2025 Skate America: Lake Placid (official 5.6.2025)

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I was really shocked SA was so poorly attended in Allen since isn't it supposed to be a heavier skating community? It seems like they just need to get their shit together in advertising. Columbus Nationals was freaking amazing and packed!

Was it not well attended? Both times on TV it look like it was rocking the house with an audience and also seemed the loudest audience I’ve ever heard.

 

[Rob]

I feel almost guilty. Lake Placid is the only competition location that works for me. I’m an old lady in southern Vermont, have been to beautiful LP many times, enjoy the 3 hour scenic drive with no traffic, and have a motel there that I like. Easy, relatively cheap, enjoyable travel. I was overjoyed to learn that I could go to SA this year. Plus seeing three out of four likely Olympic champs? It doesn’t get any better.
Last time I was there, in September 2022 for the International Classic, I was among the couple hundred folks who saw Ilia land the FIRST EVER 4x in competition. Great memories in LP!5

It’s an 8+ hour drive for me, but my best friend has a house on Mirror Lake and I just love the place so I will go any chance I get. I’ll make 3 trips there this year. I went in January (spike hiking, watching lake hockey and dog sled rides), July (walking, hiking, biking, swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking and the Ice Dance Championship) and then Skate America (maybe a bobsled ride and Xmas shopping). I can either drive or take a regional jet from Salisbury to Philly, then Albany and rent a car to drive the last 2.5 hours so I might as well drive. Plus, a friend who hates to fly is going with me so we will share the driving.

 

[chewy]

Have people actually looked at the seating map or are we going to get Canadians not coming hypotheticals every few weeks?

The tickets actually sold fairly decently and it seems like they are just trying to fill up the last few rows of most sections by offering this deal. Skate America in Dallas last year was not well-attended at all. Now imagine going back to a place where most people have a 2+ hour drive from any airport and very limited transportation options without renting a super overpriced car and being limited to super pricy hotels. In the middle of November. We can’t expect a 5 minute sell-out like 2026 Worlds was.

I think the weather is a big part of it for daily driving. I can watch the forecast and decide the day before if I want to attend a session as it will likely not sell out, and it is a small venue, I've sat all over and nothing is awful.

 

[Rob]

Bingo. Hosting a GP is expensive and it's hard to make the event profitable.

Yes last time I read the proposal requirements on everything the host must provide, it sounded like USFS thought SA was the hottest ticket in the country and people would flock to the host city to spend money.

 

[Lanie]

Was it not well attended? Both times on TV it look like it was rocking the house with an audience and also seemed the loudest audience I’ve ever heard.

Last time Allen hosted it was really pretty empty in the arena. @tony can confirm because I sat a few rows in front of him in Allen

 

[Willin]

Yes last time I read the proposal requirements on everything the host must provide, it sounded like USFS thought SA was the hottest ticket in the country and people would flock to the host city to spend money.

This is one of the issues in general with USFS asking for hosts - they put the bar very, very high.

I think they'd get a lot more bids if they didn't seem to think they were still in the '90s. If they were willing to accept smaller, older arenas, charge less money for tickets, and advertise they'd do quite well.

I recall San Jose in 2018 was full to the brim - both because of the advertising and because of cheap seats. The local news stations were promoting the $30 at the door tickets to see Olympians. Many people showed up who would've been priced out otherwise. In 2022 advertising wasn't as good and tickets were not nearly that cheap - maybe because USFS insists on large arenas that need to have expensive tickets to cover costs. I think there's a lot to be said for holding it somewhere with 4-8k seats (they won't sell out 15k+ for a grand prix) and having cheap seats and SRO day of for locals that don't plan ahead.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

I'm only 4.5 hours from Lake Placid, but I haven't been considering it very hard because I'm concerned about the weather. If it were the normal SA time, I'd be more likely to go. I also might have an event for something else that weekend and the something else is terribly poorly planned, so I won't know what date I get until late October.

 

[sk9tingfan]

I'm only 4.5 hours from Lake Placid, but I haven't been considering it very hard because I'm concerned about the weather. If it were the normal SA time, I'd be more likely to go. I also might have an event for something else that weekend and the something else is terribly poorly planned, so I won't know what date I get until late October.

I have almost the exact driving time.....

 

[overedge]

This is one of the issues in general with USFS asking for hosts - they put the bar very, very high.

I think they'd get a lot more bids if they didn't seem to think they were still in the '90s. If they were willing to accept smaller, older arenas, charge less money for tickets, and advertise they'd do quite well.

I agree, but those smaller older arenas can also be difficult to book. Looking at the ones in my region, even those that don't have a resident sports team in a league (like minor league hockey or indoor soccer) seem to be doing quite well with concerts and other events like home improvement shows and religious gatherings. It also looks like some musical acts that used to fill 20,000+ seat arenas are now being more realistic about their drawing power, and are booking the smaller arenas as well.

There's also events that get booked into those arenas that don't even show up on the arena's public calendar, like conventions and film/TV shoots.

It's a difficult time for sure, but I don't think USFS is helping itself with its hosting requirements.

 

[Aceon6]

I think the weather is a big part of it for daily driving. I can watch the forecast and decide the day before if I want to attend a session as it will likely not sell out, and it is a small venue, I've sat all over and nothing is awful.

I'm only 4.5 hours from Lake Placid, but I haven't been considering it very hard because I'm concerned about the weather. If it were the normal SA time, I'd be more likely to go. I also might have an event for something else that weekend and the something else is terribly poorly planned, so I won't know what date I get until late October.

Big issues for me. Flying or train is actually more time if I consider to/from the airport or train station. November is just a crapshoot for that drive as it can just as easily be freezing rain as snow. And Harvey (my new car) is just 6 weeks old and I have no experience with him in less than ideal driving conditions. Reluctant pass on this one.

 

[apgold]

Wasn't sure where to post this, so I thought I'd do it here.

Since I didn’t get to post during Skate America my experiences, I wanted to post some thoughts and observations being in Lake Placid this past weekend.

I traveled there on Thursday and returned last evening via Amtrak to Westport and back down to Penn Station. My friend and I split a cab to and from the train station, which we reserved in advance. I miss the guy with the van whom my friend nicknamed “Papa Smurf” but our drivers coming and going knew the roads and how to drive in the crazy changing weather up the mountain. Our driver going back even gave us doughnuts to enjoy on the train. That would never happen in Manhattan, where I live, lol.

I attended two practice sessions on Friday for Men and Women. What stayed with me was Alysa’s smile as she took to the ice to practice and by contrast, how stressed and in pain Wakaba looked. I really hoped she would withdraw but you have to admire her grit. And her beautiful costumes.

Most of the event was a hot mess, to be honest. I enjoyed the Men’s SP, Free Dance and Women’s Free the best. The other events were take it or leave it for me.

Highlights for me were seeing the Browns’ Godfather program in person. Just wow. I have seen Oona and Gage skate live many times the past few years and they have always been so talented but they are next level. I doubt they will make the team this year, but watch out in 2030 if they can keep going. Chock and Bates “Paint it Black” looked better with the new costumes but I’m not wowed by compared to their better known programs. I loved seeing LaLa win silver – they are so fast and elegant. I’m not a fan of the RD, but they seem to enjoy it.

Kevin Aymoz was so fun to watch, especially his SP. Bolero was flawed but I still enjoyed his passion and commitment. Really happy for his surprise win here. I also loved seeing Jason Brown’s Riverdance 2.0 but he seemed stressed before the free skate and made a few errors. He still could’ve gotten on the podium with one or two less mistakes, so a missed opp for Jason. Kazuki was amazing too in the SP but his FS is a snooze. Bring back LaLa Land.

The last flight for Women was exciting. Starr Andrews was really such a pleasant surprise. I suppose with this being her last season as a singles skater has given her freedom to perform to her potential. She even brought back her lutz, which was given an edge call but good for her. Rinka’s 3A/3T was magnificent and she looked amazing in practice, she has her eyes on that Olympic team. I loved seeing Shark Naki in person and her jumps were so clean, too. Alysa was fun to watch doing Donna Summer again, but that program had its moment at Worlds and now feels old. I know she wants to bring out her Gaga program soon. I also enjoyed Gubanova’s Ghost program – cheesy voiceovers and all. She loves to skate to that music and I like her costume as well. Did Alysa deserve the win? Probably not but I’m not debating that here.

When I wasn’t at the arena, I attended three Run-through podcast tapings which were a lot of fun. I also got to say hello to Adam and Sarah at the Pickled Pig after the final taping to thank them for the podcast. Coincidentally, I met Adam in the same restaurant 8 years ago after his infamous free skate with the popped shoulder and the bugs on the ice. I mentioned that to him and he said he thinks he remembers and how time flies.

My friends and I ate dinner at Generations a couple of times and that was the place where the skaters and coaches gathered. I saw Anastasiia Gubanova eating with her coaches Friday night, and when she got up to leave, I saw just how tiny she is. On Sunday, the restaurant hosted Ted Barton and Lee Barkell who ate burgers and had drinks at the bar. We also saw Christina and Anthony walking through and we gave them some deserved applause and Christina gave us a big smile. We also said hello to Starr and her bf Luke and congratulated them on their performances. Massimo Scali was also there with some people I didn’t recognize.

Despite the challenging weather and less than ideal travel, I had an amazing time in that tiny town in the Adirondacks. Everyone was friendly and I met a lot of other fans, mostly from the northeast, especially the Boston area. It was definitely worth it!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Wasn't sure where to post this, so I thought I'd do it here.

Since I didn’t get to post during Skate America my experiences, I wanted to post some thoughts and observations being in Lake Placid this past weekend.

I traveled there on Thursday and returned last evening via Amtrak to Westport and back down to Penn Station. My friend and I split a cab to and from the train station, which we reserved in advance. I miss the guy with the van whom my friend nicknamed “Papa Smurf” but our drivers coming and going knew the roads and how to drive in the crazy changing weather up the mountain. Our driver going back even gave us doughnuts to enjoy on the train. That would never happen in Manhattan, where I live, lol.

I attended two practice sessions on Friday for Men and Women. What stayed with me was Alysa’s smile as she took to the ice to practice and by contrast, how stressed and in pain Wakaba looked. I really hoped she would withdraw but you have to admire her grit. And her beautiful costumes.

Most of the event was a hot mess, to be honest. I enjoyed the Men’s SP, Free Dance and Women’s Free the best. The other events were take it or leave it for me.

Highlights for me were seeing the Browns’ Godfather program in person. Just wow. I have seen Oona and Gage skate live many times the past few years and they have always been so talented but they are next level. I doubt they will make the team this year, but watch out in 2030 if they can keep going. Chock and Bates “Paint it Black” looked better with the new costumes but I’m not wowed by compared to their better known programs. I loved seeing LaLa win silver – they are so fast and elegant. I’m not a fan of the RD, but they seem to enjoy it.

Kevin Aymoz was so fun to watch, especially his SP. Bolero was flawed but I still enjoyed his passion and commitment. Really happy for his surprise win here. I also loved seeing Jason Brown’s Riverdance 2.0 but he seemed stressed before the free skate and made a few errors. He still could’ve gotten on the podium with one or two less mistakes, so a missed opp for Jason. Kazuki was amazing too in the SP but his FS is a snooze. Bring back LaLa Land.

The last flight for Women was exciting. Starr Andrews was really such a pleasant surprise. I suppose with this being her last season as a singles skater has given her freedom to perform to her potential. She even brought back her lutz, which was given an edge call but good for her. Rinka’s 3A/3T was magnificent and she looked amazing in practice, she has her eyes on that Olympic team. I loved seeing Shark Naki in person and her jumps were so clean, too. Alysa was fun to watch doing Donna Summer again, but that program had its moment at Worlds and now feels old. I know she wants to bring out her Gaga program soon. I also enjoyed Gubanova’s Ghost program – cheesy voiceovers and all. She loves to skate to that music and I like her costume as well. Did Alysa deserve the win? Probably not but I’m not debating that here.

When I wasn’t at the arena, I attended three Run-through podcast tapings which were a lot of fun. I also got to say hello to Adam and Sarah at the Pickled Pig after the final taping to thank them for the podcast. Coincidentally, I met Adam in the same restaurant 8 years ago after his infamous free skate with the popped shoulder and the bugs on the ice. I mentioned that to him and he said he thinks he remembers and how time flies.

My friends and I ate dinner at Generations a couple of times and that was the place where the skaters and coaches gathered. I saw Anastasiia Gubanova eating with her coaches Friday night, and when she got up to leave, I saw just how tiny she is. On Sunday, the restaurant hosted Ted Barton and Lee Barkell who ate burgers and had drinks at the bar. We also saw Christina and Anthony walking through and we gave them some deserved applause and Christina gave us a big smile. We also said hello to Starr and her bf Luke and congratulated them on their performances. Massimo Scali was also there with some people I didn’t recognize.

Despite the challenging weather and less than ideal travel, I had an amazing time in that tiny town in the Adirondacks. Everyone was friendly and I met a lot of other fans, mostly from the northeast, especially the Boston area. It was definitely worth it!

Great recap. Thank you.

Now @Finnice will you be at cup of Finland?