Skate America 2012

[CoyoteChris]

If the rowing world championships were held two blocks from my house, I wouldn't attend even if they paid me.

So I don't think that counts.

OTOH there are plenty of people who live in the Ontario area who like figure skating enough that they might go see it if it was in their backyard and didn't cost much. But they have to know it's there and it sounds like they didn't.

I agree that if one isnt a fan already, then the LA traffic is an issue. My friends who live down there say their lives revolve around the traffic issues.
But people who are already fans know how to work the traffic times. I do think taking time off of work is a big problem for some but they could have come on the weekend. I do also think promotion of bigger events by the media really helps. In Spokane, they had full page color pics of the skaters in the paper and lots of stories.
In Colorado Springs, 4 Conts, I walked to a major restaurant after an event and complimented the reservation lady, saying she was so young and pretty she should be out there on the ice. She looked at me kind of funny and said she used to skate and made it to regionals one year and what was going on at the World Arena? This year at Nats, the front desk person asked us at the hotel next to the arena is there was an old people's convention in town, as many older folk were checking in.....
Chris who likes Everett.

[manhn]

How bad can the traffic be to prevent people from going to Ontario, at least for local residents? Wasn't the arena next to the GREATEST OUTLET MALL EVER? What--people don't go the GREATEST OUTLET MALL EVER because the traffic is so bad? Are you telling me I could've found a parking space, easy peasy? Because when I go to an American mall, it takes me FOREVER to find an empty parking space.

[Rob]

I would have rotated it annually in different regions to be fair to everyone.

Eys, K&C would be all sorts of sparkly purple and stuff... And obviously there'd be a dedicated FSU section of seats, with free tix for all FSU supporters. And cupcakes, served by porny waiters (and waitresses)

Couldn't your lear jets go around and pick us all up too? I think so. With donuts.

The person who won lives in Maryland, but it isn't me. Sigh.

[Rob]

If the rowing world championships were held two blocks from my house, I wouldn't attend even if they paid me.

I'd go to nearly any sporting event for free -- maybe not bullfighting, Xtreme fighting stuff, but anything Olympic, I am there. Plus my friend won a bronze in Sydney in rowing so I was into it for a while there.

[BlueRidge]

I'd go to rowing! Its cool. I see the Georgetown U rowers out on the river all the time practicing. Wish I'd taken it up when I was young!

[Carolla5501]

Your points are well taken for the general public. But not for the skating club members and fans. They know who Davis and White are as well as Savchencho and Szolkowy, the Zhangs, Nathalie and Fabian...personally, I enjoy the heck out of practices...run throughs or not. Dont know what a long drive means....Google says on the off times, Santa Monica to Ontario is a bit over an hour....is that long? I will never forget the first time I saw a real competition and that started with a practice for me....I know I was hooked....

Google LIES! LOL!

I drove Santa Monica to a city MUCH closer to it then Ontario last weekend. Took me an hour on a Sunday afternoon. There's no WAY I could have made it to Ontario without another 30 minutes on the road. (Or maybe Google thinks an off time is 2 AM?) I have driven to Ontario several times. It's not "on the beaten path"

Plus, there were skating clubs at Skate America.. I sat near a bunch of them. Guess that wasn't "enough". Skating clubs alone aren't filling these arenas! They all showed up for "their skaters" and then disappeard. So for example there was BIG group there for Richard Dornbush. Most of those kids and parents weren't there for other "events" where they had to buy more tickets or make yet another trek from thier home to Ontario. If you can't draw that crowd, who can you draw????

The thing about Southern CA traffic is there really isnt' ever a "good time" there are 'better times" I once drove from Ontario to Irvine at 5 AM. HORRID traffic LOL! But I was assured that at 8 AM it would have taken me MUCH MUCH longer.

[lmarie086]

I'd go to rowing! Its cool. I see the Georgetown U rowers out on the river all the time practicing. Wish I'd taken it up when I was young!

Sorry to hijack the thread but crew (rowing) is awesome! I rowed in high school and it was such a great experience. My high school was a powerhouse team in CT for years and years, I don't know how it is now but we won championships fairly often. The varsity girl's team had 60 girls my sophomore year, so it was very popular!

It's such an intense sport IMO, not only to participate in but also to watch (especially having experienced what it's like to race). I had such a love/hate relationship with crew, but I miss it so much now; my school doesn't have a crew team/club, which is really unfortunate. But this summer I'm finally going to go to the Yale/Harvard regatta; they have a great rivalry and my Dad and I have been meaning to go for years, and this summer it's finally going to happen!

Definitely go to a regatta if you have a chance! Ok, thread hijack over.

[DORISPULASKI]

lmarie,

It is a great rivalry, for sure. Have a great time at the races!


Check out the Yale & Harvard boathouses in the Gales Ferry section of Ledyard, not to mention the huge ledges on the Thames that the 2 teams paint in Yale & Harvard colors, while you're in CT.

Harvard Rock
http://boatinglocal.com/wp-content/u...aleRegatta.jpg

Yale Rock
http://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/m...?max_width=343

Also take advantage of the "see submarines by boat" aspects of the Thames. That much death on the hoof is pretty scary.

Here's the USS Memphis coming home to the Thames
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o...t=P1010013.jpg

We live in Groton, and this shot was taken from my front porch.

[shan]

Talk about a thread drift.... (really dumb, but )

[Impromptu]

Talk about a thread drift.... (really dumb, but )

We could talk about it... oar not.

On topic, if it's not in Minnesota (and we've never had Skate America, no idea why), I hope for Arizona, because my sister lives there and I've been wanting to visit her. So now she's holding off on Autumn vacation plans, because I told her that I might visit her, if Skate America is in Phoenix. She doesn't even follow skating, and now she's annoyed by the delay ...

[AnnM]

OTOH there are plenty of people who live in the Ontario area who like figure skating enough that they might go see it if it was in their backyard and didn't cost much. But they have to know it's there and it sounds like they didn't.

I live literally 10 minutes away from the arena in Ontario. The only reason I knew Skate America was taking place there is because of this board. There was no LOC and USFSA did absolutely zero advertising in the local newspapers or on local television.

One other thing I noticed amongst my friends who are (super) casual skating fans is that a lot of them did not understand the point of Skate America. They had never heard of the Grand Prix. There was a belief that this was a rinky dink competition just a notch above Disney on Ice or a local club competition. Again, this is something USFSA could have addressed in their advertising, if they had any.

[AnnM]

Google says on the off times, Santa Monica to Ontario is a bit over an hour....is that long?

In theory, it should take a bit over an hour to go from SM to Ontario.

In reality, it takes closer to 90minutes on a GOOD day. God help you if it's not a good day. Someone from Santa Monica wanting to attend the Friday night session would seriously need to take a half day off of work in order to beat weekend traffic out of LA county.

[smurfy]

I used to live in LA when i was in my 20s. I lived in the SF Valley and had friends in Newport Beach. I remember many times driving home on an early Sunday am (anywhere from 1 to 4am) being in bumper to bumper trafffic.

[lexeoe]

USFSA better announce this one soon unless they want another sparsely attended event again.

[l'etoile]

USFSA better announce this one soon unless they want another sparsely attended event again.

It's already April. Is it a bad sight?

[DORISPULASKI]

I just hope it won't be in CO Springs.

I don't want to see skaters having to be given oxygen again, nor any one's face turning blue, like Alex Shibutani's did.

[Catherine M]

I heard at Four Continents that Detroit was seriously being considered for Skate America so that Skate America and Skate Canada would be next door to each other. Anyone else hear this?

[barbk]

Everett was nice, and I liked Portland too. Ontario is incredibly inconvenient. After listening to Detroiters whine on NPR this morning about the possible state takeover due to their financial incompetence, I'm a lot less interested in Detroit. Anything possible in San Diego?

[kwanette]

I heard at Four Continents that Detroit was seriously being considered for Skate America so that Skate America and Skate Canada would be next door to each other. Anyone else hear this?

Yes.

[literaryfreak]

I heard at Four Continents that Detroit was seriously being considered for Skate America so that Skate America and Skate Canada would be next door to each other. Anyone else hear this?

Oh man, this would be so good for me.