U. S. Nationals 2017 - Host Kansas City, MO | Page 2 | Golden Skate

U. S. Nationals 2017 - Host Kansas City, MO

MFarone

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Country
United-States
Thinking about going to this for "Championship Weekend." Do people go by themselves or is that weird? With 2017 SA location being unknown and 2018 Nationals in CA, this seems like the best chance for me (located in the Midwest) to see any live skating before the 2018 round of retirements.

Skate America 2017 is going to be in Lake Placid, NY. However, I encourage you to attend Championship Weekend which will give you tons of wonderful skating. I attended my first Nationals in 2000 in Cleveland by myself and have since made many friends from all over the U.S.

It was always fun to watch the events on TV, but IMO nothing beats the excitement in the arena when skaters give a great performance.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004

semosk8tfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 29, 2009
Country
United-States
With groupon offering 65% off, ticket sales must really be in the tank. So ticked that I bought early. They ought to give those who bought their tickets early a refund...ok, I would settle for a freebie of somekind.
 

shiroKJ

Back to the forest you go.
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 9, 2014
Very interesting. Looking at all these deals, I have to wonder how ticket sales went this year.....I have a police ID...it looks like I could have had 45 percent off the major tickets....wonder how good the seats would have been?
I think there is much more interest in San Jose than KC.

When I bought my ladies FS ticket, they had 4-5 tickets left in sections 116/118 rows 7,8,10. I got mine in 118 row 8 seat 5 (which is pretty darn close to center ice) for $80 including fee's. There was really good tickets in every section except sections 106/117 for every event. And I bought it in January...they had the discounted tickets going since December. :eek:hwell:
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
When I bought my ladies FS ticket, they had 4-5 tickets left in sections 116/118 rows 7,8,10. I got mine in 118 row 8 seat 5 (which is pretty darn close to center ice) for $80 including fee's. There was really good tickets in every section except sections 106/117 for every event. And I bought it in January...they had the discounted tickets going since December. :eek:hwell:

OK, thanks! That is interesting....well, better to sell the tickets now at a discount than to eat them. The KC folk left a day early from their table at St Paul last year...I think they saw enough of empty seats.....
 

Teddy99

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
Looks like we'll be neighbors...if I remember correctly my seats are in the 118 section!!
 

semosk8tfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 29, 2009
Country
United-States
So instead of offering deep discounts right before the event, has USFS ever tried selling tickets at a reasonable cost from the beginning? I feel like by buying my tickets early I am a chump.
 

Teddy99

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
So instead of offering deep discounts right before the event, has USFS ever tried selling tickets at a reasonable cost from the beginning? I feel like by buying my tickets early I am a chump.

Well, that makes me a chump too, I got my Championship Weekend tickets 3 weeks before they started dropping prices. I got my Ladies SP and, Pairs SP for half-price! Sooo#WeChumpsTogether :console:
 

mrrice

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
Have the skaters begun to arrive in KC? I keep thinking I'm going to hear reports about skater sightings from the hotel lobby any minute now.
 

MFarone

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Country
United-States
Sometimes the local organizing committee has taken on the task of selling tickets which eliminated the Ticketmaster fees (2014 Nationals - Skate Club of Boston). Back a few years when the popularity of skating was declining the venue would still sell seats in the "nose bleed" 3rd tier. I have friends who would routinely purchase those tickets and move down to empty seats for most events. Most arenas don't sell tickets up there any longer and my friends only attend an event or two if it is nearby.

But, no to your basic question. I haven't ever seen USFS sell tickets cheaper. They offer the tickets at whatever price and when sales are slow they start with free Gala tickets, or discounted tickets, or Championship Weekend tickets. Those fans that purchase early pay the most.

So instead of offering deep discounts right before the event, has USFS ever tried selling tickets at a reasonable cost from the beginning? I feel like by buying my tickets early I am a chump.
 

semosk8tfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 29, 2009
Country
United-States
Sometimes the local organizing committee has taken on the task of selling tickets which eliminated the Ticketmaster fees (2014 Nationals - Skate Club of Boston). Back a few years when the popularity of skating was declining the venue would still sell seats in the "nose bleed" 3rd tier. I have friends who would routinely purchase those tickets and move down to empty seats for most events. Most arenas don't sell tickets up there any longer and my friends only attend an event or two if it is nearby.

But, no to your basic question. I haven't ever seen USFS sell tickets cheaper. They offer the tickets at whatever price and when sales are slow they start with free Gala tickets, or discounted tickets, or Championship Weekend tickets. Those fans that purchase early pay the most.

Thanks. I have learned my lesson. If Nationals ever returns to the midwest, I won't be so quick to buy my tickets.
 

Carolla5501

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 31, 2014
Thanks. I have learned my lesson. If Nationals ever returns to the midwest, I won't be so quick to buy my tickets.

I won't either... but for that matter I hold off on all tickets now. San Jose's already been a reminder of why (Junior shorts at the alternate, Gala on Monday after it was "mandatory"..... I don't trust USFSA and I am not financing their events with no guarantee I will get what I paid for!)
 

just wondering

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Is it possible to go to the event and purchase tickets at the window? Does it depend on the event? Or is the best route to pre-purchase, but not too early, so you can capture the best deal?
Thanks!
 

MFarone

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Country
United-States
This isn't an easy question to answer. If you want to sit in the first five rows from the ice or have a very specific area you wish to sit in you pretty much have to buy early. In spite of the recent U. S. success with Ice Dance the event that sells the most tickets is the Championship Ladies Free Skate. If you have an area (like midway down the ice on the or in a specific corner) you would probably need to purchase the Ladies FS ticket as soon as the single event tickets go on sale. For any other event you could wait until the deals come out or even at the box office.

Is it possible to go to the event and purchase tickets at the window? Does it depend on the event? Or is the best route to pre-purchase, but not too early, so you can capture the best deal?
Thanks!
 

A.H.Black

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 1, 2004
If you want individual event tickets, you can always wait to buy tickets. Buying early (all-event) is so that you can have better access to the seats you want AND to get the practice pass. For many of us that practice pass is just as important as all the rest of the tickets.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Thanks. I have learned my lesson. If Nationals ever returns to the midwest, I won't be so quick to buy my tickets.

I am with you. If they pick that sh*thole arena at Cleveland again with the basketball pitch, there is no way I am going. And I am going to wait to buy tickets till I find out if its a situation where novices/juniors will be in the main arena (St Paul) or stuck out in the boonies with no shuttle. And I only get to see seniors practice ONCE??? Heck, I can watch the warmups for just the price of a session ticket or two. I know other big fans who have given up on these bizarre picks, but it looks to me that the USFS has thrown the constantly going 200-300 fans under the bus so they only have to "pay" for an arena for a few days (AKA Nats Boston 2014)
I suppose the economics are that it is cheeper to hold both nats combined and they save enough money to not have to worry about the regulars attending anymore....well, after San Jose they just may loose me.
Will the last person leaving the arena please turn out the lights?
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
This isn't an easy question to answer. If you want to sit in the first five rows from the ice or have a very specific area you wish to sit in you pretty much have to buy early. In spite of the recent U. S. success with Ice Dance the event that sells the most tickets is the Championship Ladies Free Skate. If you have an area (like midway down the ice on the or in a specific corner) you would probably need to purchase the Ladies FS ticket as soon as the single event tickets go on sale. For any other event you could wait until the deals come out or even at the box office.

I have to wonder if one believes that the non-olympic year events will continue to bomb, if StubHub or other secondary reliable markets might be another option. At least you KNOW by then what skaters will get thrown under the bus. This bait and switch is really bothering me....tell us up front what the secondary venue deal is and about shuttles and then sell us the tickets......
 

just wondering

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
This isn't an easy question to answer. If you want to sit in the first five rows from the ice or have a very specific area you wish to sit in you pretty much have to buy early. In spite of the recent U. S. success with Ice Dance the event that sells the most tickets is the Championship Ladies Free Skate. If you have an area (like midway down the ice on the or in a specific corner) you would probably need to purchase the Ladies FS ticket as soon as the single event tickets go on sale. For any other event you could wait until the deals come out or even at the box office.


Thank you for your thoughtful response. It's quite helpful!
 
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