2011 Nationals in Greensboro, NC

Greensboro, N.C., Selected to Host 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships





(2/25/09) - U.S. Figure Skating announced today the selection of Greensboro, N.C., as the host city for the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Jan. 22-30, 2011. The event, held annually since 1914, is the nation's most prestigious figure skating event. Over the course of a week 12 national champions will be crowned in ladies, men's, pairs and ice dancing on the senior, junior and novice levels.

"This is the first time the U.S. Championships have taken place in North Carolina," said U.S. Figure Skating executive director David Raith. "We're very excited about the opportunity to bring this event to the fans of figure skating in Greensboro and throughout the state."

North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue welcomed the selection.

"North Carolina will be a fantastic location for the 2011 U.S. Championships," Perdue said. "We have a proven track record of (hosting) successful major events, and we have great facilities and wonderful volunteers."

Paul Wylie, the 1992 Olympic silver medalist and five-time U.S. medalist who resides in Charlotte and coaches at the Carolinas Figure Skating Club, sees North Carolina's selection as a defining moment for the state.

"The state of North Carolina has never hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships," Wylie said. "We have been growing in terms of new ice facilities and having more participants in the sport. With figure skating's premier event coming to the state in less than two years, I expect the growth in figure skating in North Carolina to be tremendous."

The nine-day event is expected to attract approximately 1,500 figure skaters, coaches and officials. Recent U.S. Championships have been held in Spokane, Wash. (2007); Saint Paul, Minn. (2008); and Cleveland, Ohio (2009); and next year's event will once again be held in Spokane.

Tickets for the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 9. Ticket purchases at that time will consist of reservations for All-Event Packages that provide premium seating to every session of the 2011 U.S. Championships. Details will be available at www.NorthCarolina2011.com.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 2:09pm EST | Modified: Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 2:39pm

GSO to host 2011 skating championships
The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area

Greensboro will host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2011.

Officials with U.S. Figure Skating and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex confirmed the Gate City’s selection at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Mayor Yvonne Johnson said the event, set for Jan. 22-30, 2011, will bring 1,500 skaters to Greensboro. She said the championships will also mean about 8,000 hotel room nights sold and bring about $30 million in total economic impact to the city.

NBC will air about 10 hours of coverage of the event nationally.

Greensboro beat out Kansas City to host the 2011 championships. Hill Carrow, CEO of Sports & Properties Inc., who served as chairman for the city’s bid committee, said Greensboro had competed for the 2010 event as well.

Carrow noted that 2011 will be the first time the championships come to a venue with a competition site, practice rink and fan celebration area all on the same property.

The week-long event will showcase 16 different ticketed events, with competitions for novices on up through skaters who will likely have competed in the 2010 Olympic games. Tickets will go on sale March 9.

More information is available at www.northcarolina2011.com

Tentative Schedule

Saturday, January 22
- Official Practice sessions all day
Sunday, January 23
- Novice Compulsory Dance
- Novice Pairs Short Program
- Novice Ladies Short Program
- Novice Men’s Short Program
- Junior Ladies Short Program
Monday, January 24
- Novice Pairs Free Skate (Finals)
- Novice Free Dance (Finals)
- Novice Men’s Free Skate (Finals)
- Novice Ladies Free Skate (Finals)
- Junior Compulsory Dance
Tuesday, January 25
- Junior Original Dance
- Junior Ladies Free Skate (Finals)
Wednesday, January 26
- Junior Men’s Short Program
- Senior Compulsory Dance
- Senior Pairs Short Program
Thursday, January 27
- Junior Free Dance (Finals)
- Junior Pairs Short Program
- Senior Original Dance
- Senior Ladies Short Program
Friday, January 28
- Junior Pairs Free Skate (Finals)
- Junior Men’s Free Skate (Finals)
- Senior Men’s Short Program
Saturday, January 29
- Senior Pairs Free Skate (Finals)
- Senior Free Dance (Finals)
- Senior Ladies Free Skate (Finals)
Sunday, January 30
- Senior Men’s Free Skate (Finals)
- U.S. Championships Skating Spectacular

Very Cool! I grew up not far from Greensboro - I'll have to go home for a visit at that time!

Wow the senior championships are back to the same weekend!!

What customers want to know:

1. What is the name and address of the Arena?

2. What are closest hotels walking distance to it?

3. Is there public transportation to the Arena?

Anything else?

Google?

how much do I LOVE the fact that the men are STILL the closing of the event???? It's so overdue... wish the media would pick up on it.

The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is at 1921 West Lee st. Zip 27403. I too would appreciate any locals chiming in here if there are hotels near there they like or dislike.

I am so tempted to jump in on this... but I'll wait... for now...

It would also be useful to know if this is an arena set up for Hockey and skating (steep pitch of lower bowl for viewing ice action like Spokane) or a basketball type arena with big video screens and a shallow pitch, like Cleveland, for viewing tall people with hands in the air (I guess). There is no point in sitting in row 3 and paying for that if you still cant see over the people in front of you. You can sit in row 6 and still do that for less money.....sorry for the sarcasm but I just couldnt resist...the devil make me do it.

CoyoteChris said:

It would also be useful to know if this is an arena set up for Hockey and skating (steep pitch of lower bowl for viewing ice action like Spokane) or a basketball type arena with big video screens and a shallow pitch, like Cleveland, for viewing tall people with hands in the air (I guess). There is no point in sitting in row 3 and paying for that if you still cant see over the people in front of you. You can sit in row 6 and still do that for less money.....sorry for the sarcasm but I just couldnt resist...the devil make me do it.

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Or those 3 young men who have all the little girls screaming?

Building an Arena has to do with the economy of the townspeople. Usually one Arena fits all, and they are used for Hockey. The only time I've heard of an Arena being built for figure skating was in an Olympic venue which didn't have an arena already in the planned setup. How much though was given to figure skating and how much for Ice Hockey is not known. After the Olys, which sport would use that particular site the most?

Be careful of the folding chairs on the ice if you think rows 1-4 are the best. They do get a little uncomforable. And row 10 just might be better than row 5 if there is a camera around.

I am with you about rows one through four....unless one knows the arena and its particular setup for these seats at skating events, they could be worse than row six, for instance. At Four Continents 07 in Colorado Springs, there were no folding chairs and and I had no problems seeing over the person ahead of me in any seat I took. Same thing at st. Paul and Everett. I have never seen folding chairs (with only one arm rest!) like they had a Cleveland. I thought I was imagining things about the viewing problems till I talked to other fans and then to Toby and Barb who promoted Spokane2007 and are promoting Spokane 2010. They explained the pitch and screen setup and they too had heard lots of complaints about the shallowness of the bowl at Cleveland. I wonder if anyone else finds it distracting when the skaters on the screen are bigger than the skaters on the ice? Cant wait to see what LA will be like.

This news link provides a still picture at the opening with view of the arena, it does not appear to be any floor seating.

http://www.myfox8.com/wghp-figure-skating-championships-greensbor-090225,0,6537763.story

Searched for the commercial they said they filmed in the above news video and found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96gUjfZshGU

There were other related videos, however the lighting was dark and this was fully lit to make me think it was the commerical. There does appear to be a stage on the ice, but still don't see floor seating.

Thanks! I think you are correct....I forgot that if I search the local media there may be sporting events in the arena that may be covered with video on the local news...good idea.

Ticket Prices ????

Anyone have a clue as to ticket prices

efreedman said:

Anyone have a clue as to ticket prices

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In this economy, in that market, and in a post Olympic year, they had better be reasonably priced

Information about 2011 Nationals is beginning to appear on the web site here:

http://www.northcarolina2011.com/tickets.html

Tickets will go on sale at 10 AM Eastern time on March 9. If I'm interpreting the seating diagram correctly, these are the prices (excluding Exhibition):

First few rows: $795
Others rows on side of lower bowl: $495
Other rows at ends of lower bowl: $295
Lowest rows on sides of of upper tier: $295
Rest of upper tier: $225

Three official hotels are listed at this point (can't make reservations yet): The Sheraton at $129, the Doubletree at $99, and the Grandover Resort at $169. The Grandover is much farther from the Coliseum than the other two.

In response to the question upthread about hotels within walking distance, I believe there are none less than a mile from the Coliseum. (Edited to acknowledge that the website says the Doubletree is less than a mile away--but I don't think it's much less.) I haven't checked out the area myself yet (hope to do so sometime this year), but I have been told by relatives that there are no really close-by hotels, and a quick web search confirms that. I understand that there is only one food option in the immediate area, a barbecue joint. (For Texans and other outlanders, in NC that means pork, and probably chicken, not beef.)

Two of the three official hotels currently listed on the website (but not yet bookable) are within 1.3 miles of the Coliseum complex, per the website. And the rates ($129 and $99) are comparatively reasonable.

chances are there will be a bus pass available for the week with buses running to and from the official hotels to the arena(s) too... so a mile or two ain't bad.

acraven said:

In response to the question upthread about hotels within walking distance, I believe there are none less than a mile from the Coliseum. (Edited to acknowledge that the website says the Doubletree is less than a mile away--but I don't think it's much less.) I haven't checked out the area myself yet (hope to do so sometime this year), but I have been told by relatives that there are no really close-by hotels, and a quick web search confirms that. I understand that there is only one food option in the immediate area, a barbecue joint. (For Texans and other outlanders, in NC that means pork, and probably chicken, not beef.)

Two of the three official hotels currently listed on the website (but not yet bookable) are within 1.3 miles of the Coliseum complex, per the website. And the rates ($129 and $99) are comparatively reasonable.

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Isn't North Carolina Dry State? or some Counties are Dry?