icenetwork.com

(10/17/2007) - It's time for the 12th edition of the U.S. Figure Skating Fantasy Challenge!

This is where you, the fan, get to choose a different team of skaters for national and international competitions, with the chance to win weekly and overall prizes. Game one for the 2007-08 season encompasses the Grand Prix Series and the Grand Prix Final; the second will include the U.S. Championships, European Championships, Four Continents Championships and World Championships.

When you sign up you become the team manager for a fictional collection of the top eligible figure skaters ion the world today. The success of your team is based on the individual performance of your team members in upcoming real life competitions.

Each team will consist of three men, three ladies, three pairs and three dance teams that players can choose from the Fantasy Challenge competitors list. The skaters have been separated into three pools: A, B and C by the commissioner of the Fantasy Challenge. The icenetwork.com World Skater Rankings will be used as a guideline for pool placement. The pool system is important in determining the mix of competitors you will be allowed to have on your team.

Skaters on each team will receive individual points based on their real-life performances. Individual points for each event will be calculated according to the following formula: Reverse order of final placement x2. Skaters who fail to finish or who do not compete as scheduled for any reason receive 0 points. The individual scoring formula will be the same for each of the four disciplines - men's, ladies, pairs and dance.

Scoring Example: The men's competition at the World Championships ends with Evan Lysacek in first, Stephane Lambiel in second and Jeffrey Buttle in third, with 10 competitors finishing in the men's field. So, Lysacek receives 20 points (reverse order of final placement (10) X 2), Lambiel receives 18 points (reverse order of final placement (9) X 2) and Buttle receives 16 points (reverse order of final placement (8) X 2). In this example, the 10th-place finisher at the World Championships men's competition receives two points.

So, lace up your boots, sharpen your blades and register HERE to choose your team of skaters for the first major international event of the season, Skate America.