Skater-Specific fan gear

dorispulaski · Feb 6, 2015

...There isn't any, except homemade.

Why not, in these days, when if I sign into facebook, I see an ad for a hoodie that says, " Be calm. Let Pulaski Handle It." We have the technology! You can order a single customized hoodie for not that much.
So
Why doesn't USFSA offer a hat or hoodie that you can order with

Team Brown
or
Go Josh
or
Dance well, Maddy & Evan!
or whatever

under the USFSA logo or

Or
Liza or Yulia under the Russian fed logo, or whatever, similar to selling team number jerseys for other sports. The skater whose name you choose should get a small cut of the cost. The fed should get a cut of the cost, too.

Brady jerseys and a large array of other Brady gear for sale from the nfl for example
http://www.nflshop.com/Tom_Brady_Gear

Would you buy a fangear hoodie or hat with your fav's Name on it?

Do you think having such a fangear option is a good or bad idea?

Sam-Skwantch · Feb 6, 2015

I'd buy a #teamkoro hoodie!!

dorispulaski · Feb 6, 2015

So would I!

And I might get Mrs. P some baby Shibsibs gear

if it were available ....

karne · Feb 6, 2015

There are a few Team Brown shirts getting around - I think mostly Jason's family wears them, but a few lucky fans have got one too.

The problem is coming up with snappy and not corny slogans.

Though I've always been a fan of "If Figure Skating Was Easy It Would Be Called Hockey" shirts. :laugh:

Also, golden411's avatar "Keep Calm and Love Max and Josh" would work!

Mrs. P · Feb 6, 2015

dorispulaski said:
So would I!

And I might get Mrs. P some baby Shibsibs gear

if it were available ....

AWWWWW cute.

NFL makes a KILLING on official gear. I was shocked when I did a story about Seahawks merchandise. NFL requires its manufacturers to pay a 100k royalty fee plus keep a multi-million insurance policy. It's crazy stuff.

But people pay it because the math works out because there's such a huge demand for gear for their favorite player.

I think the problem is that who would you extend individual gear to? The top 5 at Nationals? The top finisher at Worlds? The most popular? In the case of the NFL, you have some clear high-profile people who want to have lots of gear of (i.e. Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers, Gronk, etc. etc..)

You don't really have that clear-cut distinction in US Skating.

Let's just look at the men. Medalists in the last 5 years:

2015: Brown, Rippon, Farris, Aaron
2014: Abbott, Brown, Aaron, Farris
2013: Aaron, Miner, Abbott, Farris
2012: Abbott, Rippon, Miner, Mahbanoozadeh
2011: Bradley, Dornbush, Miner, Abbott

I guess if you went with law of averages, you would go with Abbott (who medaled at all but 1), Miner, Farris and Aaron (3/5) and Brown and Rippon (2/5).

But does winning the most medals/titles (like Abbott) mean that his merchandise would sell well? Not necessarily? And someone like Ryan Bradley has a ton of fans despite only one national title.

dorispulaski · Feb 6, 2015

That's why I like the idea of using the same tech as for the Let Pulaski Handle it hoodie that Son Ken bought Mr. Ski for Christmas. You have a couple basic designs and a block where the skaters' name you want goes. You don't have to guess who's popular, you just sell shirts :biggrin:

Mrs. P · Feb 6, 2015

dorispulaski said:
That's why I like the idea of using the same tech as for the Let Pulaski Handle it hoodie that Son Ken bought Mr. Ski for Christmas. You have a couple basic designs and a block where the skaters' name you want goes. You don't have to guess who's popular, you just sell shirts

Oh I get it.

dorispulaski · Feb 6, 2015

People cheer for their fav skater, not USFSA, and there is no gear at all...but there could be...

Would you buy / wear any?

peg · Feb 6, 2015

That's actually a great idea and could be a nice fundraising opportunity. Merch like that can bring in some serious cash.

satine · Feb 6, 2015

I'd certainly buy merch if it were available. I'd especially like a Team USA item where you could customize which specific skaters you'd like printed on there :dance:

Probably have to order something new each season when the newcomers moved up :laugh:

dorispulaski · Feb 7, 2015

At the very least,it could be a fundraising opportunity for the locs. They could sell the stuff off event websites.

Or for feds, off their websites.

But if you're going to use the kid's names, they need to get a cut...and lord knows, every bit helps.

ice coverage · Feb 7, 2015

karne said:
There are a few Team Brown shirts getting around - I think mostly Jason's family wears them, but a few lucky fans have got one too.

The problem is coming up with snappy and not corny slogans.

Though I've always been a fan of "If Figure Skating Was Easy It Would Be Called Hockey" shirts.

Also, golden411's avatar "Keep Calm and Love Max and Josh" would work!

Thx, karne.

BTW, Liam Firus t-shirts were offered to the public to raise money for his skating.

https://www.facebook.com/LiamFirus.CA/posts/10151861496192001

And at least two editions of Virtue/Moir sweatshirts (completely different designs for 2010 and 2014) were available from the Ilderton Skating Club.
[Don't recall off the top of my head whether they were sold at cost, or whether money was raised (for ISC and/or for funding V/M??).]

dorispulaski said:
People cheer for their fav skater, not USFSA, and there is no gear at all...but there could be...

So then ... no reason that the USFS logo is needed on this type of stuff. And no reason that USFS needs to be involved at all -- and to control (and possibly homogenize) the look and the messaging.

Not to mention the problem of USFS simply taking the fun out of grass-roots interest in a skater. Way more cool

to own an item that was spearheaded by a skater or her/his own support team.
As you have pointed out, unlike the olden days, it now is easy for literally anyone to get clothing and tchotchkes made that showcase any name and/or design that s/he wants.

iluvtodd · Feb 7, 2015

karne said:
There are a few Team Brown shirts getting around - I think mostly Jason's family wears them, but a few lucky fans have got one too.

The problem is coming up with snappy and not corny slogans.

Though I've always been a fan of "If Figure Skating Was Easy It Would Be Called Hockey" shirts.

Also, golden411's avatar "Keep Calm and Love Max and Josh" would work!

all of these!

BTW, a new friend of mine who is an uber Max fan made a Max t-shirt for all the members of Max's immediate family & me. We wore ours for the men's sp & fs!

I love the idea of Baby ShibSibs for Mrs. P.!

CaroLiza_fan · Feb 7, 2015

I think this might be an appropriate time to reveal something that I got made when I was on holidays in Cyprus back in September.

Front

Back

What do you think?

CaroLiza_fan

dorispulaski · Feb 7, 2015

Cool.

I find it hard to picture USFSA staying out of these fund-raising efforts....but I would rather that all of the profit got to skaters, for sure.

karne · Feb 7, 2015

iluvtodd said:
all of these!

BTW, a new friend of mine who is an uber Max fan made a Max t-shirt for all the members of Max's immediate family & me. We wore ours for the men's sp & fs!

I love the idea of Baby ShibSibs for Mrs. P.!

What did the Max t-shrt say?

iluvtodd · Feb 7, 2015

^ The front & back had pics of Max in competitions. I'm doing this from memory. The front said W.W.M.A.D.? (What would Max Aaron do?) with a picture of him in his Footloose program. The back said Go For the Gold! Below the back picture (Gladiator costume), it said Max Aaron 2013 US Senior Men's Champion.

CoyoteChris · Feb 7, 2015

I know just how stupid this comment might seem to others (but that never stopped me before

)
but the only place I would wear my hoodie/jacket/hat/whatever would be at skating events and I would feel self conscious wearing my
Team Brown Hoodie with Jason's pic on it and talking with Max Aaron...but I have nothing against the idea of a skater selling items to help support themselves....
Without state sponsored skating, its a wonder we have as many skaters as we do.....

Baxel · Feb 7, 2015

Great idea and discussion. Most people respond to branding.

satine · Feb 8, 2015

CoyoteChris said:
I know just how stupid this comment might seem to others (but that never stopped me before )
but the only place I would wear my hoodie/jacket/hat/whatever would be at skating events and I would feel self conscious wearing my
Team Brown Hoodie with Jason's pic on it and talking with Max Aaron...but I have nothing against the idea of a skater selling items to help support themselves....
Without state sponsored skating, its a wonder we have as many skaters as we do.....

I don't think it's a stupid comment at all.

I don't mind the idea of wearing merch/talking about skaters I'm a fan of IRL, but the idea of me in fan clothing possibly showing up on a jumbotron would probably be enough to keep me from wearing those things at a skating event

I'd be so embarrassed :eek:

:

Skater-Specific fan gear

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

dorispulaski

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karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

dorispulaski

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Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

peg

satine

v Yuki Ishikawa v

dorispulaski

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ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605

iluvtodd

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

iluvtodd

CoyoteChris

Baxel

satine

v Yuki Ishikawa v

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