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Ticket sales pass the 100,000 mark

Upbeat event organizer predicts record attendance

John Rudolf  •  Staff writer
Published January 6, 2007

Nancy Clardy, of Medical Lake, says she cannot afford to take her two children to the upcoming U.S. Figure Skating Championships because the tickets are so expensive. (Jed Conklin The Spokesman-Review ) State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships Begins Sunday, Jan. 21 with novice programs and junior ladies short program Ends Sunday, Jan. 28 with the exhibition of champions

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.

Tickets to the ladies finals, where stars like Kimmie Meissner and Emily Hughes will battle for the national title, sold out this week, and seats at the other high-profile competitions are selling briskly, according to event officials.

More than 100,000 tickets have been sold so far, said Toby Steward of Star USA, the company producing the event. While ticket orders have come from as far afield as Japan, South Korea and Germany, area fans have accounted for at least 40 percent of sales.

"I think Spokane will probably be crowned SkateTown USA after this event is over," said Steward, predicting the championships will break the all-time attendance record of 125,345 set in Los Angeles in 2002. Spokane is the smallest city to host the event, and 2007 is an off-year for the Winter Olympics – historically both recipes for low turnouts. Salt Lake City's championships in 1999 drew about 35,000 people.

"We think we're going to set history here," said Steward.

Kevin Twohig, general manager of the Spokane Arena, said the championships could be the highest-grossing event in the arena's history. "I feel very good about it," he said.

With all those tickets sold, there were bound to be a few unhappy customers.

Emanuele Portolese, 64, spent $1,600 on several tickets back in June 2004, but when he received his tickets last month they were for a back row at the end of the arena.

A flier for the event created by Spokane 2007, the organizing committee, reads, "Seats are assigned based on the date your ticket order is received. The earlier you purchase your ticket, the better your seats."

Yet Portolese received a phone call a few months ago offering him the chance to "upgrade" his tickets for an additional $400. "I just dismissed it," he said. "I thought there was no reason for me to upgrade because I already had bought the best tickets."

Steward said that seat selection often came down to the luck of the draw. "Nobody has ever been promised a specific seat," he said, an assertion backed by the fine print on event literature. But Portolese still feels burned.

"I shouldn't have had to pay another dime – it's like they were holding the seat hostage until I handed over another few hundred bucks," he said.

Other fans who hoped to attend are suffering from sticker shock after getting a look at the prices. An all-event ticket costs $495, and tickets to the ladies finals – now sold out – were $98 apiece. A pair of front-row all-event passes are advertised on eBay for $3,000.

"I had been anticipating it, but I was surprised by how expensive it was," said Nancy Clardy, 45, of Medical Lake. "It's out of our reach."

Clardy's husband, John, an Air Force sergeant, was deployed to Qatar in September, leaving her at home with her children, Sarah, 14, and J.J., 8. "I'm really watching our pennies," she said.

For those who want to catch just a piece of the action, single tickets are now available. An additional treat for spectators will be a Jan. 24 performance by the Spokane Youth Symphony at the opening ceremony. The symphony also will close the event Jan. 28.