Figure Skating Pins Profile: 1987 Skate Canada
According to a report in Skating magazine on the 1987 Skate Canada competition, held in Calgary, Canada, the pin issued to commemorate the event was produced in limited number and sold out before the event had concluded. That left collectors and others attending the event who not yet gotten the coveted souvenir in a bit of a quandary. But collectors are both resourceful and tenacious, and according to the report, “… special trades were being made [to acquire the pin] before the week was out.” Those kinds of occurrences—a limited edition event pin or a special version available to only a few—made for exciting times for collectors, for in the mid- to late-1980s, collecting and trading figure skating pins was still a highly popular pastime at competitions.
A shape from the past, a hexagon, was called upon for the 1987 Skate Canada pin. The same profile had been used for the pin made to commemorate the 1972 World Figure Skating Championships, also held in Calgary, so it was a bit of a tip of the (cowboy) hat to the 1972 event. With its six sides, the pin is also a snowflake shape, although that isn’t immediately apparent. When formed under normal atmospheric conditions, snowflakes are always six-sided.
A shape from the past, a hexagon, was called upon for the 1987 Skate Canada pin. The same profile had been used for the pin made to commemorate the 1972 World Figure Skating Championships.
Measuring approximately 1-3/8″ x 1-3/16″ (3.5 cm x 3 cm), the epoxy-covered pin is set onto a gold-color base metal. An off-white background highlights the familiar, dynamic Skate Canada logo that was introduced 14 years earlier at the very first Skate Canada event—also in Calgary. A bright red fills the stylized skater. To the left of the figure is the then-in-use logo of the Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA, or today also called Skate Canada), and tucked into the deep curve created by the arm and leg extended on the right is the event name in all-capital, gold letters: “Skate Canada.” Below that are the year and location, also in gold: “1987, Calgary.” A red border emphasizes the hexagonal shape but is perhaps a bit too thick, as it competes visually with the main elements.
True to the statement made in the Skating magazine article about the limited production, the 1987 Skate Canada pin is rarely seen, particularly now, nearly 35 years after the event.
Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: Limited Edition Pin. 1987.
Figure Skating Pins Gallery: 1987 Skate Canada
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