FOFS Breakfast | Golden Skate

FOFS Breakfast

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
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What should I expect? Are there autograph opportunities there? (I don't care about the food). How many skaters should I expect to see? Are there autograph opportunities other than this one? USA Gymnastics is really good about making its athletes available for autographs; from what I can see that isn't so much the case with US Figure Skating ...but I haven't been to that many skating events (St Louis has brought many gymnastic events here, but 0 figure skating ones).
 

Arriba627

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION 🔥
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Many, many skaters - except for those skating their FS on Sunday. I think last year the men skated Sunday. The skaters definitely make themselves available for photos. In fact I saw more people taking photos than getting autographs. I am very into pairs and talked to (and took photos of) all the pairs. Also met the Shibs, Mirai, Hubbell & Donahue, Bradie, Karen Chen, Hawayek & Baker, Starr, Tomoki, and many more. Many junior skaters are there too. A bonus last year was that the breakfast buffet was delicious! I really felt it was money well spent. I'm sure you would enjoy yourself.
 

mrrice

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Joined
Jul 9, 2014
I have never heard of this breakfast but it sounds like an adventure that I would love to attend. I can't believe it's open to the public. I hope there are plenty of pictures available. Have fun!!
 

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.
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Calling Coyote Chris!:)
 

apgold

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Jan 10, 2014
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I have never heard of this breakfast but it sounds like an adventure that I would love to attend. I can't believe it's to the public. I hope there are plenty of pictures available. Have fun!!

Well technically it's not open to the public. You need to have a ticket and that is from becoming a Friend of Figure skating through USFS. Although you may be able to to purchase one on site at the USFS table.

I got my membership last season and attended both SA and Nationals so went to the breakfast.

I had a t-shirt from Skate America that many skaters signed. And if you're lucky to meet Max Settlage, he even does drawings!
 

Arriba627

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION 🔥
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I had a t-shirt from Skate America that many skaters signed. And if you're lucky to meet Max Settlage, he even does drawings!

We talked to Max. I took a photo of the drawing he did of Mirai.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Feb 27, 2012
Well technically it's not open to the public. You need to have a ticket and that is from becoming a Friend of Figure skating through USFS. Although you may be able to to purchase one on site at the USFS table. ...

Agreeing with and adding to apgold's comment:

FOFS membership is necessary -- but not sufficient -- to attend the FOFS breakfast.

FOFS with the lowest-level membership are entitled to purchase one ticket to each breakfast.
In other words, attending the breakfast costs extra, beyond the membership cost.
(FOFS members at some of the higher levels are entitled to purchase two tickets to each breakfast, IIRC.)

FWIW: Before 2018 Nats in San Jose, I was not a member of FOFS. I decided that I wanted to attend the San Jose breakfast, so the day before the breakfast, I went to the USFS booth on the concourse and purchased FOFS membership. Because I had just purchased FOFS membership, I then was entitled to purchase one breakfast ticket too.​


… Are there autograph opportunities other than this one? ...

Inside the concourse, USFS typically does offer a few autograph sessions -- of limited scope. (To gain access to the concourse, a ticket for the competition session at the time is required.)
Usually only one or two disciplines at a time, IIRC. And only top senior skaters.
AFAIK, the typical format is that the skaters are seated in one long row. (Four ice dance couples and four ladies, for example.) In orderly fashion (sorta like an assembly line), fans in single file are allowed to (quickly) make their way down the long row.

The FOFS breakfast at 2018 Nats had a much larger number of skaters and a larger mix -- all disciplines at once, and not only senior skaters.
An opportunity for FOFS members to mingle informally with skaters, and for me, the point is more to chat with them. (With the opportunity to get autographs and take selfies as a very nice side benefit for those interested. JMO.)
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
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Mar 14, 2007
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I have never heard of this breakfast but it sounds like an adventure that I would love to attend. I can't believe it's open to the public. I hope there are plenty of pictures available. Have fun!!

I learned about it last year while reading reports of those people who had attended Nationals. I did not get to go last year, I went the year before in KC, but I did not know about the breakfast then. It requires joining Friends of Figure Skating, which is a nominal cost at the lowest level. If you go up to the highest level, you get all sorts of swag including a call from a US Figure Skater, but I'd have to win the lottery to fork over $10,000. Here are the tiers, costs and benefits. http://www.usfsa.org/content/FOFS benefit levels2 18.pdf
 
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