Endorsements Made Easy!

Some people call the ISI office and ask, “So why do I need an ISI endorsement anyway?”

For a competition, the answer is: to add credibility to your event by letting all participants know that you are following the ISI policies and procedures for testing and competition standards. The competition has been approved and endorsed by a national association.

Also, a competition, show or exhibition endorsement protects the eligibility status of your skaters, both now and in the future.

ISI gives endorsements to current Administrative members for:

  • Intra-rink competitions (skaters from only your rink)
  • Inter-rink competitions (skaters from more than one rink)
  • District championship competitions
  • Ice shows
  • Ice skating exhibitions

The competition and show endorsement forms can be printed off the ISI website. Visit skateisi.org, click on the Resources tab at top, then the Administrative Forms & Product Information button. You’ll find the Competition Endorsement Form link under the Skating Director and Coach Forms heading.

For an ice show or exhibition event, only the completed application form must be submitted to the ISI office at least 21 days prior to the show/exhibition event. Endorsement fees are doubled if received closer to the event dates.

The ISI office must be notified in writing at least 15 days before the event if any participants are active U.S. Figure Skating members who have competed at or above the Novice level at the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships within the last two years. The ISI office will then request approval from U.S. Figure Skating for those skaters to participate in your event.

For all competition events, a copy of all your competition entry information materials must accompany the application form. Competition endorsements must be submitted to the ISI office at least 60 days prior to the competition event. Endorsement fees are doubled if received closer to the event dates.

For inter-rink and district championship events, your district director must sign the application before sending it to ISI. For intra-rink (or in-house) events, your district director’s signature is not required.

Also, a copy of your skater event schedule is due in the ISI office at least two weeks prior to the competition for membership and test verification. We will check, verify and confirm that all participants are current members and are competing at their current registered test level.

If you are organized and on time, endorsements are not difficult to process.

Helpful Hints

As stated on the application forms, all competition directors must follow the rules and regulations in the most current edition of the ISI Handbook. Any deviation from these manuals will void your approved endorsement.

The more pages you send in, the more details we will need to check. While it’s necessary to send some information with your application (see below), you don’t have to include all the information that is readily available in the current manuals and on the ISI website. However, many competition directors would rather be “more safe than sorry,” so make sure your information and event descriptions match the latest rule changes and current ISI publications.

Most endorsements are received and processed fairly quickly.

Occasionally, it’s necessary for us to ask for clarification, corrections or changes to the information that was submitted. When the corrections are received, your endorsement will be processed — and you’re on your way to another successful event!

Required Information

Your competition endorsement request must include the following:

  • Current rink membership and current Professional membership status for your competition director and/or chief referee. If the competition director has not passed the Gold level of the ISI judge certification exams, then the Administrative member must employ a Gold-certified judge to serve as chief referee for the competition. All judges and competition directors must take and pass the appropriate update test.
  • Event details, including: event date(s), entry deadline, list of events offered and performance rules (only if those events are not listed in the current ISI Handbook), entry fee prices, individual/partner events entry form and team events entry form.

Plan ahead so your event can be listed on the ISI website and in upcoming ISI magazines. Try to avoid the busy “rush” periods in September and January.

Endorsements are an important — and EASY — step required from ISI Administrative members to correctly administer the ISI recreational skating program. With additional skating school and private lesson revenues, practice ice and public session admissions — along with concession and pro shop sales prior to and during the events — both the financial and continued participation benefits of regularly hosting an ISI-endorsed event will be evident in your facility for months and years to come!