Garry Hoppe: "figure skating is a passion of life"

Garry Hoppe has been an ISU accredited judge representing Israel since 2001. What does he think of the new judging system?

Q: Garry, do you think that the new judging system is more objective?
A: I do not think that anything has changed.

Q: You have been on the international "judging scene" for quite a few years. Apart from the new judging system, what other changes, in your opinion, have happened there?
A: I think that one  has to look at things across a far broader spectrum not homing in on one or two particular personal likes and dislikes. I feel that we as judges tend to also assess both the scale of values and the grades of execution when judging.

Q: Some critics say that the new judging system has made figure skating too technical, depriving it of creativity. It's all about the levels of difficulty now. What can you say to that?
A: Well, things tend to move on, and we as judges must also open our minds. I feel that trying to perform the artistry of ice dancing alongside difficulty just pushes all to higher levels

Q: What are your impressions of the last skating season?
A: The last season was slightly strange for me because sometimes new younger skaters did not receive credit for their efforts at major events, which, to my mind, is unfair.

Q: This question I am asking everybody – the judges, the coaches and the skaters: What makes figure skating such a beautiful sport?
A: Figure skating is more than a beautiful sport – it is a passion of life. We have so many wonderful and beautiful skaters within our sport, and Israel, unlike other larger nations does not always receive the recognition it deserves – so, in my opinion, there is negativity within our beautiful artistic sport. I know that our National Champions Galit and Sergei would have long been World Champions if they were to have represented a larger and more powerful nation. Just gliding without effort is also beautiful to the naked eye. Yet, our sport is not always beautiful and graceful because even will the success of it, as in everyday life, it can be extremely painful to the skaters who know that they have performed to their highest possible standar and still wonder why less talented skaters received higher award.

Q: Let's hope that justice will prevail in our dazzling, daring, painful, rewarding and heartbreaking, subjective and objective, improbable and overwhelming sport.