Our view: Bring on the next skating event
On Friday, Barb Beddor and Toby Steward, co-owners of Star USA, FedExed a letter to U.S. Figure Skating. It’s now official. Spokane is bidding for the chance to host the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Beddor and Steward hope to build on the great reputation Spokane earned in 2007, when it first hosted the skating championships. These 2010 championships are an even bigger “get” in the sports promotion business, because they will be held mere weeks before the Winter Olympics. The skaters who win these 2010 nationals will compete in the Olympics in Vancouver, B.C.
The bidding process is as Byzantine as the formula used by the NCAA to decide which “bubble” teams get into college basketball’s Big Dance. Beddor and Steward have become experts in the complex skating championship bidding process.
It takes money, for sure. Cities pay U.S. Figure Skating for the “privilege” of holding the games. Bids are in the seven figures, but the exact amount is kept secret by the bidders, all part of that complex process.
The highest bid doesn’t automatically win, because U.S. Figure Skating considers other factors, such as the condition of the cities’ sports arenas, hotels and transportation as well as their welcoming hometown spirits.
What isn’t kept secret is the amount Spokane and Spokane County have pledged toward the effort. The City Council unanimously pledged $75,000, and the Spokane County Commission unanimously pledged $100,000. (The money, by the way, does not have to be paid if another city wins.)
So why pledge $175,000 of taxpayer money on something that won’t fill potholes?
Well, Spokane is building its reputation as a community not afraid to host prime-time athletic events. The more of these mega-events the city hosts – or bids to host – the greater its reputation grows. And tourism is a source of revenue for the Inland Northwest that’s relatively easy on the infrastructure. People from out of town visit, spend their money and go home.
The bid for the 2010 championships is a bold move by Star USA and by city and county leaders. Beddor believes it’s one more indication that Spokane’s “we’re-not-good-enough” attitude is changing to “we are big enough.” We are. Let’s hope U.S. Figure Skating agrees – again.