The price of COI tickets

[ilovepaydays]

I am planning on going to the Hampton, VA show on 4/13. I can get tickets on the first row right now but I don't like paying $140.00 plus $10 convience fee. Oh, well. I guess I will pay for the view.

Is anyone else frustrated at the price of the tickets?

 

[Skate@Delaware]

That's the one thing that keeps us from going to the shows. We just can't afford them! There are four of us and it would be outrageous to go.

 

[dancindiva03]

I think it is WAY too much for tickets, I kow at that price I won't ever attend. Especially since they continue to feature about a million ladies, silly circus acts, and one, maybe two dance teams if we are lucky. Unless they get rid of some of the boring chicks and add more dancers and maaybe another pair, AND drop their prices, I won't ever go see COI. I've stopped going to SOI because of the lack of dancers, too, but at least their prices are more reasonable (i think?????).

 

[crazyaboutelvis]

In the Chicago show it's $250 for front row.

 

[mmscfdcsu]

I was into the front row silliness for a few years. Pretending there was only one row of good seats in the arena:scratch: At this point I realize that there are many great seats in the arena. At Nationals and Worlds I move around the arena during practices to view things from different perspectives. I'm much more concerned about whether I am seated near obnoxious people than I am about whether I am in the first row or not. As long as there are people who "have" to be in the front row, the prices will continue to climb. Supply and demand. The shows are not running a charity. They will charge whatever the market allows.

 

[Tonichelle]

wow... I didn't realize COI was so expensive! My best friend works for the Rose Garden in Portland so we are getting in for free

 

[iluvtodd]

We've been going to COI since 1988. This year's VIP seats for Philly are about $150.00, which we refuse to pay for our party of 4. We ordered the next range - $67.00 seats, about 13 rows back. I do not ever remember this kind of price gouging for COI seats in any other year, especially in Olympic years.

While we don't mind paying about $100.00 once a season for on ice seats to SOI (& the regular prices for 1 or 2 additional SOI shows), we won't do it for COI. Once a season at "regular" prices is enough. I'll make no secret of the fact that we prefer SOI over COI to begin with. We the cast interaction in the ensemble pieces throughout the show, and most of our faves get to skate two individual programs, but I guess that's a matter of personal preference.

 

[swannanoa54]

Since COI hasn't been here in 4 years, I was really excited to see our city on the schedule. I was going to buy "on ice" seats since the only time we've seen COI was in Portland in 2003 at the Rose Garden. But that was a very special trip.

Anyhow, I looked at the prices for the tickets and thought I think I'll wait and see if there are any left for "on ice" AFTER the holidays. I can't afford to pay that right now.

In Portland we had really good seats that weren't on the ice so can someone tell me what the difference is who has actually had seats on the front row like that?

 

[anya_angie]

Sadly on average this is cheaper for me than SOI.

Why pay $20 per skater for 5 skaters that I want to see instead of $5 per skater for 20 skaters I want to see?

The COI site doesn't seem to be working for me, anyone know what's wrong?

 

[Jaana]

Generally speaking, I would say that one can see (and enjoy) the skating in shows best if one is sitting in rows about 8 to 15. On ice seats or row 1 are way too close for a fan of skating, in my opinion.

 

[Grgranny]

:frown2: :scowl: :sheesh: I, too, am really disgusted with the prices they charge. We ordered tickets
for SOI in Okla. City which are $100 on ice seats. It would cost us $150.25 for best seats in KS City COI.

 

[anya_angie]

Sadly my sight is too poor to sit that far from the skaters, without my telescope at least, and then it's hard to follow the skaters with it, as I stated in the Skate America thread.

 

[Tonichelle]

Sadly on average this is cheaper for me than SOI.

Why pay $20 per skater for 5 skaters that I want to see instead of $5 per skater for 20 skaters I want to see?

The COI site doesn't seem to be working for me, anyone know what's wrong?

I guess it's all in who you want to see... I much prefer the cast of SOI, but they're in portland the same weekend that nationals starts so I will have to wait on that one (besides, my friend has to cater that show meaning I'd see the show by myself and while that might be fun I'd be jealous that she actually got to meet them lol)

 

[Mathman]

In Portland we had really good seats that weren't on the ice so can someone tell me what the difference is who has actually had seats on the front row like that?

To me, it depends on what kind of experience you are looking for. As Jaana says, if you want to see the whole ice surface, the seats a few rows farther back are better (and even the seats up high are not all that bad).

But the front row seats draw you into the action, as the skaters whiz by right before your nose. At Skate America this year I thought both Elena Sokolova and Emily Hughes were going to land right in my lap on their triple lutz! It is definitely a different kind of rush.

MM

 

[anya_angie]

If SOI had more guest stars I'd be more interested in going. But so far the only skaters I'd pay to see there are Yuka, Yuka/Jason, Alexei, Elena and Anton, and I think that's about it. Todd and Steven are just added bonuses LOL.

Compare that to COI, with Ira, Zhenya, Johnny, Stephane, Victor, Pang/Tong, Totmianina/Marinin, Anassina/Peizerat, with added bonus of Michelle, Tim (whose exhibitions I love much more than his competitive programs), Vlad/Oleksey, Rudy and Surya, it's a much better deal. Like I said why would I want to pay $20 for 5 skaters I want to see, rather than $5 for 20 skaters?

 

[iluvtodd]

Don't get me wrong. I look forward to seeing my favorite eliglbe skaters too, so we still go to COI mainly for that reason. During an Olympic season, a number of the skaters might do their competitive programs, which is really cool to see. But I have to say that my heart is still with SOI. A lot of my favorite pros are in the tour and you get to see them throughout the show. Different strokes for different folks. I still want to support both tours, as I want skating to be alive & well (and on the radar screen) in the US.

 

[anya_angie]

I like the pros too. If either tour had Sasha Abt I'd be first in line for it!

 

[Tonichelle]

I don't think there's a single skater on the SOI cast this year that I don't love... besides the SOI producers/directors rock all kinds of socks where as Tom Collins is not my favorite person... which is why the only reason I would go to COI is if I had free tickets, which we do lol so yeah lol

 

[stejoho40]

I just got 1/2 price tickets to SOI for about $25 in Hartfor, by using a coupon in those fat Enetertainment coupon books you can buy every year...the ones that have a lot of restaurant coupons. Each coupon is good for 4 tickets in the price range of under $50. They have to be purchased at the box office. So we got seats in the second row just around the bend from the corner for only $25. When I priced the most expensive COI tickets for $145 it put me in the 1st row at the other end in almost the same spot......couldn't believe for that price it wasn't even center ice.....YES, COI has gotten rediculous. So if I go I'll buy $30 tickets and try to move down. At those prices there should be a LOT of empty seats up front. Heck, I can go to the rink in Simsbury and watch a lot of these guys for free. for about 3/12 times the cost of COI I got front row seats for the whole week of Europeans.

 

[heyang]

I'm with 'ILuvTodd'. I truly prefer SOI over COI.

I enjoy watching the eligibles at COI (especially MK and SC) and enjoyed Kazakova/Dimitriev - however, the rest of the show is poorly constructed. I know Irina Gregorian's hula hoops and the stunt skaters are more interesting to the casual fan, but I'd much rather see a well constructed program instead. I'm also tired of Rudy's YMCA and Disco programs - I believe that Rudy would like to do something more classical, but Tom Collin's is of the opinion that the audience doesn't want to see it. BTW - Tom is wrong IMO. Otherwise, I have no interest in seeing Candleloro's bare chest or Nicole's double jumps (although she is a lovely skater, she lacks some punch these days.)

I also think that the performances at SOi are much more creative and all of the skaters on that tour have pretty much maintained many of their competitive skills (with the excpetion of quads and 3 Axels), but have grown so much more in their performance personas and other skating skills.

I looked into tickets at the Meadowlands and it was $140 for a ticket near center ice about 7th row. Excellent seat. However, I'm paying $70-something for a seat at SOI near center ice in the 3rd row. COI will be in Trenton this year, too - however, the tickets aren't on sale yet. I'm going to wait to see prices for Trenton - otherwise, I'll have to hope that my uncle's friend can score a last minute ticket for me at the Meadowlands.