Profile: Lapel Pin – 1988 Skate America, Portland, Maine

For the second time in three years, Portland, Maine, was site of the Skate America event, serving as an official kick-off to the post-Olympic season in late 1988. Like its predecessor competitions, the 1988 Skate America event prominently featured the familiar red and blue event pictogram—a pair team gliding effortlessly on an outside edge—on the lapel pin. It’s a memorable and clean logo that instantly identifies the Skate America brand, although it was discontinued from use after 1992.

In an homage to the past, the “Skate America” lettering is done in a style similar to that seen on the first event pin from 1981 where the blue letters are reversed from a solid silver background surrounding them. The element stands off well from the crisp white background.

In an homage to the past, the “Skate America” lettering is done in a style similar to that seen on the first event pin from 1981.

The pictogram and event name anchor the pin at the center, with the event year “1988” above and the location “Portland Maine” along the bottom. A red, white, and blue color theme prevails, with a border in blue that neatly frames the pin. A significant difference between the 1988 Skate America pin and past editions is the unusual shape: a parallelogram done with opposing rounded and angled corners. Notice that the angle of the parallelogram is drawn to match the angle of the skaters pictogram. A nice touch and good attention to detail in an otherwise ordinary pin. On a silver-color base metal, the pin measures approximately 1‑1/8″ x 9/16″ (2.6 cm x 1.4 cm).

Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: 1988 Skate America Pin: Another Maine Event. And be sure to read the museum story for more information about figure skating pins.

Pins Gallery: 1988 Skate America

#figureskatingpins #pincollecting #pintrading #pincollector #netropolitanmuseum #skateamerica