Profile: Lapel Pin – 1990 Skate America, Buffalo, New York
By 1990, Buffalo, New York, had not hosted a major figure skating event since the 1971 US Figure Skating Championships were in town, and even then the city was not known as a skating town by any means. But what Buffalo had become known for by that time, unfortunately, is a descent into a crime-ridden metropolis that culminated in landing on several “most dangerous cities” lists. It’s somewhat surprising that the U.S. Figure Skating Association (as it was known then) chose a city with an already high and escalating rate of crime to host a prestigious international event. So no one can ever say that the officials of figure skating didn’t live on the (outside) edge. On a more cheerful note, 1990 Skate America was commemorated with an attractive lapel pin in a cutout shape of the state of New York.
Like its predecessor events, the 1990 Skate America pin featured the familiar red-and-blue pictogram pair skaters. Tucked into the lower right corner of the state, the skaters are surrounded by event information: above is “Skate America” and to the left are the year and location: “1990 Buffalo New York.” The “Skate America” lettering is in blue with a gold surround, a treatment similar to several earlier pins, while the remaining lettering is treated more simply in just gold.
Like its predecessor events, the 1990 Skate America pin featured the familiar red-and-blue pictogram pair skaters.
Measuring approximately 1″ x 13/16″ (2.5 cm x 2.1 cm), the pin is on a gold-color base metal. Although the production value of the pin is not top quality—the lettering running together and looking uneven—it is one of the more interesting Skate America pins issued because of its shape. Even so, it is somewhat of a direct design steal from the previous year’s event, held in Indianapolis, that also was done in a cutout shape of the host state. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, apparently, even when it comes to lapel pins.
Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: 1990 Skate America Pin: Upstate New York Skate of Mind. And be sure to read the museum story for more information about figure skating pins.
Pins Gallery: 1990 Skate America
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