The 'Thank You' Canada Tour

Ladskater · Jun 6, 2018

Wow, this is wonderful news. Scott and Tessa are headlining a star studded Canadian figure skating show. It's coming to Abbotsford Oct. 5th. Pre sale tickets go on sale tomorrow.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/olympic-ice-skating-champions-begin-cross-canada-thank-tour/

apple123 · Jun 6, 2018

Great to creat more ice shows for skaters and grassroots audience. Figure skating needs its markets back.

mrrice · Jun 6, 2018

I would love to see this show but it won't be possible. Is there a chance it will be televised in Canada? Hopefully it will show up here or on YouTube. It sounds like a great idea.

Ladskater · Jun 6, 2018

Yes, they often come out to Abbotsford, it's a great arena. We've even seen rock groups there.

jillredhand · Jun 6, 2018

mrrice said:
I would love to see this show but it won't be possible. Is there a chance it will be televised in Canada? Hopefully it will show up here or on YouTube. It sounds like a great idea.

The website FAQ indicates that fancams won't be banned, so I bet we'll see a bunch of those up. Don't know about a more professional broadcast, though.

I get that they're going to smaller markets rather than the main big cities that Stars on Ice already hits, but so strange for there not to be a show in Calgary proper ... now I'm thinking about whether I want to go to Lethbridge or Red Deer in October.

Osmond4gold · Jun 6, 2018

Ladskater said:
Yes, they often come out to Abbotsford, it's a great arena. We've even seen rock groups there.

Same here Ladskater, on the eastcoast;

Moncton, NB, new arena opens July, 8,800 cap.
Saint John, NB 6,603 cap.
Summerside, PEI 4,228 cap.
Sydney, NS 5,000 cap.
St. John's, NF 7,000 cap.

And not a bad seat in any of those houses

Colonel Green · Jun 6, 2018

I just got my tickets for the Summerside show. I think this'll be the second event I've attended at Credit Union Place, following an Elton John concert some years ago.

Dr. Jenn · Jun 6, 2018

Here's an article about the tour: https://www.thestar.com/life/2018/0...ce-their-own-cross-canada-thank-you-tour.html

It sounds great! I can't wait to see (via video, alas, since I won't be in Canada then) what they come up with!

TGee · Jun 7, 2018

apple123 said:
Great to creat more ice shows for skaters and grassroots audience. Figure skating needs its markets back.

THIS...

I just don't see why ISU would want to push back on anything that can contribute to building the audience base for FS.

Well...we know that they can be amazingly shortsighted, otherwise they wouldn't have been cited for anticompetitive behavior by the EU.

But given that figure skating was once the largest television revenue base for the winter Olympics, and is now winnowing in US audience, they should be cheering. And hoping something more long term is viable, including in the US.

TGee · Jun 7, 2018

mrrice said:
I would love to see this show but it won't be possible. Is there a chance it will be televised in Canada? Hopefully it will show up here or on YouTube. It sounds like a great idea.

mmrice you are bring to mind the great Roller Cranston skating specials of the 1980s...[emoji56]

Wouldn't it be great if CBC thought they could do similar now with this great group of Canadian skaters.

Tessa and Scott do have the skills and vision to pull it off.

And maybe CBC could sell it to other markets for streaming.

chuckm · Jun 8, 2018

TGee said:
THIS...

I just don't see why ISU would want to push back on anything that can contribute to building the audience base for FS.

Maybe because it is in direct competition with Grand Prix events? Audiences at the tour won't be watching the Grand Prix, which will be happening at the same time (October and November). So that is depleting the Grand Prix audience base, from the ISU viewpoint.

TGee · Jun 8, 2018

chuckm said:
Maybe because it is in direct competition with Grand Prix events? Audiences at the tour won't be watching the Grand Prix, which will be happening at the same time (October and November). So that is depleting the Grand Prix audience base, from the ISU viewpoint.

Wow, that's a huge assumption....

The idea that building an audience base and interest in smaller Canadian cities won't increase overall audience for ISU events is based on a view that the audience will only watch a few things a year...

And if that were the case broadcasting ISU's JPG series should have "stolen audience" when instead it did the opposite.

But I do agree that such narrow and short-sighted thinking has plagued the ISU at times.

4everchan · Jun 8, 2018

TGee said:
Wow, that's a huge assumption....

The idea that building an audience base and interest in smaller Canadian cities won't increase overall audience for ISU events is based on a view that the audience will only watch a few things a year...

And if that were the case broadcasting ISU's JPG series should have "stolen audience" when instead it did the opposite.

But I do agree that such narrow and short-sighted thinking has plagued the ISU at times.

:clapper:

ice coverage · Jun 8, 2018

chuckm said:
Maybe because it is in direct competition with Grand Prix events? Audiences at the tour won't be watching the Grand Prix, which will be happening at the same time (October and November). So that is depleting the Grand Prix audience base, from the ISU viewpoint.

chuck, do you mean in-person audiences for the Grand Prix?

I do not think it is unreasonable to assume that some individuals and/or families have a limited budget for attending skating events.

For example, I could see a concern that some people would decide against attending 2018 Skate America (in Everett, Washington) because they would want to save the money for attending a stop of the Canada tour.

Ditto for 2018 Skate Canada International.

I think it is great that Tessa and Scott are spearheading this new tour.
At the same time, the ISU viewpoint does not really bother me.

ETA:

I guess you could mean also that for certain dates of the tour, audiences in the arena would not be watching televised or non-bootleg-online coverage of GPs -- if coverage is happening at the exact same time as the show? (I have not scrutinized the potential extent of that issue.)

TGee said:
… And if that were the case broadcasting ISU's JPG series should have "stolen audience" when instead it did the opposite. ..

AFAIK, most JGPs do not have much in-person audience to steal?

Plus: are JGP attendees typically required to purchase tickets? My guess is No?

Compared to the GP series, apples and oranges, IMO.

jillredhand said:
The website FAQ indicates that fancams won't be banned ...

My understanding of the FAQ is quite different. YMMV.

Colonel Green · Jun 8, 2018

ice coverage said:
chuck, do you mean in-person audiences for the Grand Prix?

I do not think it is unreasonable to assume that some individuals and/or families have a limited budget for attending skating events.

For example, I could see a concern that some people would decide against attending 2018 Skate America (in Everett, Washington) because they would want to save the money for attending a stop of the Canada tour.

Ditto for 2018 Skate Canada International.

I think it is great that Tessa and Scott are spearheading this new tour.
At the same time, the ISU viewpoint does not really bother me.

Individuals obviously do have a limited budget for events, but this is a tour aimed at people in more remote areas who didn't go to Stars on Ice. The Grand Prix events are orders of magnitude more expensive in terms of ticket prices and travel/lodging expenses (speaking as somebody who is going to both SCI and the Summerside show; the former, between hotels and the tickets, amounts to close to $1000 CAD, and would have cost more if I hadn't had Aeroplan points).

ice coverage · Jun 8, 2018

Colonel Green said:
Individuals obviously do have a limited budget for events, but this is a tour aimed at people in more remote areas who didn't go to Stars on Ice. The Grand Prix events are orders of magnitude more expensive in terms of ticket prices and travel/lodging expenses (speaking as somebody who is going to both SCI and the Summerside show; the former, between hotels and the tickets, amounts to close to $1000 CAD, and would have cost more if I hadn't had Aeroplan points).

I understand what you are saying, but I still understand the ISU viewpoint too.

For example: Instead of Mom (the big fan in the family) traveling to a GP by herself and "economizing" on the lowest-priced tix, maybe Mom would decide instead to turn the Canada tour into a family thing? Mom + one or more kids + Dad with $100 meet-and-greet tix and best seats for all, because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of Canada's all-time greats.

ETA:

Perhaps Mom's thought process even would be:

I love Kaetlyn and had been having thoughts of going to 2018 Skate Canada International to see her, but in case she does not return to competition down the road, I'll take the whole fam to catch her now in this super-awesome show.

Lest anyone wonder:

I am a Kaetlyn fan. Happy for her to have the opportunity to be part of the tour with fellow Olympic/World gold medalists.

millie · Jun 8, 2018

I don’t know about the rest of the venues, but they had to put another show on in St. John’s, NL. The show sold out in a few hours and there was such a demand for tickets, they are putting on a second show. Wow...

TGee · Jun 8, 2018

You know, I don't recall these "audience stealing" concerns being raised about "King's on Ice" and Plushenko's other tours.

And while I don't recall a current World Champion participating, there certainly were competitive senior elite skaters who did off and on.

Rather I recall folks cheering them on for building the base...and expressing envy towards those fortunate enough to get there.

But I also recognize that ISU GP events are quickly sold out in both Russia and Canada...

Perhaps some of the posters are looking at this from the experience of undersold ISU events in the US.

Colonel Green · Jun 8, 2018

TGee said:
But I also recognize that ISU GP events are quickly sold out in both Russia and Canada...

Yeah, that's the other thing. In my experience of having bought SCI tickets, they're already mostly sold, and that's before the participants are announced (if/when Hanyu or Uno are announced as attending, I'd expect Japanese fans to snap up any remaining tickets).

ice coverage · Jun 8, 2018

I am very envious of those who will attend the Thank You Canada Tour.

If I were attending, I know I would be bawling my eyes out -- with pride for all that this special group of skaters/friends has accomplished … and with happiness for them that they get to perform together on this special tour.
(I'm crying even now :sad4: as I am writing this post. Thrilled for the skaters and for all who attend.)

Saying that I understand the ISU viewpoint should not be misconstrued as lack of support for the tour from me. I support the tour.

The 'Thank You' Canada Tour

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

apple123

mrrice

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

jillredhand

Osmond4gold

Colonel Green

Dr. Jenn

TGee

TGee

chuckm

TGee

4everchan

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millie

TGee

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