Profile: Lapel Pins – 1987 Canadian Figure Skating Championships, Ottawa–Nepean, Canada

Canada’s capital of Ottawa has been a regular host of major figure skating events, from Skate Canada International to Canadian Championships to North American Championships to World Championships. Many interesting pins from these events have been featured here at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins, and the latest to join that list are the pins made to commemorate the 1987 Canadian Figure Skating Championships held in early February that year. As has been noted in past blogs, a snowflake motif is not seen on figure skating pins as often as one might imagine, given the sport’s wintry association. The 1987 Canadian Championships pins are among those few to boldly feature the humble yet complex snowflake.

A series of six simple line illustrations of a figure skater are rotated equally on the center axis to create the snowflake shape seen on the main event logo pin. With arms extended and leg raised in an elegant position, the illustration cleverly mimics what is thought of as a traditional drawing of a snowflake. In addition, the circular shape of the skater’s head creates a roundness to the snowflake that further enhances its appearance. The skater illustrations are in a cool winter blue, and at the center of the snowflake enclosed in a circle is the then-current logo of the Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA, or today called Skate Canada). The event name, year, and location are stacked at the bottom: “Canadians ’87 Ottawa–Nepean.” The enamel pin is on a gold-color base metal and features a bright white background. It measures approximately 3/4″ x 1″ (1.9 cm x 2.5 cm).

A series of six simple line illustrations of a figure skater are rotated equally on the center axis to create the snowflake shape seen on the 1987 Canadian Figure Skating Championships pin.

Coming in at roughly 46% larger than the logo pin is a special version of the pin, most likely produced for and given only to competitors and selected officials of the event. The design and production details are the same as the logo pin. It was common during the era, particularly for events held in Canada, for a larger pin to be produced for limited distribution. This was seen in every Canadian Championship from at least 1977 through at least 1990, with some of those events issuing more than one special version and some issuing pins specially marked as “Competitor” or “Sponsor,” for example. The large version of the 1987 Canadian Championships pin measures approximately 1‑3/32″ x 1‑1/4″ (2.8 cm x 3.2 cm).

Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: 1987 Canadian Figure Skating Championships Pins: A Humble Snowflake. And be sure to read the museum story for more information about figure skating pins.

Pins Gallery: 1987 Canadian Figure Skating Championships

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