2007 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships Coming to the Northwest

Posted on Saturday, July 15th, 2006 at 1:35 am

SPOKANE, Wash., July 6 /PRNewswire/ — As the host for the 2007 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the Northwest region kicks-off the countdown for the nation’s most prestigious annual figure skating event with the unveiling of the Four Finals Ticket Package, which will go on sale August 11 at 10:00 a.m. by calling 1-866-USA-2007 or visiting www.spokane2007.com. To be held at the Spokane Arena and the new Spokane Convention Center, the event runs Jan. 21-28, 2007.

This new package provides fans with tickets to the four most popular events. For the package price of $298, fans can watch the Olympic-eligible skaters skate for the gold, silver and bronze in Ladies, Mens, Pairs, and Ice Dancing. Fans purchasing the package will receive the same seat for all four events. Orders for this ticket package will be date and time stamped when the order is received by TicketsWest, so the earlier the order is placed, the better the seat. The finals will take place Friday and Saturday, January 26-27, 2007.

Good seats are still available for most events, although tickets for the closing event, the “Exhibition of Champions” on Sunday, January 28, have already sold out. Spectators and out-of-town travelers are encouraged to book tickets and travel arrangements now for the best deals. Spokane is aiming to set an all time-high attendance record, and expects visitors from around the Northwest and country.

“With 2007 being the first year of the four-year Olympic cycle leading up to the 2010 Vancouver Games, the road to Vancouver runs right through Spokane,” said Toby Steward, President of Star USA. “This is a great opportunity to watch these Olympic eligible champions in person.”

The All-Event Ticket Package is still available for purchase. The package is a book of tickets, one for every session of the competition — including the championship finals. Each package includes a minimum of 13 individual tickets and costs $495 each.

The 2007 State Farm U.S. Figuring Skating Championships were awarded to Spokane in 2004. The event has been held annually since 1914 in select cities all over the United States. The state of Washington last hosted the U.S. Championships in 1987 in Tacoma.

The Championships, which determine the 2007 U.S. World Team, welcome approximately 1,500 figure skating athletes, officials and coaches. Big-name skaters expected to compete include:

— 2006 Olympic Silver medalists Sasha Cohen, Tanith Belbin and Ben
Agosto,
— 2006 World Champion Kimmie Meissner,
— 2006 Olympians Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir and Emily Hughes

Two-time World bronze medalist, 2006 Olympian, and featured skater for Champions on Ice, Evan Lysacek, will be in Spokane on Wednesday, July 12, to promote this “Four Finals Ticket Package.” Lysacek will kick-off the countdown to the national championship event at Eagles Ice Arena where he will teach a skating clinic for local children and sign autographs.

“After winning the U.S. silver in 2006, I’m hoping that Spokane is a golden experience,” said Lysacek. “As a competitor I am really looking forward to it, but for fans from around the Northwest the U.S. Championships are really a great opportunity to see which skaters win the opportunity to represent the United States at the World Championships in Tokyo.”

Skating enthusiasts can also see Lysacek in the 2006 John Hancock Champions on Ice tour, along with Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen and Victor Petrenko. This showcase allows skaters the opportunity to perform their own routines with music and choreography of their choice, as well as special opening and closing group routines. The Northwest welcomes this tour in the following cities:

— July 25: Billings, Montana
— July 27: Spokane, Washington
— July 29: Everett, Washington
— July 30: Portland, Oregon

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