Site team gets a show
Two male carpenters on the job displayed signs that said “Spokane ♥s Figure Skating.”
Employees from Spokane hotels lined the route holding international flags, Iran sharing the block with Israel.
An American flag, which looked the size of an arena football field, flew from a crane outside the south entrance of River Park Square.
If enthusiasm were among the factors used to decide who will host the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, then Spokane is the overnight leader.
The U.S. Figure Skating site selection committee was here Sunday and Monday. The two-person committee stayed at the Davenport and ate at Anthony’s, and when they walked on Post Street a block-long red carpet was laid down.
“This is something else,” said Bob Dunlop, USFA assistant executive director, over the beat of the Mead High School drum line.
The red-carpet rally was orchestrated by Toby Steward and Barb Beddor of Star USA. The promoters announced in October 2005 that they plan to bid on the 2009 Worlds. Star USA also is promoting the next U.S. Figure Skating Championships, to be held Jan. 21-28 in Spokane.
Dunlop, surveying Spokane with Troy Goldstein, a member of the USFA events advisory board, said the committee will visit two more cities within the next week. He would not disclose the other cities.
“We have decided we aren’t publicly talking about it,” said Dunlop, also a member of the committee that selected Spokane for the 2007 Nationals.
U.S. Figure Skating will decide by April 15 which city it plans to submit to the International Skating Union.
“I think this is sweet,” said Justin Adare, a senior in Mead’s drum line. “I hope it helps us get the championships.”
Although a red carpet parade doesn’t hold any weight, the committee will be left with the image of a few hundred enthusiastic people giving part of their morning to support Spokane’s cause.
“Quite frankly, it’s not built into our criteria,” Dunlop said. “But it’s something I think is a benefit to the city to showcase their level of community involvement.”
Dunlop said the committee is looking for similar things that it saw when Spokane was chosen for the 2007 Nationals. U.S. Figure Skating takes into consideration that a city can raise awareness for the event, accommodate the size and scope of Worlds, underwrite an event of that size and sell tickets.
Steward said Star USA has sold about 85,000 tickets for Nationals. Its goal is to sell 150,000. Tickets are being sold in 13- to 15-session blocks. Single tickets, if available, will be sold closer to the dates of the event.
Dunlop also said the question has arisen regarding whether Spokane has a shot at Worlds just two years after its Nationals.
“An event of that nature, I don’t think it hurts them in any sort of way,” Dunlop said. “Obviously, the awareness factor of figure skating is raised in the community when we have our U.S. championships here, but it’s a tough thing to put a finger on only because the event has not happened yet.”
However, Dunlop said Spokane left a positive impression when it won the bid for Nationals on Feb. 20, 2004, when the community came out and supported it.
“We wouldn’t be here today if we thought (2007 Nationals) was a detriment, so it’s not a detriment.”