Skate Canada 1983 Pins: The Ones With the Wonky “n.”

Last Updated on March 23, 2024 by Netropolitan Museum

Event was marked with a classically shaped pin characterized by amateurish lettering

Way up in Atlantic Canada sits Halifax, a seaport city in the province of Nova Scotia that has hosted a number of figure skating championships, including the 1990 World Figure Skating Championships and the 1983 Skate Canada event, the subject of this blog from The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins.

When it comes to pins produced to commemorate the long-running Skate Canada event, the 1983 pin is among the most interesting. Not because of complex or clever design (or even well-done design, for that matter) but simply because of the shape: a graceful oval. In a sport where event pins are often circular or rectangular, any variation in shape is a welcomed change. And although the 1983 Skate Canada pin wins points on shape, it doesn’t walk away with the gold.

Pins Gallery: 1983 Skate Canada

In the gallery are the main logo pin, which would have been available for purchase by those attending the event, and the larger version given to officials and competitors. The larger version differs only in size from the logo pin.

Each pin incorporates, at the center in a warm orange–red color, the well-known stylized skater used to represent the Skate Canada brand. Over the years, the figure has been redrawn and refined, and the version used for 1983 is sleeker and tighter than previous incarnations, although the arms seem to be a bit out of proportion. In the lower half are the year, event name, and location in gold: “1983 Skate Canada Halifax.” An obligatory maple leaf punctuates the design at the bottom. Each pin is on a gold-color base metal and bordered on the outside in the same orange–red color seen in the skater.

Although the pins as a whole are attractive, a roughness and inconsistency can be seen in the lettering on both “1983” and “Skate Canada.” Notice how the numerals and letters are neither cohesively formed nor spaced, and the “n” in Canada, in particular, can be best characterized as “wonky.” It’s purely conjecture, but the numerals and letters likely were reproduced from artwork originally hand-drawn by an individual with extremely limited understanding of both calligraphy and typography. A calligraphic pen does not a skilled artist make.

See other blogs about pins from Skate Canada events:

Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: 1983 Skate Canada Pins: The Ones With the Wonky “n.”

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