1970 U.S. Championships at The Netropolitan Museum Figure Skating Pins
Contested at the then-new Tulsa Assembly Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the 1970 U.S. Figure Skating Championships is the only national championship to date to be hosted by the Sooner State. One and done, it seems. But it was in Tulsa, now more than 50 years ago, that one of the sport’s greatest and most iconic champions, Janet Lynn, claimed the second of her five consecutive national titles.
A central snowflake design adorns the small, simple pin made for the 1970 U.S. Championships while the patriotic red, white, and blue color palette creates visual interest. Notice that the Tulsa pin does not include a skating motif of any kind. Only a handful of figure skating pins issued for major events have not featured a skate blade or boot/blade combo, a skater or skaters, blade tracings, or similar artwork. Around the circumference of the pin are the event location, year, and name: “Tulsa, 1970, National Figure Skating Championships.” On a silver-color base metal, the silk-screened pin is delicate and easily susceptible to scratching. Few pins from this event likely exist today that do not exhibit flaws, whether from the production process or from handling over time. The 1970 U.S. Championships pin measures approximately 1″ in diameter (2.5 cm).
A central snowflake design adorns the small, simple pin made for the 1970 U.S. Championships while the patriotic red, white, and blue color palette creates visual interest.
The Tulsa pin was the first commemorative lapel pin issued for a national championship since the 1965 U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Lake Placid, New York. The 1958 U.S. Championships, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is believed to be the earliest national championship commemorated with a collectible lapel pin.1
Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: One and Done (So Far). 1970.
(This is an edited edition of a blog titled “Living On Tulsa Time. 1970.” originally published June 13, 2020.)
1 Source: Former Director, World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame.
1970 U.S. Championships Figure Skating Pins Gallery
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