Skate America 2018 goes back to Everett, Washington

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

http://usfsa.org/story?id=91035&type=media

U.S. Figure Skating announced the selection of XFINITY Arena in Everett, Washington as the host for the 2018 Skate America, Oct. 19-21, 2018. The international event will be the first of six stops on the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series.

The competition will mark a return of Skate America to Everett for the first time since 2008 when it set an all-time Skate America attendance record that still stands today. In addition to hosting sporting, concerts and other types of performances, the arena hosts the Everett Silvertips, a franchise in the Western Hockey League. Tickets for Skate America will go on sale next year.

 

[chapis]

For a moment I thought it would be Washington DC

 

[Sylvia]

@AngieNikodinovLove, would you be willing to add "Everett" to your thread title? Or "state" after Washington?

ETA: Thanks!

I enjoyed attending SA in Everett. I remember after Takahiko Kozuka won the men's gold, I ran into his venerable coach Nobuo Sato in the concourse and caught his eye/gave him a nod of respect and he bowed at me.

 

[Debbie S]

For a moment I thought it would be Washington DC

That would have been awesome.

 

[Karen-W]

Not Portland but Everett is in driving distance. I'm going to have to keep this on my calendar and see who winds up being invited to compete.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[skatesindreams]

I hope that the transportation options between Sea/Tac and Everett have improved since 2008!

 

[manhn]

Oh gawd, 2017 Canadians in Vancouver, 2018 SA in Everett, 2018 GPF in Vancouver, 2019 4CC in Anaheim. Too much west coast skating goodness!

 

[kwanfan1818]

I hope that the transportation options between Sea/Tac and Everett have improved since 2008!

Seattle's Light Rail from Seatac launched in 2009, but it's a minimum of a .3 mi walk through the Seatac terminal and parking garage to the light rail station. (If you end up at a gate that's on the other side of the terminal, like the A terminal or international gates, you have to go to the other end of the terminal first. If you end up in one of the satellites, you have to take an internal shuttle train to get to the main terminal.)

The best case scenario is 2 hours 8 minutes with one transfer to a bus after a few-block walk in the International District from Light Rail, and then a bus (512) to a stop that's listed by Google Maps as a .5 mi, 10-minute walk to the arena.

It won't be easy

Oh gawd, 2017 Canadians in Vancouver, 2018 SA in Everett, 2018 GPF in Vancouver, 2019 4CC in Anaheim. Too much west coast skating goodness!

It's almost as if we lived in Ontario!

 

[UMBS Go Blue]

Everett's Paine Field (site of the Boeing factory) is scheduled to start commercial service sometime next fall, but it's unclear as to whether it'll be in time for Skate America, and whether the airport construction is proceeding (or will proceed) on schedule. Both Alaska and United have announced that they will serve PAE.

https://www.seattletimes.com/busine...-passenger-flights-from-everetts-paine-field/

https://www.seattletimes.com/busine...will-offer-flights-from-everetts-paine-field/

 

[skatesindreams]

What was available at the time wasn't "as advertised"; and extremely difficult.
kwanfan, your description doesn't give me much confidence about trying to make the trip again; even though I would love to do so.

 

[Cayuse]

This made my day! San Jose, Anaheim, Vancouver and now Everett--all of us west coasters better turn out in droves to keep these events coming!

 

[siggy]

Yippee!!

 

[overedge]

Hell to the YES!!!!

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I wonder if the casino will be the official hotel again. It was a bit of a drive from downtown Everett.

 

[barbk]

Everett was great and so were the folks in Everett. Happy to see it going back there.
I didn't find the drive up from SeaTac to be awful.

 

[DDNatalia]

Washington State has indeed been very good to skating and skaters!

 

[kwanfan1818]

Washington State has indeed been very good to skating and skaters!

Trankov thought the rink in Kent was a pit, though

 

[ks777]

I live in the Everett area, about 10-15 mins away.

 

[kwanfan1818]

What was available at the time wasn't "as advertised"; and extremely difficult.
kwanfan, your description doesn't give me much confidence about trying to make the trip again; even though I would love to do so.

I live in Seattle, and from my house, it's almost as bad a commute by transit. I will have to rent or borrow a car for this.

 

[Lanie]

Hmm. It's not a long flight for me. I'd have to fly into Seattle then drive? That sounds a bit irritating...

 

[Lanie]

Oh gawd, 2017 Canadians in Vancouver, 2018 SA in Everett, 2018 GPF in Vancouver, 2019 4CC in Anaheim. Too much west coast skating goodness!

Means loads of FSU hang-outs on the West Coast, yippeeeee! (And Anaheim means kiddo gets to see his first skating competition! He's excited.)

 

[ks777]

I live in Seattle, and from my house, it's almost as bad a commute by transit. I will have to rent or borrow a car for this.

That sucks. I live in Marysville. The last time they held Skate America in Everett, I lived in Everett.

 

[ks777]

Hmm. It's not a long flight for me. I'd have to fly into Seattle then drive? That sounds a bit irritating...

You might be able to fly directly to Everett by then. The Alaska Airlines is set to start commercial flights to Everett in September next year.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Oh gawd, 2017 Canadians in Vancouver, 2018 SA in Everett, 2018 GPF in Vancouver, 2019 4CC in Anaheim. Too much west coast skating goodness!

Can I get an Amen up in here?

 

[kwanfan1818]

You might be able to fly directly to Everett by then. The Alaska Airlines is set to start commercial flights to Everett in September next year.

Just in time, but how to get from Paine Field to the arena? It's a 16-20 minute car ride, according to Google Maps, and almost as long by transit as from Seatac.

 

[manhn]

Its a drive from the airport, but an easy drive along a single highway. The airport and the arena are right off the I 5. 30 or 35 minute drive. Yes, traffic sucks.

 

[manhn]

I also forgot US Nats in San Jose!

 

[ks777]

Just in time, but how to get from Paine Field to the arena? It's a 16-20 minute car ride, according to Google Maps, and almost as long by transit as from Seatac.

I am assuming they will start bus services from Paine field as soon as they open the airport for commercial flights? You can always take a taxi or uber from there. It's not that far.

 

[kwanfan1818]

That works for people without disabilities, but will it be accessible for people with wheelchairs or scooters?