2012 Skate America to be held in Kent, Washington (Oct. 19-21) | Page 2 | Golden Skate

2012 Skate America to be held in Kent, Washington (Oct. 19-21)

Just bought my tickets! My husband let us splurge on the VIP tickets. So we're in row 2, near the judges! :) This is my first live skating event...so I'm pumped!

ETA: Now making my mental Skate America wish list....can't wait until May 21!
 
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Some interesting tidbits from an article from The Seattle Times on the announcement: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2018140857_showare05.html

In 31 years of Skate America competition, the event's highest attendances have been achieved in the Pacific Northwest. Everett's Comcast Arena (2008), Spokane (2002) and Portland (2010) all drew more than 23,000 cumulative spectators.

ShoWare will offer a capacity of 3,940 for five ticketed sessions.
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Agosto, a Chicago native living in Lacey, won five Skate America ice dancing titles with Belbin (2003-05, 2007 and 2009). Retired from competition (he now coaches and handles choreography assignments), Agosto said the Grand Prix follows only the Olympics and World Championships in terms of skating prestige.

It's kind of a Nation's Cup of skating," Agosto, 30, said. "It's a way for skaters to get more experience for the World Championships which follow."

Subsequent stops in the weekly series are slated for Canada, China, France, Russia and Japan. Top finishers qualify for the Grand Prix final in December in Sochi, Russia, site of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

"You'll see a lot of the top skaters here, especially U.S. skaters," Agosto said. "U.S. Figure Skating really tries to bring all their top skaters to this event."
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By the way, Lacey is a suburb of Olympia, the state capital, which is about an hour away from Seattle.

Notes

• Two factors boosted the ShoWare Center's candidacy for hosting Skate America: favorable impressions conveyed by an ice show operation (Disson Skating) that presented "Pandora: Love on Ice" (with Kenny G and Gladys Knight) at ShoWare in January and its proximity to a hotel (in Sea-Tac) operated by Hilton, the event sponsor.

• Agosto said he thinks it will be a good space for skaters. "It's a perfectly sized venue for figure skating," he said. "Even looking up to the back row here I can see the eyes of people and they can see mine. That results in a tremendous transfer of energy to the skater. After that skating show here, that put this building on the radar of the skating community."
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sillylionlove said:
I am very upset to hear about this. This is three years in a row that Skate America has been in the west coast. If the USFSA is trying to alienate us East Coasters they are really doing a great job. I hope that everyone that is able to attend has a great time.
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I had the same thought! Last year, both Skate America AND Nationals were in California; now this year's Skate America is again on the West Coast? It doesn't seem fair. I feel these events should be allocated more evenly around the country. I live in the Northeast and, honestly, I cannot remember the last time Skate America/Nationals were held here. Nationals was in Boston in 2001 or 2002, but that was 10 years ago now. And as to Skate America, it's been held in Springfield MA a couple times, but the last time was quite a while ago. Frustrating.
 
I am so tempted... ugh! stupid airfare...

Chris - you said the hotels are cheap? I'm finding pretty expensive stuff in my skimming through the options online... help a girl out?
 
Tonichelle said:
I am so tempted... ugh! stupid airfare...

Chris - you said the hotels are cheap? I'm finding pretty expensive stuff in my skimming through the options online... help a girl out?
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Toni, my recommendation is to go to priceline.com and do the "bid a price" thing. Ask for $50 and then target the SeaTac (airport) area. That's how I usually get cheap hotels in the area and SeaTac is fairly close to Kent.

Even w/o the bidding thing you can get some decent deals at SeaTac: http://bit.ly/JbXO0L
 
In order to do priceline I'd have to committ to the trip, I'm just budgetting it out to see if it's doable... the tickets forr all event are completely affordable... airfare not so much...
 
Tonichelle said:
In order to do priceline I'd have to committ to the trip, I'm just budgetting it out to see if it's doable... the tickets forr all event are completely affordable... airfare not so much...
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Ah. We I can assure you for that time of year, you should be able to get a SeaTac hotel for around $50. I've never paid much more than that. I hope it works out!
 
ok so what would my transportation options be from a SeaTac hotel to the Arena? I'm not renting a car as I don't do lower 48 city driving... open road, sure, not in big cities.
 
eyria said:
I had the same thought! Last year, both Skate America AND Nationals were in California; now this year's Skate America is again on the West Coast? It doesn't seem fair. I feel these events should be allocated more evenly around the country. I live in the Northeast and, honestly, I cannot remember the last time Skate America/Nationals were held here. Nationals was in Boston in 2001 or 2002, but that was 10 years ago now. And as to Skate America, it's been held in Springfield MA a couple times, but the last time was quite a while ago. Frustrating.
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I do feel for you guys (despite the fact that this time around I benefit from being close by). I can see how frustrating it is.

That said, something to note:

According to the PR material from USFS here is the top 5 attended Skate America events (cumulative):

2008 Everett - 29,477 (big boost from Yuna Kim's presence at the event)
2002 Spokane - 28,644
2010 Portland - 23,362
2004 Pittsburgh - 17,906
2001 Colorado Springs - 17,312

Those kind of numbers must resonate with USFSA. Combined with the fact that Kent got a positive plug from Disson Skating for a great turnout at a show there in January, explains why they ultimately choose another West Coast city.

Also, since figure skating is so popular in Japan, the Seattle area is an ideal place because there are a lot of nonstop flights from Toyko to Seattle and Vancouver (about 3 hours north) and despite the terrible jet lag (as you cross the int'l dateline) -- the flights themselves are relatively short (12-13 hours). Perhaps they took that into account?
 
eyria said:
I had the same thought! Last year, both Skate America AND Nationals were in California; now this year's Skate America is again on the West Coast? It doesn't seem fair. I feel these events should be allocated more evenly around the country. I live in the Northeast and, honestly, I cannot remember the last time Skate America/Nationals were held here. Nationals was in Boston in 2001 or 2002, but that was 10 years ago now. And as to Skate America, it's been held in Springfield MA a couple times, but the last time was quite a while ago. Frustrating.
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Yes...I mean Greensboro was kind of a step in the right direction but still in the south!
I think the USFSA is really underestimating this area because skating is quite popular in this part of the country and I think turn-out would be just awesome for anywhere north of Washington D.C.
It's been over 10 years since any east coasters could even poke Nationals with a 200-mile stick... :bang:
 
After reading that article it said that it was based in the pandora ice show. Again....not many televised skating cheesefest shows happen ok the east coast. And apparently there has to be a Hilton hotel nearby. The last Skate America in the east coast was in 2009 in Lake Placid. They hardly televise skating competitions on television anymore. I think that's one of the reasons they can't get people to attend!
 
Mrs. P said:
I do feel for you guys (despite the fact that this time around I benefit from being close by). I can see how frustrating it is.

That said, something to note:

According to the PR material from USFS here is the top 5 attended Skate America events (cumulative):

2008 Everett - 29,477 (big boost from Yuna Kim's presence at the event)
2002 Spokane - 28,644
2010 Portland - 23,362
2004 Pittsburgh - 17,906
2001 Colorado Springs - 17,312

Those kind of numbers must resonate with USFSA. Combined with the fact that Kent got a positive plug from Disson Skating for a great turnout at a show there in January, explains why they ultimately choose another West Coast city.

Also, since figure skating is so popular in Japan, the Seattle area is an ideal place because there are a lot of nonstop flights from Toyko to Seattle and Vancouver (about 3 hours north) and despite the terrible jet lag (as you cross the int'l dateline) -- the flights themselves are relatively short (12-13 hours). Perhaps they took that into account?
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It is interesting that so many Japanese women attend these events in the US.
(Dont worry, you east coasters, you will be getting Nats 2014....right before Olympics.....dont ask me how I know that)
 
CoyoteChris said:
What exactly is a "SeaHawk" anyway?
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I think it's an osprey.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Osprey_mg_9605.jpg/450px-Osprey_mg_9605.jpg

My favorite is the University of Anchorage's mascot, the "Sea Wolf" (Tonichelle's school. :) ) This is a mythological creature of the Inuits which has the distinction of being the only figure besides the thunderbird that was used for totem poles by several different nations.

Sea Wolf (bottom) - Raven.

http://tresham.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/product/Totems and figures - 10.jpg

Thunderbird.

http://media.lonelyplanet.com/lpimg/17612/17612-14/preview.jpg

Ben Agosto was pictured with "Cool Bird," the mascot of the Seattle Thunderbirds who play at the Kent Showare Arena.

Edited to add:: No, I changed my mind. My favorite Pacific Northwest mascot is the Evergreen College geoducks ("gooey-ducks") in Olympia. If you have ever seen one... :laugh:
 
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