolutions start and end?

Answer 30

They begin when the Man’s toe for the pivot is stationary (anchored) on the ice. They end when either the Man’s pivot ends or when the Woman begins to rise in order to exit the death spiral. Whichever is first, will indicate the conclusion.

Question 31

Difficult entry/exit requirements

Answer 31

Difficult entry and/or exit is one feature and only one of them will count as a level feature

Skater(s) must demonstrate positions that affect the main body core and balance.

The difficult entry position must be performed while both partners are on the entry curve and the Woman and/or the Man are moving from a difficult entry position directly and without delay to a death spiral position. *The feature for the Entry is awarded only if the low position is reached by both partners within the first revolution after the Man’s toe is anchored in the ice

The exit must have significant impact, one the balance and control of the execution of the death spiral. An example of a difficult exit: Woman exits immediately with continuous flow into a lift (dance or other) or into a jump.

Question 32

Death spiral features for Intermediate (4)

Answer 32

1. 1 full revolution of Man in pivot position with knees clearly bent
2. 1 full revolution of the Woman in the low position
3. Additional full revolutions by the Woman with both partners in the low position after the first revolution (counts only if pair achieves features 1 and 2)
4. Difficult entry (immediately preceding the death spiral) and/or exit (only one feature can be achieved for this regardless of whether the team does a difficult entry, a difficult exit or both)

Question 33

Juvenile Pairs pivot figure requirements

Answer 33

Must have a minimum of 1/2 rev in the pivot of the man, and he must grip the woman with a one-hand hold. If there is less than 1/2 rev in a pivot, or the man holds the woman with two hands, the PiF will have no value

The woman can be in a spiral, spread eagle, or have an extended leg position