Event puts Spokane on skating fans’ map

ST. LOUIS – Shirley Lewis, a middle-aged Mercer Island woman, seemed ashamed to admit it.

As a 28-year resident of Washington, she’s never been to Spokane. She’s never had a reason to. Until now.

Lewis said she and her husband plan to be at next year’s State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Jan. 21-28 at the Spokane Arena and Convention Center.

They will be part of the estimated 50 percent to 60 percent of spectators who will travel more than 100 miles to attend the event.

This year, it’s in St. Louis, where the championships are a lead-up to the Turin Olympics.

Next year, Spokane.

“We plan on getting our tickets online when we get home,” Lewis said, in between a practice session and the junior dance free dance Wednesday at the Savvis Center. “We hear the hotels are filling up, but we’re going. We know we’re going.”

According the Harry Sladich, president of the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1,000 rooms per night will be occupied during the event. All of the rooms at the sponsorship hotels, such as the Davenport, the Red Lion Inn at the Park, and the Doubletree Hotel Spokane City Center, have been blocked for officials, athletes, judges and other VIPs.

Business isn’t exactly sagging in ticket sales, either. According to Toby Steward, co-promoter of the Spokane event, 68,215 tickets had been sold before he arrived in St. Louis. Tickets are being sold in all-event packages, which will get fans into every session except the Exhibition of Champions. The number of sessions has not been determined, although it likely will be between 13 and 15. The package costs $495. The Exhibition of Champions, staged the last day, costs $60.

“This is a critical time for us,” said Barb Beddor, the other half of the Spokane promotion team. “Last year (at nationals) in Portland, people were saying to us, ‘We’ve got to buy tickets to St. Louis first, and then I’ll think about Spokane.’ “

The “push,” comes complete with a posse of representatives from the Spokane Local Organizing Committee and the convention and visitors bureau who, for the second year, have set up a booth on the concourse level at the Savvis Center, the main venue.

A TicketsWest representative was flown in from Spokane to take on-the-spot orders.

Mayor Dennis Hession and his wife, Jane, are scheduled to arrive today in time for the senior men and senior ladies sports programs.

“There’s been a steady stream of people all day,” Beddor said.

While some purchased packages, others stopped by to ask questions or offer suggestions.

“Spokane?” said Joyce Harper of Los Angeles. “How did you get it?”

For starters, she was told that Skate America, a 2002 international event held in Spokane, attracted a record-setting 28,588 fans over four days.

Steward and Beddor, also promoters of that event, used that accomplishment, along with their aggressive, yet down-home style, to sell the U.S. Figure Skating Association on the Lilac City. Steward said their goal is to sell 150,000 tickets for nationals and break the record of 125,000 sold for the nationals in Los Angeles, also held in a Winter Olympics year.

Doug Zeghibe, promoter of the St. Louis event and previous nationals in Boston (2001), Los Angeles (2002), Dallas (2003) and Atlanta (2004), would not release his sales numbers, but he said the all-event ticket packages sales are equal to those of Los Angeles.

The attendance figure released by the USFSA was 19,063 after 11 sessions.

However, the most popular disciplines – senior men and ladies short program and free skates – begin today.

Zeghibe also has his theories as to why Spokane – which will be the smallest market and the smallest main arena with 9,500 seats – won the 2007 bid.

“You had a very successful Skate America. I saw the numbers, and I heard the buzz afterwards,” he said.

“Secondly, if you bring events into towns, it opens up more people who might not be familiar with the sport of figure skating. When you keep going into these traditional powerhouses in figure skating, a Boston, Minnesota, Los Angeles and so forth, you are not necessarily increasing your base.”

Meanwhile, Harper – the Californian intrigued with the selection of Spokane – said she and her husband, Barry, are making plans to attend next year.

It will be her first time in Spokane, but her sixth world or national event.

“The only thing right now that can throw a wrench into our plans to go to Spokane is the arrival of a grandchild,” Harper said.