Correction: An earlier version of this story contained an error. ESPN has no plans to tape or broadcast the 2008 Skate America from Everett.
Beijing. Paris. Ottawa. Moscow. Tokyo. And Everett?
This winter, and thanks to a coach and former employee of Mountlake Terrace’s Olympic View Arena, Snohomish County’s largest city will indeed run in heady company, as it hosts an ice-skating competition that will attract 60 world-class skaters from 15 countries, international media, and tens of thousands of fans.
Everett’s Skate America event will be the opening leg of the six-city International Skating Union Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series. The Grand Prix runs from October to November in world capitals — including Everett — and concludes with a final in Seoul, South Korea.
The Comcast Arena at the Everett Events Center will host three nights of Olympic-style skating, Oct. 24-26.
Americans Rachael Flatt, the world junior champion, Mirai Nagasu, reigning U.S. champion, Johnny Weir, Evan Lysacek, and five-time U.S. champion ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto will be competing.
About 22,000 tickets have already been sold.
“This is really an unparalleled opportunity for Snohomish County,” said Amy Spain, the executive director for the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau. “This is the precursor for the type of Olympic athletes, with Olympic-quality skating, that we’ll see in 2010.”
The event will reportedly bring $2.5 million in direct benefits to Snohomish County.
Without Edmonds-based Production Sports, Skate America would not be coming to town.
Founded in 2007 by Laura Lee and Steve Baker, the company won a bid last winter to host the event.
“This is a huge deal. This is as good as skating gets,” said Baker, a former member of Britain’s national skating team, who currently coaches skating at Mountlake Terrace’s Olympic View Arena. “These are the athletes who are positioning themselves for the Olympics.”
Lee is a former Olympic View employee.
From the moment the athletes land in Snohomish County, Baker and Lee will have their days programmed — from parties, to hotel rooms at the newly opened Tulalip Hotel, to transportation, to practice time on the ice.
All of those details are being planned from the company’s unassuming office on 76th Avenue West, near Stevens Hospital.
The county is investing in the project. Production Sports got a $100,000 grant from the county’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee to help promote Skate America.
Come skate time, the media will show up. NBC will broadcast live and Canada’s CBC and Japan’s TV Asahi will be there, too.
There is hope that Skate America could lead to future events in Everett.
In 2002, Spokane hosted Skate America and set attendance records that still stand. In 2007, U.S. Figure Skating rewarded Spokane by awarding it the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The city is getting them in 2010, too.
Spokane sold almost 29,000 tickets.
With five months until show time, Baker and Lee think they can smash that record, they said.
If they can make those big events work, then the city could become a destination for other Olympic-style sports like volleyball, hockey, or gymnastics, Lee said.
That’s a longer term future, Spain said.
Immediately, she’s excited that the county will get to show off for athletes and tourists looking to stay outside Vancouver when that city hosts the Olympics in 2010.
“All of the viewers and athletes are going to recognize that Snohomish County is a gateway for the 2010 Olympics,” she said.
Reporter Chris Fyall: 425-673-6525 or cfyall@heraldnet.com
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