2013 Nationals in Omaha to include Juvenile and Intermediate Nationals, too

[barbk]

...according to this story

http://www.omaha.com/article/2011081...708109742/1001

Sounds like a really, really long week.

[Jenna]

Yup, this rule change was made at Governing Council back in June. The US Junior Figure Skating Championships, which normally hosts the Juvenile and Intermediate events, is no more. The last one will take place this year in Lansing, Michigan.

Instead, the top four finishers in each region will advance to their respective sectional championships. The top four in each section will compete in Omaha, just like in the Novice-Senior categories. In the case of dance and pairs events, there will be no regional. The sectional championships will be the sole qualification round.

[acraven]

Two other interesting facts from the article:

The practice rink and secondary rink (latter for the lower level competitions) are located very near the main rink.

Tickets won't go on sale till early next year.

[sk9tingfan]

$965 for an all event ticket . Tickets go on presale at 10 AM this morning CST. It doesn't help that this price includes $90 worth of TicketMaster fees. Had the organizing club taken on the administrative responsibility of handling the sales and seating, perhaps that price might havea approximated what they are for this year's championships

[acraven]

$965 for an all event ticket . Tickets go on presale at 10 AM this morning CST. It doesn't help that this price includes $90 worth of TicketMaster fees. Had the organizing club taken on the administrative responsibility of handling the sales and seating, perhaps that price might havea approximated what they are for this year's championships

Yeah, this is painful, and rather shocking for Omaha. The top price is actually $967.12 with one final little fee tacked on.

Haven't found a detailed seating diagram online yet, so can't provide info on Kiss and Cry location, which I know some folks would be interested in. I did call the arena to verify that they had blocked off seats for the judges and other officials--wanted to be sure I hadn't been sold one of those. The officials will be on the Section 120-122 side.

[Skittl1321]

$965 seems insane. Is this what all event tickets are normally like?
I really thought about treating myself for my 31st birthday, but I think I'd rather have 40 skating lessons at that price...

[TanithandBenFan]

Yeah, this is painful, and rather shocking for Omaha. The top price is actually $967.12 with one final little fee tacked on.

Haven't found a detailed seating diagram online yet, so can't provide info on Kiss and Cry location, which I know some folks would be interested in. I did call the arena to verify that they had blocked off seats for the judges and other officials--wanted to be sure I hadn't been sold one of those. The officials will be on the Section 120-122 side.

K&C is in 109-110 per the LOC.

[semogal]

do you have a link? I can't seem to find any info on tickets. Does that $900+ price tag include the juvenile and intermediate too? Do they have a senior only package? I wanted to go but no way at those prices.

[acraven]

I've only found very limited info. Here's a link to the ticket site, but I think it will work only with a pre-sale code: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/060047676EF67841 . Public sale begins on Monday, November 21, at 10 AM Central time.

Even without a pre-sale code you can see where each numbered section is, and there's a list of 20 ticketed sessions in a scrollable box near the upper right. They are just listed by date, with no specifics as to events included. The sessions run from Sunday, January 20, through Sunday, January 27. An all-event ticket certainly should include the Juv. and Int. events, but I can't say for sure. The dates listed at this point are consistent with most previous Nationals, which had only Nov/Jr/Sr events.

$967 is for top-price tickets, called "VIP". I haven't found a detailed seating diagram showing prices, so I don't know where the priciest seats are located. However, the next two price ranges are described as "Mezzanine". Surely they aren't charging $967 for the entire lower bowl?? Good luck with that.

The other two prices are $707 (+$2, I assume) and $567 ($569). The final listing, at $375, may be for some sort of weekend package not available yet; there don't seem to be any sections of the arena for sale at that price. Or those could be the upper-level seats at the ends, which don't show up as available at any of the higher prices.

My guess is that there will be some sort of weekend package(s) offered. This morning I tried calling Ticketmaster. Didn't get very far into the automated process, but I think I was asked whether I wanted all-event tickets or a weekend package.

[Debbie S]

I just played around with it a little. The pre-sale code (just e-mailed from USFSA) is "2013". It looks like VIP seating is the first 3 rows. Most of the rest of the lower bowl is $707, except for the corners, which are $567.

I like how you can see all the available seats and pick and choose, rather than having the computer spit something out (or a phone operator who tells you to take it or leave it). But I'm not spending $700 for Nats tickets and have no desire to go to Omaha. I'll save my money for (hopefully) an East Coast Nats in 2014.

[Skittl1321]

have no desire to go to Omaha.

Omaha is actually really nice- but going there in the winter kind of scares me. Their highways were like roller coasters with the ups and downs. It is like whomever designed them forgot the place gets ice...

[sk9tingfan]

Well, boiught my tickets and went for the $707 tickets inclusive of fees. I refused to pay for the first three rows.

Two strikes against Omaha and the organizing committee:

- Possibility that if the organizing committee had handled the ticket sales, they would have saved ticket buyers those prohibitive Ticketmaster fees

- There's almost no way to get a direct flight into Omaha from New York (i.e. LGA or EWR)

Looking at the Omaha Hilton which connects directly with the arena, the current rack rate is $123 per night. However, this is before the 200+ additional rooms that are being added and the entire overhaul of the public areas. A $99 per night rate would be wonderful, but am I being delusional about that possibility?

[LadyNit]

Looking at the Omaha Hilton which connects directly with the arena, the current rack rate is $123 per night. However, this is before the 200+ additional rooms that are being added and the entire overhaul of the public areas. A $99 per night rate would be wonderful, but am I being delusional about that possibility?

I think our biggest delusion is that there will be rooms available at the hotel. I think you'll have to be "someone with connections to USFS or ISU" to get a room there.

[sk9tingfan]

I think our biggest delusion is that there will be rooms available at the hotel. I think you'll have to be "someone with connections to USFS or ISU" to get a room there.

Supposedly after the addition of 200 rooms,, there will be more than 600 in total. I would hope that some would be available to ticketholders. BTW, how would connections to the ISU have any bearing in this situation?

[Lizziebeth]

Planning to go to this - it is about an 8 hour drive south for me. I'm hoping that they will sell a package for the latter part of the week and I can buy tickets at the box office for earlier events, depending on when I get there. I love skating a lot, but I don't know if my butt can take that many days! Need to think about this.

[numbers123]

I know that for many of you were not thrilled (to say the least) the location did not excite you. I also heard from the Sports Commission early in August that they had been waiting for the USFSA to a) determine the official hotel sites and b) help determine ticket prices, so some of the ticket prices may have been influenced by USFSA. There are hotels within a few blocks of the Arena and would be a reasonable walking distance.

It maybe possible that tickets will be available from the box office itself once the pre-sales have been completed. Right now, the calendar on the box office does not go out that far for tickets

[TanithandBenFan]

From the information I received through a phone call to the LOC, the Hilton is already sold out. Thanks to the USFSA blocking the whole thing, I'm sure.

[siggy]

K&C is in 109-110 per the LOC.

But they are selling tickets in those sections according to the seating chart. Looks like section 101 could be K&C. Anyway to find out?

[numbers123]

But they are selling tickets in those sections according to the seating chart. Looks like section 101 could be K&C. Anyway to find out?

I can try and call the Sports Commission in the morning if you want me to

[aftershocks]

Will 2014 U.S. Nat'ls be held on the east coast? Or has a site not been chosen yet?