Skate 2007 Stories: Spokesmanreview.com

Skating contest wins 'best overall'

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships held January in Spokane was named 2007's best overall sporting event Friday by Louisville, Ky.-based SportsTravel magazine � over contenders such as Super Bowl XLI and the 2006 World Series.

Hand in hand

Spokane skating fans gave one last standing ovation to the stars of the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Then the skaters lined up at center ice and gave one back at the Exhibition of Champions finale before a sellout crowd of 10,393 at the Spokane Arena on Sunday afternoon.

She's tough enough

Coach Pam Gregory has used one word to describe Kimmie Meissner all week at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships: tough.

Knockout punch

Longtime rivals Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek played their cards closed to the vest all the way up until the end in the Championship Men's free skate Saturday night.

Common passions

Angie Lien did not have a good day but you'd never know it by her smile. "I like to perform, even though I didn't perform my best today," she said earnestly.

Quick thinking gets Hughes dressed in time

Twenty minutes before she was due on the ice for warm-ups, Emily Hughes realized she'd forgotten her skating dress back in the hotel.

John Blanchette: Skating doomsayers should relax

Another afternoon of figure skating, more waves of applause and huzzahs from a near-capacity Spokane audience � its love for the mediocre almost as loud as for the medalists.

Stability pays off for ice dancers

In a sport where breakups are as frequent as bad costumes, ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White are a model of stability.

Results

For Sunday, January 28, 2007.

Bradley breaks through for second place

The duel was over, the king was dethroned, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships were over.Someone forgot to tell Ryan Bradley � and Saturday night's Spokane Arena crowd of 9,170, for that matter.

In the spotlight

Most national media coverage of the figure skating championships deals with what happens on the ice.

Repeat performers

Ben Agosto and Tanith Belbin did what was expected, again, in the Championship Ice Dancing event at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships � despite the best shot of Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov.

Castile, Okolski steal show with upset win

Experience is usually the difference at competitions such as the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships.

Drama awaits on final night

Two titles up for grabs, with two rivals up front and deep fields behind them.

Halverson in command on way to title

From the moment Eliot Halverson skated onto the ice at the Spokane Arena Friday morning he was in control.

John Blanchette: Michigan pair builds resume

They had won the Nebelhorn Trophy. This is what passed for their resume.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

For Saturday, January 27, 2007.

Games, then fun

Skating fans seem to be sticking close to the ice action, eating at the restaurants closest to the pair of Spokane rinks hosting the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

For these fans, exploring city is key part of trip

A globe-trotting gaggle of die-hard skating fans sampled Syrah and learned the basics of wine fermentation on Wednesday from Greg Lipsker, owner of Barrister Winery.

Meissner leads talented field

A few skating friends are trying to crash Emily Hughes' birthday party. Hughes, who turns 18 today, said she's still planning a gathering for Saturday night in Spokane.

Point, counterpoint

It's on. Evan Lysacek made a statement in the Senior Men's short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Thursday afternoon at the Arena.

John Blanchette: Lysacek, Weir rivalry adds spice

Think Tiger and Phil. OK, think Tiger and Phil if you can imagine Tiger posing for a fashion mag topless, , and if you can picture Phil not in need of a mansiere.

Notebook: New partner, same result

Rockne Brubaker capped what he called "my favorite year" and "my favorite nationals" by teaming with his new partner, Keauna McLaughlin, to overwhelm the rest of the field in Thursday's Junior Pairs competition of the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

For Friday, January 26, 2007.

Fanfest schedule

FanFest features entertainment, autograph-signing sessions and seminars. It's in the Spokane Convention Center's new exhibit hall and is free.

Fireworks, flag give ceremony high-flying start

Ed and Gloria Harris stood with their grandchildren Wednesday night and watched arcing flares burst into chrysanthemum shapes of glowing colors above Riverfront Park.

Leaders not the people's choice

Two teams earned their personal-best marks Wednesday night in the Senior Pairs short program at the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the Spokane Arena.

Halverson skates like a dream in short program

There is nothing more Eliot Halverson would like to do than see double.

Lysacek works hard to move up on podium

Evan Lysacek must feel like those climbers who get near the summit of Mount Everest, only to be forced to turn back.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

For Thursday, January 25, 2007.

Fanfest schedule

FanFest features free entertainment, autograph-signing sessions and seminars in the Convention Center. Autograph sessions will be announced daily. See a map at www.spokesmanreview.com /skate.

Results

Championship Pairs ( Read the full story )

Join us at spokesmanreview.com/skate

Multimedia ( Read the full story )

John Blanchette: After this hug, new embraces compulsory

Spokane and skating continued to cuddle like a couple of Shmoos on Wednesday with the confirmation that ticket sales for these championships had soared past the existing record.

Hotel wall to show slides

U.S. Figure Skating Championships photos will be projected evenings through Saturday on the west side of the Davenport Tower downtown.

Stars and skates

The telephone call was expected. The face that went with it wasn't.

Healthy competition

It's not even 8 a.m. Tuesday and Dr. Ed Reisman � who got about five hours of sleep the night before � is stitching up an injured figure skater at the Convention Center.

Guards ensure smooth skating

Among the fans descending on Spokane for the State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships this week likely will be a little-known subspecies: the skate fanatic.

Fashion's cutting edge

Countless television viewers could get a glimpse of Ariahnna McCall-Smith's handiwork this week and she's on pins and needles about it.

Cool customers

Two friends from Southern California grabbed the top spots in the Junior Ladies event Tuesday night at the 2007 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships in the Spokane Arena.

Notebook: Under watchful eyes

During a 35-minute practice session Tuesday at the Spokane Arena, Emily Hughes stopped skating 15 times to visit coach Bonni Retzkin.

Ice dancing pairs waltz into senior competition

The long wait for Spokane figure skating fans is over. The royalty of U.S. senior ice dancing took the Arena ice at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday.

John Blanchette: Figure skating terminology with an edge

Here at The Skatesman-Review, we've been accused of not being able to see the forest for the trees we're killing to cover the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Hall of fame coach has optimism for U.S.

He is the Vince Lombardi of singles skating coaches. Frank Carroll is a U.S. and world figure skating hall of fame coach.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

For Wednesday, January 24, 2007.

Results

For Wednesday, January 24, 2007.

FanFest schedule

FanFest features entertainment, autograph-signing sessions and seminars. It's in the Spokane Convention Center's new exhibit hall and is free.

Pairs know good match

Selecting a partner for pairs figure skating is a little like going on a blind date, Naomi Nari Nam and Themi Leftheris say.

Humble champions: Mahbanoozadeh, Maxwell show unassuming side after novice wins

The men's and ladies novice champions were modest about their skating Monday at the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane.

Skating schedule

Arena helping area restaurants

Eating three meals a day at Spokane Arena might get old by the end of skating week.That is, unless a skating fan can live on little more than German sausage, stuffed pretzels and minidoughnuts.

Music, style guide costume designer

The best skating costumes blend seamlessly with the skaters' movements and music.The worst bunch, gape, shock and stand out like Icelandic singer Bjork's white swan get-up at the Oscars.

HISTORY ON ICE

With all the excitement over the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, now might be the perfect time to drop by the "Figure Skating: American Champions" exhibit under way at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

Dancers chase best in business

Spokane is breaking new ground in American figure skating circles.It's not because the Lilac City is the smallest city to host the U.S. Figure Skating championships nor the fact that the weeklong event that began Sunday morning could set an attendance record by next weekend's conclusion.

It's Showtime

Mirai Nagasu said she likes to have fun, all the time, if she can.She certainly did that Sunday night as the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships officially got underway in Spokane before a crowd of 6,865.

Volunteer ice sweepers gather gifts, keep surface clear

Teddy bears fell from the stands like a hailstorm the night Michelle Kwan skated in Spokane. Sure, it was Kwan who wowed the audiences with her near flawless performance at Skate America four years ago. But in the end, it was the unsung volunteers like Cody Lithco who had to do the cleanup.

Fanfest lineup

FanFest features entertainment, autograph-signing sessions and educational seminars in the Spokane Convention Center's new exhibit hall. It's free and open to the public.

Ice queen at thirteen

Don't be shocked if you see a diminutive 13-year-old walking around the aisles of a local grocery in full figure-skating regalia this week.

Skating to riches

With its sparkling new convention center, refreshed hotels and "skating- friendly" ambiance, Spokane is ready for its big reveal.

Red carpet welcome

The digital clock behind the Davenport Hotel's front desk has been counting down for weeks, ticking off the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the start of the State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Sharpening skates

John Bevan never was a figure skater. But he found himself bringing his son Johnnie to Eagles Ice-A-Rena years and years ago, and the ice has been a part of his life since.

And so it begins: Eight days of grace, drama

Now that the U.S. Figure Skating Championships have landed in Spokane, the focus shifts to whether some high-profile skaters can land some highly difficult jumps.

Weir vs. Lysacek: a new chapter

They are the grizzled veterans of the men's senior division and they've re-upped for four more years and another Olympic cycle.

Meissner aims for golden finish

Kimmie Meissner knows a window of opportunity when she sees one. And it's not likely to close before she attempts to leap through.

Dance defined: Belbin, Agosto

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto have taken Championship Dance to a level it has never been in the United States, but they're not done.

Inoue, Baldwin keep setting pace

For America's top pairs teams, retiring in 2006 was a more popular move than the side-by-side jumps.

Evolutions and revolutions: Q&A with Berkley Villard

Berkley Villard was among the first generation of figure skaters to emerge from Spokane onto the national scene, and is now coach to a new breed of hopefuls.

Skate-off requires trade-off

Kyle Herring isn't your average 17-year-old. He doesn't hang out after school, shooting hoops or annihilating The Covenant on Xbox.

Forecast: Excellent week for major indoor sports events

Figure skaters and visitors can expect more dazzle on the indoor ice next week than outside. Weather forecasters predict a dreary winter phase with mostly cloudy skies.

Fast Break

It is Caroline Zhang's dream to win the women's skating event at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Lace up and learn

Aubrey Prince has felt the burn.And the freezing cold.And, on Thursday, the Whitworth College athletic-training student felt some of what skaters will be experiencing.

Skating's next big thing

The past and present of U.S. figure skating don't think the sport needs a future star � at least right now. Besides, who that person might be is yet to be determined.

No rinky-dink ice

Something seems different about figure-skating ice. That perception is correct, says Dave Gebhardt, operations director for the Spokane Public Facilities District.

Sales of figure skating tickets may break record

Spokane is closing in on the record for ticket sales for the State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships, organizers said Tuesday.

Crew of ice experts is busy just chillin'

Early in the planning for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, it was clear Spokane didn't have enough ice for the weeklong skate-a-palooza.

Family gets skate event tickets

The family of an Air Force sergeant deployed in the Middle East will be attending the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane after being featured in a Spokesman-Review story.

Ticket sales pass the 100,000 mark

As colder weather returns, demand for one item in the Inland Northwest is heating up � tickets to the State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Cohen won't skate

After months of keeping her fans on the edge of their blades, Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen went public on Friday. She's not going to skate at the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Jan. 21-28.

In Boston, no word on Spokane

BOSTON � The nine figure skaters committed to competing in Spokane at next month's 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships were outscored by the one skater who has dodged the question about a Spokane trip for months.

Coming soon: seating details for figure skating event

Listen up, skating fans: For those who bought tickets for the 2007 U. S. Figure Skating Championships waaaay in advance, you're finally going to find out where you'll be sitting for the Jan.

'Big 4' ticket package goes on sale today

Has it really been two years, five months and 21 days since city officials cheered and swigged champagne in celebration of Spokane winning the bid for the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships?