ISU GP 2024/25 Event #2 - Skate Canada International 2024 - Halifax, NS - Oct. 25-27 (+ some early GP news)

[Elizabeth]

Press release from Skate Canada: https://skatecanada.ca/2024/04/halifax- ... rnational/

Halifax to Host World’s Top Figure Skaters at 50th Skate Canada International
April 22, 2024/by Skate Canada

OTTAWA, ON (April 22, 2024) – Skate Canada is pleased to announce that Halifax, N.S., will host Skate Canada International from October 24-27, 2024. Held at the Scotiabank Centre, Halifax’s premier venue for sports and entertainment, the event will attract some of the top figure skaters from Canada and around the world.

This year will mark the 50th edition of Skate Canada International and the fourth time that Halifax has hosted the competition since its inception in 1973.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with the City of Halifax to bring the world of figure skating back to the Maritimes for the 2024 Skate Canada International,” said Debra Armstrong, Skate Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “Not only is this event a chance for fans to enjoy the very best that the sport has to offer, but an opportunity to celebrate 50 years of world-class competition in Canada.”

Skate Canada International is the second competition in the annual International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The competition serves as a crucial stop on the road to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, providing athletes with the opportunity to earn valuable qualifying points.

Further details, including the skaters competing at the 2024 Skate Canada International, will be announced later this year. Join our mailing list to be the first to receive event and ticket information for Skate Canada events.

[Elizabeth]

As a reminder, this is the overall GP schedule as currently posted on the ISU website - all allotments noted as PROVISIONAL:

• Skate America, USA: October 18-20, 2024 - location TBA
• Skate Canada International, CAN: October 25-27, 2024 [location not yet updated on ISU website]
• Grand Prix de France, FRA: November 1-3, 2024 - location TBA
• NHK Trophy, JPN: November 8-10, 2024 - location TBA
• GP Finland, FIN: November 15-18, 2024 - Helsinki, FIN
• Cup of China, CHN: November 22-24, 2024 - location TBA
• ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (Junior & Senior), FRA: December 5-8, 2024 - Orleans, FRA

[fred]

I just got that email. Hmmm. Are there tickets left? Is anyone from the Board going?

[Elizabeth]

I just got that email. Hmmm. Are there tickets left? Is anyone from the Board going?

Tickets aren't on sale yet, Fred.

I hope to be there

[fred]

I'm giving it serious thought. I'll be watching closely for ticket sales announcements. If anyone hears about that, please give me an email. I don't come here every day like I used to. I am on the list for Skate Canada announcements, but I'd hate to miss the announcement for whatever reasons. I'm beginning to think I want to be there, even while I was typing this, it's solidifying itself in my mind.

[Elizabeth]

As a reminder, this is the overall GP schedule as currently posted on the ISU website - all allotments noted as PROVISIONAL:

• Skate America, USA: October 18-20, 2024 - location TBA
• Skate Canada International, CAN: October 25-27, 2024 [location not yet updated on ISU website]
• Grand Prix de France, FRA: November 1-3, 2024 - location TBA
• NHK Trophy, JPN: November 8-10, 2024 - location TBA
• GP Finland, FIN: November 15-18, 2024 - Helsinki, FIN
• Cup of China, CHN: November 22-24, 2024 - location TBA
• ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (Junior & Senior), FRA: December 5-8, 2024 - Orleans, FRA

USFS announced today that Skater America will be in Allen, TX. That was the location in 2023.

[Elizabeth]

The French Federation has confirmed (on Instagram) that Angers will once again host the French GP (the ISU website may not yet be updated):

• Skate America, USA: October 18-20, 2024 - Allen, TX
• Skate Canada International, CAN: October 25-27, 2024 - Halifax, NS]
• Grand Prix de France, FRA: November 1-3, 2024 - Angers, FRA
• NHK Trophy, JPN: November 8-10, 2024 - location TBA
• GP Finland, FIN: November 15-18, 2024 - Helsinki, FIN
• Cup of China, CHN: November 22-24, 2024 - location TBA
• ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (Junior & Senior), FRA: December 5-8, 2024 - Orleans, FRA

[Elizabeth]

An update today to the list below - the Grand Prix Final will be in Grenoble, FRA rather than Orleans as previously announced.

The French Federation has confirmed (on Instagram) that Angers will once again host the French GP (the ISU website may not yet be updated):

• Skate America, USA: October 18-20, 2024 - Allen, TX
• Skate Canada International, CAN: October 25-27, 2024 - Halifax, NS]
• Grand Prix de France, FRA: November 1-3, 2024 - Angers, FRA
• NHK Trophy, JPN: November 8-10, 2024 - location TBA
• GP Finland, FIN: November 15-18, 2024 - Helsinki, FIN
• Cup of China, CHN: November 22-24, 2024 - location TBA
• ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (Junior & Senior), FRA: December 5-8, 2024 - Orleans, FRA

[Elizabeth]

As Fred posted in another thread (about domestic competitions) there was an e-mail from Skate Canada today about Skate Canada International tickets. I have copied the contents below. NOTE that there will be no Exhibition Gala this year. I presume that this is because the arena is not available, perhaps due to hockey requirements.

All-Event Tickets: 2024 Skate Canada International

OTTAWA, ON: All-event tickets for the 2024 Skate Canada International will be available for pre-sale on Monday, June 10, 2024, at 3:00 PM ET, and on sale to the public on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 3:00 PM ET. The 2024 Skate Canada International will be taking place at Scotiabank Centre, in Halifax, N.S., from October 24-27, 2024.

All-event tickets will be priced at P1: $280, P2: $240, P3: $180, P4: $100. All prices are in Canadian dollars, plus applicable taxes and fees. All-event ticket packages will include all competitions as well as Thursday practices. Please note that there will be no Exhibition Gala this year.

Tickets can be purchased online at skatecanada.ca. A maximum of eight tickets can be purchased per individual. Join our exclusive mailing list to receive the early access code to purchase Skate Canada International tickets.

Come and celebrate the 50th edition of Skate Canada International with us in Halifax!

If you are not already on their mailing list, here is the link: https://skatecanada.us19.list-manage.co ... 95d9b10bfc

[fred]

I've been checking costs & car rentals etc. Someone to house sit with the cat... It's about 1 1/2 hours to drive to Halifax The 2 hours to find a parking space Maybe it's worth reserving a hotel room near the arena.
Are any of you people here going to be there for this event? It would be a great chance to get together, like we did in 2000 in Mississauga.

[Elizabeth]

I am currently planning to be there, Fred. I expect to be travelling with my usual tour group. Since I haven't been "home" to NS since 2019, I may stay a few extra days but nothing is booked yet.

[fred]

It'll be good to see you, Elizabeth. Everything seems to be coming together. I'm looking forward to this.

[Elizabeth]

According to information from my tour group received this morning, there is a change in the schedule for SCI this year.

The practices will be on Thursday but the competition won't begin until Friday evening with competition on Saturday and on Sunday afternoon.

As already indicated by Skate Canada, there will be no Gala this year.

I presume that the idea is to try to increase local attendance by having the competition during "non-working" hours.

[fred]

I presume there may be practises during the day on Friday. Otherwise people who are making the trip with an all event paid ticket would have nothing to do on Friday till the evening. There must be practises to watch then too.

[Elizabeth]

I presume there may be practises during the day on Friday. Otherwise people who are making the trip with an all event paid ticket would have nothing to do on Friday till the evening. There must be practises to watch then too.

I presume so, Fred, but I haven't seen the full schedule yet.

[Elizabeth]

A rough schedule is posted in the FAQ's on the event page: https://skatecanada.ca/2024-skate-canad ... ional/#faq

• Thursday, October 24, 2024 – Official Practices
• Friday, October 25, 2024 – Pair Short Program & Men Short Program (evening)
• Saturday, October 26, 2024 – Ice Dance Rhythm Dance & Women Short Program (afternoon)
• Saturday, October 26, 2024 – Pair Free Program & Men Free Program (evening)
• Sunday, October 27, 2024 – Ice Dance Free Dance & Women Free Program (late morning)

[Elizabeth]

See the "Entries by discipline" thread for the skaters currently assigned to compete in Halifax (and in each of the other GP events). Some of these may change before the late October, of course

[fred]

Yeah. It looks like there is a void on Thursday, and I'll ask about that when I get my tickets, if not before. It's tomorrow at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, which makes it 4:00 PM Atlantic Time where I am. I have the Code Word!
I'll see if I can contact someone at Skate Canada, maybe by email(?) Perhaps they aren't mentioning it because they don't know either. I'm still getting an all event ticket, regardless!

[fred]

About 2 hours to go and I notice that the arena map is up on the Web page. I'm thinking of section 6 or 7, maybe an isle seat if possible.

[fred]

It won't work. I can't get it to work It says "no available seats according to my filters."
Something is seriously wrong here.

[fred]

"No sections are availble" I was there at the start right at 4:00 PM ADT. Nothing is working.

[fred]

After hunting around Skate Canada, Ticketmaster, and Scotiabank Centre web sites, it is apparent that they have no tickets available. I am not able to get a ticket so I won't be going. I was so looking forward to this. I can't type the words here that I want to say!

[Elizabeth]

After hunting around Skate Canada, Ticketmaster, and Scotiabank Centre web sites, it is apparent that they have no tickets available. I am not able to get a ticket so I won't be going. I was so looking forward to this. I can't type the words here that I want to say!

Fred - THERE ARE TICKETS AVAILABLE. Please read on...

I understand that it took a while for some people to get in from the link found on this page: https://skatecanada.ca/2024-skate-canad ... l/#tickets

Once on that page, click the "Buy Tickets" link which takes you to the Ticketmaster Scotiabank Centre page for the event.

It takes a while for the page to load.

Once it loads you have to go to the top and enter the presale code (received in your e-mail from Skate Canada). After that the available seats show up and there appear to be lots of them. [Without the presale code there are currently no tickets yet on sale to the public.]


The seating chart on the Skate Canada site may help you plan.

[fred]

I struggled wit hit for a total of 20 moinutes and *NEVER* saw a but tickets link. Someone at Skate Canada told me that I had to enter the code word *after* I clicked on "continue..." The helped, but it was 6:30 by the time I tried it and the seats that I wanted had been sold by that time. The letter that they sent to us listed "P1" seats at $280. and "P2" seats at $240, when I came to select one, they were all $342. or was it $352. Regardless I tried to select a seat and then I couldn't find anything to click on that got me off that page. Then it cam up with a price of $12??., which was ridiculous and I shut down my browser to get out of it.

I am finished with figure skating! I couldn't find a way to unsubscribe from the emails, so I have marked them as Spam and removed them from my address book. It's been a long time since I went to a skating event, and I'll never go to another one. I've had it with figure skating.

I'll let this board continue to operate, but I'm not going to put any more effort into maintaining it. The next time it fails, it's gone.
Later in the summer, I'll rent a car and tour either Prince Edward Island, or maybe Cape Breton and relax. I don't need the aggravation.

[Elizabeth]

Fred - I hope you enjoy wherever your travels take you. Prince Edward Island is where my parents and I spent two weeks every summer when I was growing up