2022 Skate America

[skategal]

The US exchange to Canadian dollar is also at $1.37. I will only go to the States to see family - it makes zero sense to go there as a vacation and lose that much money on a dollar.

Yep. It’s cheaper for us to go almost anywhere else in the world than go visit DH’s sister and husband in California.

They have a 1 bedroom so we can’t stay with them.

 

[SidelineSkater]

I think most GP's are a two day event, with gala on the third. NHK may have put FD and gala on the third. SKAM has typically been a three day event for the better part of a decade (like it was this year). I recall 2019 Vegas being two days and we had planned our travel/hotels around that as well for 2021. Then after we purchased our seats, the schedule changed back to the three days of competition.

I prefer two days, even though it's a lot of skating back to back, it allows for more flight options to return home on Sunday if you want to skip the gala and save on another night at a hotel.

 

[Aceon6]

I know that Boston hotels aren't inexpensive at the best of times, but hotel rates may be higher than usual because hotels are trying to compensate for their financial losses during lockdown.

I’m local. Published rates are very similar to what they were pre-pandemic. $400 and up in the city’s hubs… Seaport, Back Bay, and Financial District. The issue is staffing. They have fewer staffed rooms, so the likelihood of finding discounted rates is very small. Throw in the Head of the Charles regatta (11,000 athletes/225,000 spectators most of whom booked last fall), and there was absolutely nothing available at the lower end of the market. Had the event been this weekend, there were quite a few cheaper lodging options south and west of the city.

 

[skategal]

I’m local. Published rates are very similar to what they were pre-pandemic. $400 and up in the city’s hubs… Seaport, Back Bay, and Financial District. The issue is staffing. They have fewer staffed rooms, so the likelihood of finding discounted rates is very small. Throw in the Head of the Charles regatta (11,000 athletes/225,000 spectators most of whom booked last fall), and there was absolutely nothing available at the lower end of the market. Had the event been this weekend, there were quite a few cheaper lodging options south and west of the city.

There are also many Convocations from the Universities in October which send the rates soaring.

We were there one weekend the same time as Harvard convocation and ended up having to stay in Revere Beach because all hotels in Boston proper were sold out or $1000 per night.

 

[once_upon]

Except this year, they didn't, Sun aftn was on E!. I wonder if we will see changes to the schedule in future years, if NBC only wants a broadcast on Sat aftn.

I doubt Saturday afternoon will be a prime time live showing for every SKAM, in the future. Aren't they the Notre Dame NCAA football network? I doubt NBC has enough pull to force a change NCAA schedules.

I suspect that the only live NBC showings will be on their family of networks - Peacock, USA, E! etc.

NBC's pull with USFS and ISU and IOC, and their decision to not do replays...will probably be the death of FS on TV in the US

 

[snoopysnake]

I thought you would like to see photos that my husband took on Saturday at Skate America at the Ice Dance practice. I crocheted Ukraine colors scarves and brought them to give to the Ukraine skaters, Mariia Holubtsova & Kyryl Bielobrov. They were delighted!

 

[Gusmom]

Providence Arena would be great. Its attached to a hotel and a shopping mall. There are really good restaurants across the street. I don't understand why they never get any competitions.

Without doing any research (and having lived in providence & now central MA), I would guess scheduling is the biggest issue. It is used for both AHL and college hockey. I also think that Boston is better known internationally.
It would be cheaper than Boston though.

 

[Gusmom]

I thought the LOC did a good job overall managing the event, but it is just not fun having to drive an hour to the airport the morning after an event ends (rush hour traffic). Being able to walk from the hotel to the arena is great, but I don’t mind having to rent a car as long as the airport is close. The airport commute is my biggest pain point with location selection. Thus my extreme desire to never return to Lake Placid.

This was a particularly busy weekend around Boston with HOTC as well, plus construction at airport.

On the flip side — I find Agganis or Harvard arenas hard to get to, Especially with parking situation.

 

[DreamSkates]

I doubt Saturday afternoon will be a prime time live showing for every SKAM, in the future. Aren't they the Notre Dame NCAA football network? I doubt NBC has enough pull to force a change NCAA schedules.

I suspect that the only live NBC showings will be on their family of networks - Peacock, USA, E! etc.

NBC's pull with USFS and ISU and IOC, and their decision to not do replays...will probably be the death of FS on TV in the US

Sad face emoji not big enough for the thought of no FS on TV. But! I’ve been reading about getting a vpn so there is hope.

 

[Lacey]

In comparison to a Nationals, not a Grand Prix, we left US Nationals in, was it, Greenville, NC, to drive to the rest of our week in Tenn and did not stay for the Gala.

Sadly I remember it vividly because Kobe Bryant had just been killed in a helicopter crash & I was so sad (he went to HS where I worked), so I wouldn't have wanted to stay in any case.

Obviously I love going to comps. However I do not love Galas, somehow feel they are watered down, in person and feel that I can watch them on tv later (Hopefully this will continue.) and get just about as much out of them on the screen as in person.

(I think we might have left Boston right after the comps there those two years but before the Galas--I cannot remember which event/year was it Nats or Worlds, maybe both--and we easily made the 6 hour drive home to Philly before midnight. And if the Galas are so late on Sunday, even if the comps ended on Sat, one might not want to leave that late.)

So if the event shorts are Friday and finals on Saturday, I like the ability to leave just after--that's right, not even staying the Saturday night--saves a lot of money and time.

 

[Bouffantrex]

NBC's pull with USFS and ISU and IOC, and their decision to not do replays...will probably be the death of FS on TV in the US

Let's be real--television is increasingly irrelevant, so this isn't much of a big deal, except for the fact USFS is incredibly inept at adapting to today's media landscape. The sport will not grow by showing skating on television, and that holds true for the Olympics these days.

 

[Garden Kitty]

If I weren't working and time off wasn't an issue, I'd prefer the Skate America schedule. It leaves more time for watching practice on competition days and is a bit more leisurely. But the Skate Canada schedule is better for traveling since if you don't care about the gala you have all sunday for return travel, and most attendees who drive could even stay to see the gala.

 

[Carolla5501]

I doubt Saturday afternoon will be a prime time live showing for every SKAM, in the future. Aren't they the Notre Dame NCAA football network? I doubt NBC has enough pull to force a change NCAA schedules.

I suspect that the only live NBC showings will be on their family of networks - Peacock, USA, E! etc.

NBC's pull with USFS and ISU and IOC, and their decision to not do replays...will probably be the death of FS on TV in the US

NBC could put Notre Dame on any of their networks.. the truth is "figure skating does not have enough pull to get NBC to move the Irish"

 

[Carolla5501]

Let's be real--television is increasingly irrelevant, so this isn't much of a big deal, except for the fact USFS is incredibly inept at adapting to today's media landscape. The sport will not grow by showing skating on television, and that holds true for the Olympics these days.

Yep, but since USFS and NBC have decided "no other options" what that means is "even fewer viewers" I didn't what much of SA and won't bother with the rest of the GP series this year. Just not worth the hassle. Watched a YouTube fan video of Ilia's Free that was probably just as good as the "listen to us talk non-stop about this skate" boardcast... So that's the plan going forward, if I hear about a skate I want to see I will go see if it's on YouTube if not... oh well

 

[Aceon6]

Yep, but since USFS and NBC have decided "no other options" what that means is "even fewer viewers" I didn't what much of SA and won't bother with the rest of the GP series this year. Just not worth the hassle. Watched a YouTube fan video of Ilia's Free that was probably just as good as the "listen to us talk non-stop about this skate" boardcast... So that's the plan going forward, if I hear about a skate I want to see I will go see if it's on YouTube if not... oh well

This will be true of biathlon as well. NBC has only 4 cable channels left and I doubt any of them have room for sports with fewer viewers. It’s a pity, as the NBC announcer team for biathlon is pretty great. I know I can watch on the ‘cock, but I need competent commentary.

 

[Bouffantrex]

Watched a YouTube fan video of Ilia's Free that was probably just as good as the "listen to us talk non-stop about this skate" boardcast

That is an unfair assessment. Tara's scream for Malinin's 4A was the most insightful commentary she's provided in years.

 

[DreamSkates]

That is an unfair assessment. Tara's scream for Malinin's 4A was the most insightful commentary she's provided in years.

Yes! Heard that in the replay on YouTube.
Otherwise I enjoy absolutely NO commentary on Peacock.
After US Nationals I might cancel and get a vpn to watch Worlds via ISU website if they have replays. If not ….? Not sure I want to tune in at 2a.m. my time.