Most impressive and least impressive venues?

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Either from watching on TV or going live in person what have been some of your favorite and least favorite venues? I’ve been watching some 1994 Lillehammer, Norway programs with Nancy, Tonya, and Oksana and others, and I am surprised how small that arena was.

Now I’m trying to remember what Albertville, France and Calgary were like.

I also remember not liking 2006 Torino and their bench seating.

I also didn’t like Salt Lake City with those huge, sterile, blue walls between the rink and where the audience started.

I tend to like intimate where the audience is starting right after the boards, even if it’s the Olympics.

There’s been several arenas I quite liked..l loved where they had worlds Vancouver in 2001. I also liked in Paris were they used to have trophee Eric bompard.

 

[nyrak]

The Saddledome in Calgary is one of the best venues in Canada IMO...it's just a shame that the Flames play there (says the Canucks fan!)

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

The Saddledome in Calgary is one of the best venues in Canada IMO...it's just a shame that the Flames play there (says the Canucks fan!)

I will check it out online now, cool.

What recent figure skating has happened there?

 

[Kateri]

I like the venue with the giant moose head. Apparently, the eyes on the moose flash red and green for hockey team scoring, so all we'd need to do is hook them up to skating elements getting judged red or green on the score tracker.

 

[kwanfan1818]

l loved where they had worlds Vancouver in 2001.

That is GM Place. Competitive skating doesn't happen there anymore. The Olympics were at PNE, which I prefer to GM Place, and most other events since have been at the Thunderbird Arena on the UBC campus.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

That is GM Place. Competitive skating doesn't happen there anymore. The Olympics were at PNE, which I prefer to GM Place, and most other events since have been at the Thunderbird Arena on the UBC campus.

Thanks for this information. Just out of curiosity, why did competitive figure skating stop going to GM place?

 

[Debbie S]

In terms of events i attended, mostly SA and U.S. Nats, the new arena in Detroit, used for 2019 Nats was very nice (unfortunately I don't have the best memories of that week b/c my original flights on both ends were canceled and it was frigid outside, but the skating and arena were good)...it turned out our seats were on the club side, so behind our seats there were lounge and eating areas and the nicest ladies' room i have ever seen in an arena. And healthy food options. Sightlines were good too.

I remember the arenas in Cleveland and KC being nice in terms of sightlines and overall facility, and close to some good food options in the area, plus Cleveland had that indoor walkway to the mall with restaurants and a food court.

Columbus arena was good too.

Least favorite: Bell Center for Worlds last year....only 2 ladies rooms in the entire arena and most food stands were closed. And the concourse was very narrow in places, making it hard to walk with so many people jammed together. At least there were lots of options nearby but the scanning in/out process was a cluster. Sightlines were OK but I lost sight of Ilia's 4A near the corner. The arena in St. Louis in 2006 was kind of grungy and also freezing....I understand they have renovated it since so hopefully next year will be better than our previous experience.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I think it was a combination of the Canucks schedule, dwindling crowds, and how expensive the venue is. I don't think Vancouver has applied to host Worlds after that, which would be the only event that might have attracted large crowds, especially with travel being so easy from Japan -- young people from Japan at least used to travel to Vancouver for long weekends -- and might have been a slam-dunk when Hanyu was still competing. It's hard to imagine selling enough tickets to make it worthwhile, even if the Canucks were on an extended road trip.

ETA: The last Worlds in Canada was in a much smaller venue in London, ON, and that was with V/M competing on their home turf.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Espoo Metro Areena in Finland that has been used a couple times in the past few years with all those blue seats looks like a really nice mid sized arena. Has anybody been inside?

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I also see that the Sweden arena used for world in 2021 has been renamed already to Avicii Arena. Back then it was called Ericsson Globe.

Has anybody been there, and do they like it?

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Also, I remember the last worlds in Boston it look like that was very nicely attended which is where it’s going to be again this year. Did you guys like this arena?

 

[livetoskate]

Also, I remember the last worlds in Boston it look like that was very nicely attended which is where it’s going to be again this year. Did you guys like this arena?

I wasn't that thrilled with TD Gardens in 2016 because it seemed run down & they were doing some construction outside then. My memories are likely colored by having terrible seats too. Maybe it's been renovated since then. As Debbie mentioned, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit was so nice when nationals was held there. Lots of food options, modern with a gorgeous club area. Too bad the weather was awful, so I wouldn't want to go back there during the winter. All the other places I've been to for skating competitions were fine, nothing that memorable.

 

[Debbie S]

In terms of sightlines, TD Garden in 2016 was not good. The judges/officials stand had walls in front and around both sides, obstructing part of the view for the seats on the judges' side. My seats were high enough (I think 13th row, and toward the corner) so my view wasn't horrible, but still not ideal. Those in lower rows closer to the center had it worse. I'm hoping it won't be like that this year, but our seats are further toward the corner so hopefully we won't be blocked as much.

San Jose had that same kind of structure around the judges' stand. Totally unnecessary.

 

[nyrak]

I will check it out online now, cool.

What recent figure skating has happened there?

I was there for nationals in 2000. It was my first nationals & it was a great event. Great crowd & great atmosphere in the arena...lots of Olympic stuff aroud. I remember every time Brian Orser was shown on the Jumbotron (in the stands - before he was coaching) a huge roar would come up. Worlds was also there, but I didn't go, maybe 2006?

 

[jägerbomb]

I hated the appearance of the 1998 Nagano Olympics venue on tv. I also remember the skaters complaining they felt far removed from the crowd.

The Orleans arena in Las Vegas for Skate America is naff.

 

[SkateGuard]

I like the venue with the giant moose head. Apparently, the eyes on the moose flash red and green for hockey team scoring, so all we'd need to do is hook them up to skating elements getting judged red or green on the score tracker.

Between our moose and the noon cannon at the Citadel, we've made quite an impression.

 

[A.H.Black]

Of the places I have been, my favorite for sight lines, stairs etc. have been the Orleans arena in Las Vegas and the arena in Cleveland in 2000(?). I liked Dallas in 2003 as well (we got to sit on the front row, so....) I will take San Jose for food (Hate it for stairs and seating comfort). I like Minneapolis for the skyways and ease of walking back and forth.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

The Saddledome in Calgary is one of the best venues in Canada IMO...it's just a shame that the Flames play there (says the Canucks fan!)

I attended the 2006 at the Saddledome in Calgary and it was a good venue.

Mind you, this was after I exchanged the ticket I had which meant I would be fighting with a gigantic black dividing curtain for the entire week.

The Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver which was used to stage the 2009 Four Continents Championships was pretty shabby (but I believe was overhauled for the 2010 Olympic Games). It was quite hard to get to from downtown Vancouver as well.

I heard that the Thunderbird Arena in Vancouver was pretty awful as well. Hard to get to, freezing in the arena, a cramped concourse, and no handrails.

 

[kwanfan1818]

There are multiple express buses from downtown Vancouver to PNE, in additions to the regular city buses along Hastings to PNE. I'm not sure how it was hard to get from downtown to PNE .

 

[peibeck]

Interesting that so many here liked the venue in Calgary. I really didn't. But I think mainly because my seat was in an area where they had reconfigured the rink, and instead of traditional seating, my whole row was (unpadded) folding chairs! I also stayed at a kind of dingy, older hotel. I don't recall the arena being very modern either (at that time), I'm guessing some updates have been done since then?

2001 Worlds at GM place was my first skating competition, and other than it being HUGE I don't remember much else about the venue. But I loved, loved, loved Vancouver. It's too bad they can't fill that arena for a skating event any more.

D.C. had the best concession options of any arena I've been too. (Crab cakes that were actually good and not all filler! Nom nom!) The longish walk back to my hotel, near the White House, wasn't so awesome though.

The arena in San Jose was probably my top arena as far as best tech/sound and comfort (temperature and seat). If the area wasn't as costly for hotel space, it would be an ideal place to host Worlds some time, imo.

And while I love Colorado Springs, World Arena is REALLY old and decrepit and had the weakest concessions of any arena I've ever been in. Also the bowl is very, very steep. So while the sightlines were good, it was perilous getting to and from your seats. (In fact, I remember on FSU-er's mom took a tumble down the steps.)

 

[PRlady]

Interesting that so many here liked the venue in Calgary. I really didn't. But I think mainly because my seat was in an area where they had reconfigured the rink, and instead of traditional seating, my whole row was (unpadded) folding chairs! I also stayed at a kind of dingy, older hotel. I don't recall the arena being very modern either (at that time), I'm guessing some updates have been done since then?

2001 Worlds at GM place was my first skating competition, and other than it being HUGE I don't remember much else about the venue. But I loved, loved, loved Vancouver. It's too bad they can't fill that arena for a skating event any more.

D.C. had the best concession options of any arena I've been too. (Crab cakes that were actually good and not all filler! Nom nom!) The longish walk back to my hotel, near the White House, wasn't so awesome though.

The arena in San Jose was probably my top arena as far as best tech/sound and comfort (temperature and seat). If the area wasn't as costly for hotel space, it would be an ideal place to host Worlds some time, imo.

And while I love Colorado Springs, World Arena is REALLY old and decrepit and had the weakest concessions of any arena I've ever been in. Also the bowl is very, very steep. So while the sightlines were good, it was perilous getting to and from your seats. (In fact, I remember on FSU-er's mom took a tumble down the steps.)

The arena in Greensboro, where I sat in the upper level, was steep and I felt insecure a lot of the time, like I could fall over the railing. (Maybe that’s why I didn’t stand like everyone else to give Ashley an SO. )

Helsinki has a nice arena and getting there by train was easy.

Grenoble is like Wissahickon rink in northwest Philly where we used to go for what is now Liberty. Not a compliment.

 

[cygnus]

The arena for Milan worlds had 8 toilet stalls total for the women in the entire venue ( and probably only 4 for the men). And many of them didn't work as the system was so overloaded. It was often faster to leave the venue and walk the 10-15 minutes each way to the mall and use the facilities there. There may have been some sekret toilets in the arena but you needed credentials to access them.

 

[Evgeniafan]

The Figure Skating Club of Boston in Norwood. Its new , beautiful and plenty of bathrooms.

 

[Debbie S]

The arena for Milan worlds had 8 toilet stalls total for the women in the entire venue ( and probably only 4 for the men). And many of them didn't work as the system was so overloaded. It was often faster to leave the venue and walk the 10-15 minutes each way to the mall and use the facilities there. There may have been some sekret toilets in the arena but you needed credentials to access them.

I hope they've fixed/upgraded for the Olys!

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I’m starting to get scared for the Olympics in Milan The internet says the arena was last renovated in 2017 before Worlds. I never thought anything could be worse than the arena in Quebec City where we had to go outside in the snow to the portable restrooms.

 

[morqet]

I also see that the Sweden arena used for world in 2021 has been renamed already to Avicii Arena. Back then it was called Ericsson Globe.

Has anybody been there, and do they like it?

It also hosted Euros in 2015 - I remember it being fine, nothing amazing or obviously irritating. Maybe the seats felt a bit set back from the ice? But it's super easy to get to from central Stockholm, and the atmosphere at the weekend when more seats were full was great.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

2001 Worlds at GM place was my first skating competition, and other than it being HUGE I don't remember much else about the venue. But I loved, loved, loved Vancouver. It's too bad they can't fill that arena for a skating event any more.

I still watch YouTube videos of this and you know who! She was magnificent

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

The arena in San Jose was probably my top arena as far as best tech/sound and comfort (temperature and seat). If the area wasn't as costly for hotel space, it would be an ideal place to host Worlds some time, imo.

Interesting. Now you make me want to attend an event there should there be one again.

The Figure Skating Club of Boston in Norwood. Its new , beautiful and plenty of bathrooms.

Every time I see it for cranberry, or just two weeks ago when Nancy and everybody had a press conference I find it interesting. It’s rather small. I really want to go and look at all of the archived photos on the wall. Surprising that this new arena has so few seats. But I still would like to go to it.

 

[PRlady]

Interesting. Now you make me want to attend an event there should there be one
Every time I see it for cranberry, or just two weeks ago when Nancy and everybody had a press conference I find it interesting. It’s rather small. I really want to go and look at all of the archived photos on the wall. Surprising that this new arena has so few seats. But I still would like to go to it.

It’s definitely small but on the flip side you get excellent views from even the top seats. The sad part is no real concessions: Skate America had food trucks in the parking lot, no restaurants you can walk to.

 

[peibeck]

Interesting. Now you make me want to attend an event there should there be one again.

I only went to Nationals in 2012, but I also thought the staff was great. That arena has also hosted big gymnastic events, so would be worth visiting if that's another sport you follow. (And obviously it's the home of a hockey team). There were a good selection of restaurants and hotels within a short distance as well. In that sense, Kansas City was also a good spot as well, but the secondary practice rink and where novice events were held was quite the schlep. The arena for SKAM in Pittsburgh was really old, but there were so many restaurants and hotels nearby, I'd visit there again for an event.

Portland and Greensboro had the two best set-ups for the practice rinks/novice events. (In Portland I'm talking about the venue that was next door to the Rose Arena, not the ice in the nearby shopping mall where skaters also were going).