2017 US Nats in MO: KansasCity+Independence

[ice coverage]

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Dec. 16, 2015) – U.S. Figure Skating announced today the selection of Kansas City, Missouri, for the 2017 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The 2017 U.S. Championships are slated for January 14-22, 2017, with all junior and championships level events being held at Sprint Center and all juvenile, intermediate and novice events being conducted at the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in Independence, Missouri.

Official website:
http://www.2017usfigureskatingchampionships.com/
Quoted text above is from this page:
http://www.2017usfigureskatingchampionships.com/email-updates/

News article:
http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news...mpionships-coming-to-kansas-city-independence

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UPDATE:

All-event tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016 - per full press release.

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=51679&type=media​

The news page of the official event website had said: All-event tickets for the 2017 U.S. Championships will go on sale Thursday, Dec. 17.
News article above also had given on-sale date as Thu Dec 17.​

 

[mrrice]

Announced today: 2017 US Nats will be in Missouri.

Senior and Junior events at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO.

Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice events at the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in Independence, MO.

Official website:
http://www.2017usfigureskatingchampionships.com/

News article:
http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news...mpionships-coming-to-kansas-city-independence

This is a great choice for a host city. There are a ton of things to do for the entire Family. So if the kids or Dad get bored, you can send them off to Worlds Of Fun. It's a great medium sized Amusement Park that's very family friendly. Hotels were great and not too expensive, especially when compared to Los Angeles.

You know what else they have in Kansas City. Breweries!! Lot's of Breweries. Some of the them are attached to restaurants and are quite nice. You can take the tour and then eat a nice lunch or dinner. If you can take the smell of yeast, you're all set.

 

[ice coverage]

An All-Event Ticket Package provides you an assigned seat to all junior and senior (Championship) level competitions and practice sessions at the Sprint Center. In addition the all-event ticket will include general admission seating for all juvenile, intermediate and novice practice sessions and competitions at the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in Independence, Mo.

Practice passes will not be sold outside of All-Event Ticket Packages. Please note that All-Event Ticket Packages do not include a ticket to the 2017 Smuckers’ Skating Spectacular.

All senior and junior competitions are scheduled to be held at Sprint Center in Downtown Kansas City. Competitions for juvenile, intermediate and novice events will be held at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in nearby Independence, Missouri.

http://www.2017usfigureskatingchampionships.com/tickets/​

Fans can easily enjoy both venues as it’s a short 11 minute drive from Independence to Downtown Kansas City.

http://www.2017usfigureskatingchampionships.com/venue-information/​

 

[ice coverage]

Full USFS press release says:

All-event tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016.

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=51679&type=media​

I will edit OP accordingly.

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ETA:

Unusual line from the press release:

The 2017 U.S. Championships will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed live on icenetwork.com.​

Usually, USFS is more careful to specify that only certain portions will be broadcast live on NBC. Hmmmm....​

 

[semosk8tfan]

This is a great choice for a host city. There are a ton of things to do for the entire Family. So if the kids or Dad get bored, you can send them off to Worlds Of Fun. It's a great medium sized Amusement Park that's very family friendly. Hotels were great and not too expensive, especially when compared to Los Angeles.

You know what else they have in Kansas City. Breweries!! Lot's of Breweries. Some of the them are attached to restaurants and are quite nice. You can take the tour and then eat a nice lunch or dinner. If you can take the smell of yeast, you're all set.

I agree that KC is an awesome choice but Worlds of Fun is only open in the summer. But there will be plenty to do: the Country Club Plaza for shopping, Crown Center has an aquarium and a Lego land, KC is home to the National World War I museum and the Nelson Art Gallery (both of which just made the top 25 best), and the Harry Truman Presidential Library is located in Independence an easy drive from the secondary arena. And can't forget the Power and Light District downtown with restaurants and shops. And yes, plenty of beer (Boulevard is my favorite) and BBQ (Arthur Bryants, Gates, KC Joes just to name a few). I hope that lots of skating fans have such a good time they come back later when they can and aren't watching skating 24/7!

 

[mrrice]

I agree that KC is an awesome choice but Worlds of Fun is only open in the summer. But there will be plenty to do: the Country Club Plaza for shopping, Crown Center has an aquarium and a Lego land, KC is home to the National World War I museum and the Nelson Art Gallery (both of which just made the top 25 best), and the Harry Truman Presidential Library is located in Independence an easy drive from the secondary arena. And can't forget the Power and Light District downtown with restaurants and shops. And yes, plenty of beer (Boulevard is my favorite) and BBQ (Arthur Bryants, Gates, KC Joes just to name a few). I hope that lots of skating fans have such a good time they come back later when they can and aren't watching skating 24/7!

Oh Yeah, I forget that Worlds Of Fun is a seasonal park. Anyway, there were tons of things to do when we were there. I was always off singing somewhere. Either in rink, a stadium, an amusement park, or a mall. If they sold Coke products, we were there.

 

[MFarone]

I think it is kind of funny that USFSA is calling the trip to the secondary venue a "quick 11 minutes" when mapquest and google maps project the shortest time at 20 minutes and 15 miles up to 30 minutes and more like 30 miles depending on the route selected and traffic. Perhaps this is the best arrangement that can be made, but if a fan isn't driving or using a rental car it will certainly not be a cheap trip!

I actually have a couple of things I'd like to see in the area and hope to make the trip!

 

[stella luna]

Ashley featured prominently on the website ...

 

[semosk8tfan]

I think it is kind of funny that USFSA is calling the trip to the secondary venue a "quick 11 minutes" when mapquest and google maps project the shortest time at 20 minutes and 15 miles up to 30 minutes and more like 30 miles depending on the route selected and traffic. Perhaps this is the best arrangement that can be made, but if a fan isn't driving or using a rental car it will certainly not be a cheap trip!

I actually have a couple of things I'd like to see in the area and hope to make the trip!

Their estimate is very optimistic from downtown to the I-70/I-470 interchange and could be accomplished only if there was no construction and not during rush hour! Given the distance maybe they will run a shuttle. Otherwise a car will be necessary. Once at the Independence Arena you are near a major shopping area that has a mall, the main big box stores and lots of restaurants. If you like fried chicken I highly recommend Strouds (it is a KC institution that just opened a new location near the arena)

 

[MFarone]

Thanks for the info semosk8tfan! I did get quite a laugh out of the 11 min. estimate. Maybe they timed the trip at midnight in a police car with lights and siren . I do like fried chicken (shouldn't eat it) so I'll keep the restaurant tip in mind. The secondary venue looks nice on the website. I hope they do offer a shuttle, but that doesn't seem to be the way things are going at Nationals. Personally, I am hoping to see the Truman Library in Independence and am willing to pay for the taxi ride. If there is any time on the schedule, I'd like to check out the Power and Light area since that looks like some fun shops and restaurants.

Their estimate is very optimistic from downtown to the I-70/I-470 interchange and could be accomplished only if there was no construction and not during rush hour! Given the distance maybe they will run a shuttle. Otherwise a car will be necessary. Once at the Independence Arena you are near a major shopping area that has a mall, the main big box stores and lots of restaurants. If you like fried chicken I highly recommend Strouds (it is a KC institution that just opened a new location near the arena)

 

[GF2445]

FYI
As a non American- I get thrown off that Kansas City is not in Kansas, and that MO stands for Missouri instead of a state like Montana (which starts with an MO)

 

[MFarone]

Just to confuse you even more - there is also Kansas City, Kansas which is just west of Kansas City, Missouri just over the state line between Missouri and Kansas :scratch3: In the case of U. S. Nationals - the competition is being held in Kansas City, Missouri at the Sprint Center.

I really agree about the confusion with the state abbreviations - to me Pennsylvania should be PE not PA. I would think they probably considered MI for Missouri, but Michigan was given MI instead...and the confusion just goes on and on.

FYI
As a non American- I get thrown off that Kansas City is not in Kansas, and that MO stands for Missouri instead of a state like Montana (which starts with an MO)

 

[noskates]

I don't particularly like the idea of having to travel back and forth between venues. Parking is an issue. Traffic is an issue. And part of the fun of going to a National competition is seeing the skaters in the junior and novice ranks and following their careers as they hopefully move up to seniors. If you're traveling from out of state you usually try not to have to rent a car. Are they having a shuttle service?

 

[YesWay]

I'm a bit surprised by the distance between the two venues, because I've long thought of American competitions as being (generally) among the best organised.

I mean, tickets available a year in advance! No shortage of information, and it's readily available and easy to find!

When I made the trip to Skate America 2013 it was easy to find out everything I wanted/needed to know, and buy tickets. Although I couldn't print tickets at home (all-event were laminated), and they wouldn't mail internationally... "Will Call" collection on arrival at the venue was easy and convenient. Inside the arena, I thought the staff, organisation and facilities were also very good. If only skating competitions everywhere, were that well executed! (from personal experience, many are not! )

So the inconvenient setup for 2017 Nationals is surprising - sticks out like a sore thumb...!

 

[Moxiejan]

I don't particularly like the idea of having to travel back and forth between venues. Parking is an issue. Traffic is an issue. And part of the fun of going to a National competition is seeing the skaters in the junior and novice ranks and following their careers as they hopefully move up to seniors. If you're traveling from out of state you usually try not to have to rent a car. Are they having a shuttle service?

Juniors will be at the main rink with seniors.

 

[MFarone]

I hate to admit this, but having venues close together (under 2 miles) is the exception, not the rule for U. S. Nationals. Thinking back over the 14 Nationals I've attended: 2003 Dallas had 3 venues the distant one about 25 miles for practices; 2005 Portland secondary was less than 500 feet; 2007 Spokane about 1 mile; Greensboro 2011 and 2015 both main & secondary in the same building. I didn't attend 2013 in Omaha so I can't say what set up they had. Most of the time there was a shuttle offered for hotels and distant venues, but I have no idea what Kansas City will offer. St. Paul Nationals is announcing decision on their shuttle today. However, they have already stated the shuttle will not travel to Bloomington Ice Garden the secondary venue.

Generally the LOC's offer help in purchasing tickets, and all types of information. About 6 months before the even ticketing usually transfers to Ticketmaster and then the fees really add on.

I don't particularly like the idea of having to travel back and forth between venues. Parking is an issue. Traffic is an issue. And part of the fun of going to a National competition is seeing the skaters in the junior and novice ranks and following their careers as they hopefully move up to seniors. If you're traveling from out of state you usually try not to have to rent a car. Are they having a shuttle service?

I'm a bit surprised by the distance between the two venues, because I've long thought of American competitions as being (generally) among the best organised.

I mean, tickets available a year in advance! No shortage of information, and it's readily available and easy to find!

When I made the trip to Skate America 2013 it was easy to find out everything I wanted/needed to know, and buy tickets. Although I couldn't print tickets at home (all-event were laminated), and they wouldn't mail internationally... "Will Call" collection on arrival at the venue was easy and convenient. Inside the arena, I thought the staff, organisation and facilities were also very good. If only skating competitions everywhere, were that well executed! (from personal experience, many are not! )

So the inconvenient setup for 2017 Nationals is surprising - sticks out like a sore thumb...!

 

[noskates]

I guess I got spoiled then - Portland you just had to walk across a quad! I still say it's inconvenient but then probably expectations can't always be met with 2 rinks close together or 2 arenas that can become ice rinks. I do like to watch the novice and intermediate skaters. But I'm unwilling to waste time on a shuttle or to rent a car. My issue I guess.

 

[louisa05]

Omaha had everything in one building. They used the convention center part of the arena complex to set up a second competition rink.

I remember online whining about no official shuttle and having to explain to people that everything was under one roof and the official hotel was connected by skywalk to the arena, but that didn't stop the whining.

I also remember whining about how there would be no restaurants and no airport. Because, you know, Nebraska is a barren wasteland inhabited by people living as if it is Little House in the Prairie or something.

Kansas City will do great. The city can manage large events. They just hosted back to back World Series after all. And a championship celebration attended by 800,000 people. This is nothing.

My mom and I are planning to go since it is just three hours away.

 

[mrrice]

I used to live in Ohio but, not for very long. Here's my question. Isn't Tonia Kwiatkowski from Ohio? I wonder what the facilities are like out there.

 

[louisa05]

I used to live in Ohio but, not for very long. Here's my question. Isn't Tonia Kwiatkowski from Ohio? I wonder what the facilities are like out there.

Ohio is a pretty good sized state with very diverse regions, so this is not an easy question. Where in Ohio are you wondering about?