!0 city tour. I guess Requiem will be first group number. Families are struggling or fearful to spend the money. Has skating's future ever looked this bleak? The 1 percent will be going. Without a prosperous middle class... nothing is possible. I guess many fans will be happy with TV coverage and internet. Such a shame. Wonder why Smuckers is not sponsoring this year?
SOI bought out COI, which was really a dumb thing to do IMO. I get they were trying to expand, but considering why COI died out it's not like it was a good move.
When Scott Hamilton started SOI it was because Ice Capades was tanking, now SOI is in that downward spiral... hopefully he doesn't end up like Dorothy and in bankruptcy.
I thoght that COI was purchased by Phil Anchusz (sp?) and his AEG outfit. Did they sell it to SOI?Originally Posted by Tonichelle
COI merged with SOI, it was a big deal at the time... I don't know all the backroom dealing that went on, but the year that COI was no more, SOI got its tour schedule merged with theirs and a press release was given. It's been a while now I don't remember much of the details, I just remember being shocked and worried that SOI would tank too.
That's exactly what's happening. The show is tanking. I haven't missed an SOI in over 15 years...this year will be the first year. It's a shame.
The Canadian show was on TV last night. I didn't see all of it, but Kurt Browning did his Scott Hamilton tribute. (Spot on -- he looked just like him). I liked Belbin and Agosto the best of what I saw.
To the best of my recollection Philip Anschutz bought COI from Tom Collins in 2006 (around the time that Anschutz' son was supposedly dating Michelle Kwan
In 2008 Stars on Ice bought whatever remaining assets COI had (none, as far as I can tell). As Toni said there was a big whoop about whether Scott would absorb some of the COI stalwarts into his tour, but it didn't work out that way to any great extent. No Irina Grigorian on SOI -- the era of the Giant Slinky on Ice had passed.
http://www.windweaver.com/coi2003/grigorian91605.jpg
This is my 2nd year missing, they cut Dallas and the Southern US (last year they had Florida, if that even counts) last tour. I'm especially mad this year because Ryan finally joined
I don't think SOI will completely tank. It does well in Japan (and Mexico has an SOI? am I right?) so it's not like they'll completely lose out on all of this, it's just that the USA will lose out.
If Mexico has a tour named Stars On Ice (I've never heard of one) it isn't the same tour or ownership. SOI as we know it has Canada, US and Japan. At some point in the mid-90's they tried to enter the European touring market with a show headquartered in Antwerp but it didn't work out in the long run and after several years they dropped it.Mexico has an SOI?
Last edited by Brandenburg; 12-17-2011 at 04:28 PM.
Does anyone know why SOI is not being sponsored by Smuckers? I think SOI will not be mounted at all next year. I hope Scott could appeal to Kwan to go into business-she is rich and star in the tour. She would be able to revive the show, if the economy is not significantly worse.
I am wondering if membership at these skating boards reflect a drop in fans, and by how much. Mathman, would you know?
Yet another thread is asking about skatings demise as measured by a forum like GS? We are all interested in demographics here and growth, or demise. Can it be answered? I can't see the harm unless it affects the business aspect of GS?
Stars on Ice takes to Lake Placid rink – Adirondack Daily Enterprise
It says Smucker's Stars On Ice here.
Kurt cheorographs the entire show!
Last edited by SkateFiguring; 12-28-2011 at 11:38 AM.
I think the tour in the U.S. is still sponsored by Smuckers. The official name of the Canadian tour seems to be "Sears Stars on Ice presented by Samsung."
By the way, the advertising exec who came up with the Smuckers slogan. "With a name like Smuckers it has to be good," was Lois Wyse. Wyse was the first woman to crack the all-male advertising world of Madison Avenue (the character Peggy on the TV show Mad Men is supposedly based on her, very loosely). She was a life-long champion for women's rights.
"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses. Women are taught to apologize for their strengths."
^ Good, because otherwise why have I been buying all this Smucker's jam and peanut butter?
Wow - I didn't realize how abbreviated the tour became until I checked out this thread. After SOI moved out of Madison Sq Garden in NYC, it's been somewhere in NJ/PA and at the Nassau Colleseum in Long Island/Queens. It's totally out of a major metropolitan area on the East Coast. No Boston either, which is surprising given that # of skaters out of the Boston area. I either have to go to Portland Maine or Hershey PA to see this year's show, if I was planning to go.
The last time I went to see SOI was so I could see Shen/Zhou. For whatever reasons, the skaters don't seem as charismatic, in general, as compared to the stars in the 1990's.
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