By Bradley Warren
Oct. 15, Volume 47 Issue 1
A group of figure skaters run into the back room of a crowded press conference, as two figure skating icons take the stage.
The city of Spokane waits to hear the news from the two skating heros.
Kristi Yamaguchi and Gracie Gold, two US championship figure skaters, take the microphone and announce that Spokane will be the host city to a brand new type of figure skating competition, called The Team Challenge Cup, at the Spokane Arena.
42 ice skaters from around the world will come to Spokane in late April to take the ice in four skating events, pinning the accomplished figure skaters against each other in three teams.
“I’m over the moon with joy,” said Makila Milhot, a skater for the Lilac City Figure Skating Club, a Spokane-based affiliate of US Figure Skating.
The USA fits into Team North America with Yamaguchi as the team captain. There are three teams competing in the Team Challenge Cup, Team North America vs. Team Europe vs. Team Asia. The team with the most points at the end wins the cup for their team.
“I’m excited to be back in Skate City USA,” Yamaguchi said.
Spokane is known by figure skaters as “Skate City USA,” due to its overwhelming amount support in the past. In 2007 and 2010, the city hosted the US Figure Skating Championship and broke records in tickets sales. The event planners hope to do the same this year.
Figure skater and SFCC student Evelina Kvasov was one of the skaters that got to meet with both Yamaguchi and Gold. Kvasov has been skating since age 11 at Eagles Ice arena; her home away from home.
“[Skating is more than just a hobby], it’s my passion and I love it,” Kvasov said.
“Meeting Gold was a big deal,” Kvasov said. “I reached my goal of meeting the skater that I have been looking up to for the longest time. I hope to skate for Disney on Ice one day.”
Tickets for The Team Challenge Cup go on sale Oct. 9 at 10a.m., and will held be at the Spokane Arena.
“We are very excited United States Figure Skating picked spokane to host this event,” said Tim Robinson, the director of communications for Visit Spokane. “Spokane is very supportive and that may be one of the big reasons why it won the host bid.”
Robinson says this event will be huge and only means good things for Spokane’s future.