Cleveland Gets 2009 US Nationals | Golden Skate

Cleveland Gets 2009 US Nationals

2ndmark

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 19, 2004
Seriously, no offense intended. But can't Nats find a more glamourous city? I mean St. Louis? Portland?? Spokane??? Cleveland???? I know we go for the skating and often it doesn't matter a flip what city it takes place in ... but still.......................................
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Seriously, no offense intended. But can't Nats find a more glamourous city? I mean St. Louis? Portland?? Spokane??? Cleveland???? I know we go for the skating and often it doesn't matter a flip what city it takes place in ... but still.......................................

Well, if Houston could get the Superbowl...:rofl: (and anyone who's been there knows exactly what I mean)
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I'm starting a conspiracy theory: The USFS is favoring the MidWest: 2007 Skate America in Minneapolis; 2007 US Nationals in Cleveland

What I wish the ISU would do is holding figure skating events in May/June. Tired of all those layers I have to wear.

Joe.
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
I'm starting a conspiracy theory: The USFS is favoring the MidWest: 2007 Skate America in Minneapolis; 2007 US Nationals in Cleveland

What I wish the ISU would do is holding figure skating events in May/June. Tired of all those layers I have to wear.

Joe.

Could the choice of city have anything to do with the sweats, etc, that the USFS markets?
 

dutchherder

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
Hey, don't bust Cleveland's chops, man! Despite what people think, Cleveland isn't the armpit of the Earth-- that's a tie between Gary, IN and Detroit. :chorus:

I, for one, am tired of the "glamorous cities" hogging everything. It's about time something big was within a three-hour drive of my house. :thumbsup:
 

KwanFan1212

Joey Votto Fangirl
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
It will be nice to attend a US Nationals where I can just make a drive up I-71 to get there. I won't have airfare to pay for which means the trip will be MUCH cheaper for me! :agree:
 

Jhar55

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
2ndmark where would you like to see Nationals held?
Thers nothing wrong with the cities you mention.
I know we'd all like to have them close to home.
What I've liked is that I have been able to travel to places I've never been.
Cleveland is drivable but since I'd be alone flying would be safer for traveling alone. Only drove to 2 Nashville and St.Louis which is only 2 1/2 hours either way.
 

hockeyfan228

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Cleveland has a world-class symphony, which plays in venerable Severance Hall, and several terrific museums, including the Western Reserve Historical Society -- who knew that eastern Ohio was originally the summer home for Connecticut? -- and the Cleveland Museum of Art. It also houses three Halls of Fame: Football, Rock and Roll, and National Inventors. There is also a steamship museum (William G. Mather) and a WWII era submarine (USS Cod).

http://www.10best.com/Cleveland/Sights_&_Activities/Museums/index.html
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
immediately thought of you, Hez! :)

I'm still thinking about skipping out on 09 Nats and just going to worlds... we'll see what my bank account says in 2 years lol


any idea when ANCHORAGE could get a national championship up here?? we've got the ice! ;)
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I think USFS will be keeping a close eye on attendance. When Spokane hosted Skate America a few years ago the event set the all-time attendance record. It is not a coincidence that Spokane got the bid for U.S. Nationals this year (and was even in the running for Worlds for a while).

At Hartford this year, according to International Figure Skating the attendance for the short programs was 1160 people in an arena that holds 15,000.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
MM - What do the Spokanees have to do to see live entertainment? and with all the millions $$$ there, why not make a going out winter evening?

figure skating has a lot of competition in bigger cities.

Joe
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
MM - What do the Spokanees have to do to see live entertainment? and with all the millions $$$ there, why not make a going out winter evening?

figure skating has a lot of competition in bigger cities.
That is an excellent point. Here is the official "visit Spokane" website, and you can see how prominently the figure skating show is billed.

http://www.visitspokane.com/

Now, if you want to go wild while you are there, here is the live entertainment calendar:

January 25th: "The Road to Diddly Squat," a play starring Tim Behrens and Reed McColm, Center Stage Theater.

2007 Spokane International Film Festival, at the Bing Crosby Theater.

January 26th: Spokane Symphony features saxophonist Tim Ries

Ski For Free at Silver Mountain, free lift ticket if you come in a Toyota. (I am not making this up.)

Assassins (Steven Sondheim) at the Firth J. Chew Studio Theater.

January 27th: Live comedy with comedian Dan Cummins, Center Stage.

BX3 concert with Billy Sheehan (not sure what BX3 means).

Robert Burns Supper and Social Dance, All the haggis you can eat!

And if you stay until the 31st you can take in the hockey game, Spokane Chiefs versus Chilliwack.

Spokane rocks! (No wait, Cleveland rocks.) :)
 

Jhar55

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I was at Spokane and the arean it's that big compared to some other, could that be the reason it has sold out. If so maybe that will be the future hold the events in smaller venues.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
The Spokane arena has 10,440 seats. Madison Square Garden seats about 19,000, which I think is typical for larger venues (for hockey or basketball, for instance). So, yes, I think 10,000 is a reasonable goal to shoot for.

At 2002 Skate America the total attendance was 28,664 over four days.

It certainly looks better on TV if the house is full.

BTW, some of the novice and junior events will be at the brand new Spokane Performing Arts and Convention Center. I don't know how they will configure it to accomodate ice skating, but the main theater there seats 2700.
 

2ndmark

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 19, 2004
Did you notice how full the arena appeared to be at NHK? Wish we in the USA could get that kind of turn out.

Seriously didn't mean to slam Cleveland (or the other cities) in my previous post. But although the emphasis is on whatever competition is taking place, I would hope the city had something else to offer of interest. St. Louis, for instance, held little allure for tourists. In the final analysis, I suppose it it is the venue that is the make-or-break factor. And the Savvis Center was atrocious. After paying thousand and thousands of dollars I was appalled by the facility (our block of seats were in a "pull-out" section of temporary bleachers that were hideously uncomfortable with no leg room). As another example, Dallas was not a great Nationals in terms of the competition, but the brand new state-of-the-art American Airlines Center was spectacular.

Off topic, but does anyone have any clue when tickets to 2009 Worlds may go on sale?
 
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