1977 US Figure Skating Championships Pin: The Night the Lights Went Out.

Last Updated on September 20, 2024 by Netropolitan Museum

The post-Olympic event was marked with an unusually large pin

The 1977 US Figure Skating Championships, held at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, is memorable for the night the lights went out but less memorable for the clunky, button-style lapel pin that marked the occasion. During the senior ladies event, a power failure knocked out the mercury vapor lights and plunged much of the arena into semi-darkness. Linda Fratianne, on her way to winning the first of four national titles, finished the final seconds of her free program unfazed by the unexpected occurrence. Those who skated after her did the same.

Pin Gallery: 1977 US Figure Skating Championships

Although collectors generally have not liked the 1977 US Championship logo pin because of its clunkiness, it is a window into the design look and feel of the late 1970s. Its unusual color palette of brown, blue, and green—in some ways, reminiscent of semi-darkness—helps to set the Hartford pin apart from those issued for prior US Championships. A silhouette of a female skater in a classic layback spin is replicated in strobe-like effect at the center of the pin. Around the circumference is the event name, year, and location: “U.S. National Figure Skating Championships 1977 Hartford.” The addition of the word “National” to the event name is similar to prior years’ pins that have featured colloquial names, rather than the formal name “U.S. Figure Skating Championships” or “United States Figure Skating Championships.”

The production quality of the pin is somewhat crude, most visible in the unevenness of the lettering. And it is unusual today to see this pin without heavy yellowing of the epoxy dome, a common occurrence with age. More than 45 years later, the 1977 US Figure Skating Championships pin remains among the largest issued for a US national event. Hartford would see one more major figure skating event when skaters from around the globe assembled there for the 1981 World Figure Skating Championships, also held at the Civic Center.

Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: 1977 US Figure Skating Championships Pin: The Night the Lights Went Out.

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on July 11, 2020, and has been updated with new and expanded information.

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on July 11, 2020, and has been updated with new and expanded information.