2015 Skate America in Milwaukee

[CoyoteChris]

Looks like my friends are going to drag me kicking and screaming to SA. I am thinking of coming a day early and doing a walkabout. See the Harley Davidson museum, Lakeshore state park, maybe Discovery World. I don't suppose there are any Naval Museums? Too bad they don't have the USS Wisconsin and the USS Milwaukee to tour.....

Okay, so it IS going to be here in 2015? I live here, so if anyone has questions, please let me know.

 

[sabinfire]

Looks like my friends are going to drag me kicking and screaming to SA.

Terrible friends, there.

I will probably be in Milwaukee Wednesday night leading up to SA. Never been to the city myself either, although I was in Madison WI about a year ago (and Chicago too, of course). Interested to see what there is to see out there.

 

[Mrs. P]

The art museum is really nice! It's rght by the lake and has a cool architectural design. Also love the Brady Street area lots of good restaurants there.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Hummm....wonder what the schedule is going to look like.....Practice on Thursday then comp on F-S-S? If I arrive late Tuesday I could site see Wednesday....

Terrible friends, there.

I will probably be in Milwaukee Wednesday night leading up to SA. Never been to the city myself either, although I was in Madison WI about a year ago (and Chicago too, of course). Interested to see what there is to see out there.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Is most of the art classical or modern?

The art museum is really nice! It's rght by the lake and has a cool architectural design. Also love the Brady Street area lots of good restaurants there.

 

[Mrs. P]

Is most of the art classical or modern?

http://mam.org/

I say it leans more modern...but see for yourself.

 

[ice coverage]

Hummm....wonder what the schedule is going to look like.....Practice on Thursday then comp on F-S-S? If I arrive late Tuesday I could site see Wednesday....

Chris, FYI from the IN version of the Milwaukee announcement:

In a break from tradition, the event will feature just two days of competition as opposed to the usual three. Thursday, Oct. 22, will be an official practice day, and the exhibition gala will be held Sunday, Oct. 25.
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2015/05/04/122255274/milwaukee-to-serve-as-host-of-2015-skate-america​

 

[sabinfire]

The wikipedia entry for the art museum lists some of the best in their collection as German Expressionism. I bet that's a trip.

 

[ozmodiar]

I made a hotel reservation because I think the rates will go way up when the ticket sale gets a wider announcement. A few rates have gone up even since yesterday.

I've made many day trips to Milwaukee over the years, but this will be the first time I ever stay overnight. Should be fun!

 

[CoyoteChris]

Thanks Golden! Was this in the USFS anmouncement? I don't think so....this is important as this is the way Canada does it and one can save a day if one cares not for the Gala....of course, if one wants to pay the extra day for the motel room, food, etc, that is fine...
at SkateCanada last year, I sold my gala ticket and went home a day early. Galas are nice but not $200 nice.

Though here is a thought. Cut out a walkabout day at the front of the trip and Use Sunday for the FOFS Breakfast, Gala, and the walkabout.

Chris, FYI from the IN version of the Milwaukee announcement:

In a break from tradition, the event will feature just two days of competition as opposed to the usual three. Thursday, Oct. 22, will be an official practice day, and the exhibition gala will be held Sunday, Oct. 25.
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2015/05/04/122255274/milwaukee-to-serve-as-host-of-2015-skate-america​

 

[ice coverage]

Thanks Golden! Was this in the USFS anmouncement? I don't think so....this is important as this is the way Canada does it and one can save a day if one cares not for the Gala....of course, if one wants to pay the extra day for the motel room, food, etc, that is fine....

IIRC, the announcement on the USFS site glossed over the scheduling of only two days of competition in Milwaukee -- whereas the IN version made a point of spelling it out.

(My general observation is that in some cases, IN simply re-publishes USFS announcements verbatim -- but in other cases, IN highlights or adds certain information.)

 

[CoyoteChris]

HA! I just looked up German Expressionism on Google Images....not exactly Charley Russel and Fred Remington...I think I will pass.... :shocked:

The wikipedia entry for the art museum lists some of the best in their collection as German Expressionism. I bet that's a trip.

 

[CoyoteChris]

I think the Whitney Gallery of Western Art has spoiled me for anything other than classical . Who wants to go to Europe and see some great art?
http://centerofthewest.org/explore/western-art/

http://mam.org/

I say it leans more modern...but see for yourself.

 

[silverfoxes]

So the schedule and ticket prices are up now:

http://mobile.uwmilwaukeepantherarena.com/events/1246-2015-skate-america

$175 for premium seats (or $100 for upper reserved) for the entire event isn't bad at all...a lot cheaper than I expected.

 

[sabinfire]

That's about what I expected (still more expensive than Skate Canada)... and SA is down to two days of competition this year.

The schedule is pretty good for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of time in Milwaukee. First event begins at 3pm Friday, and competition concludes Saturday night... that's not even a day and a half. Even if sticking around for the gala, that's at 2pm Sunday. Whether I'll be there Thursday/Sunday will entirely depend on the skater lineup at this point.

 

[firal]

Will probably answer my questions once the webpage goes live tomorrow, but does "upper reserved" means balcony seats where as "premium" is lower bowl? And what exactly does "pre-event hospitality" mean? Does VIP mean better seats or just the extra stuff? Do all seats include practice session?

As you can see I am as confused as ever.

 

[sabinfire]

'Upper reserved' should be balcony seating, yes. And premium should be lower bowl.

All-event tix typically include practise passes, so I suspect that Milwaukee's SA will be no different.

Not sure about the VIP passes and the pre-event hospitality. I would assume that for $400, an attendee would be getting a lot more than an 'event pin' and 'event program'... my guess would be select premium seating, maybe some sort of meet-and-greet before the event begins?

The Skate America 2015 website is scheduled to "go live" today, but the URL still directs to a blank page... guess we won't know for sure until the details are published.

 

[Tavi...]

Am I crazy or are these prices higher than last year's? I thought I paid $125 for what they're calling premium but perhaps I'm misremembering.

 

[Mrs. P]

I ordered the VIP tix when I went to Skate America in 2012. It was for everyone sitting in the first two rows and you got appetizers and free drinks (read: alcohol) before every session. It was a nice place to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the arena.

 

[sabinfire]

I ordered the VIP tix when I went to Skate America in 2012. It was for everyone sitting in the first two rows and you got appetizers and free drinks (read: alcohol) before every session. It was a nice place to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the arena.

Sold!