1957 World Figure Skating Pins: A Roundup from the Ice Rodeo.

Event pins are a piece of Colorado Springs’ long and enduring sporting legacy

Some of the finest figure skating pins from World Championships come from events held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the skating mecca in the near-middle portion of the state. It never hurt, either, that those events were held at the famed Broadmoor Ice Palace (later, the World Arena) formerly on the grounds of The Broadmoor Hotel. The hotel was the place to see and be seen. So with that reputation, the pins had to be good, and that is the case with those made to commemorate the 1957 World Figure Skating Championships. The occasion boasts at least five pins.

Pins Gallery: 1957 World Figure Skating Championships

Known for the “teardrop” design, the first two pins in the gallery show a gentle convex shape and are in enamels of blue, white, and orange–red. The orange–red is reminiscent of the clay-colored earth that surrounds Colorado Springs. The reverse of the pins (not shown) features a traditional pinback and a slide mechanism to accommodate a cord, allowing the pins to function as bolo ties. On the face of the pins, tucked just above the central circular area accented by a stylized skater, are the words “Site Of,” a reference to The Broadmoor. The high-quality souvenirs from a memorable event differ only in that one is undated while the other carries “1957” split to the left and right above the globe.

Next in the gallery is the “shell” pin, so-called by collectors because the design somewhat resembles a seashell, particularly along the bottom and in the ridges on the pin’s face. Interestingly, this is also one of only a few pins from a major event made of sterling silver, and it is stamped as such on the reverse. At the center of the pin is a female skater, arms extended and perfectly balanced on toe picks. It’s reminiscent of Tenley Albright and is possibly modeled after the champion herself. Today, nearly seven decades after the event, it is not unusual for this pin to be found heavily tarnished, but a bit of silver polish and gentle cleaning will bring it back to a near-new condition. An unusual story comes with the pin shown: it was acquired from an antiques dealer in Colorado who dug it up in May 2000 while searching for old bottles in a field near the Broadmoor World Arena. After decades resting in the field, the pin cleaned up perfectly and was no worse for the wear.

On display next is yet another different design that features the façade of The Broadmoor. Made of gold-colored metal with artwork in black, the pin was produced for and given only to judges and referees. And according to the May 1957 issue of Skating magazine (official publication of the then-named United States Figure Skating Association, or USFSA), the pin was meant to be clipped over the lapel of a jacket or heavy winter coat, then later used as a money clip—thus the unusual design for the attachment mechanism. A silver-color version of the same pin was given to competitors. The example shown is stamped “OFFICAL” on the reverse, with both the typographical error and the slanted type somehow slipping through during production.

Last up is a unique and likely limited production pin given only to selected event officials. The sterling silver pin was commissioned by The Broadmoor’s president, William Thayer Tutt, and was designed and produced by Frank Patania, an internationally recognized silversmith and maker of fine jewelry. Under Patania’s direction, the pins were produced at his studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and carry the Patania hallmarks on the reverse. The ornate, dimensional pin features the shape of the continental United States with the façade of The Broadmoor at the center. A female figure skater, reminiscent of Sonja Henie, sits atop the pin and extends off the left-hand edge. Like the teardrop pin, this pin features a traditional pinback and a slide mechanism to accommodate a bolo cord.

The pin comes from the estate of Montie Montana, a cowboy, rodeo star, and stunt man with a film career that spanned from the early 1930s through the late 1960s. Montana was on-site at The Broadmoor Hotel at the 1957 World Championships to playfully “lasso” competitors and others in a sort of mock rodeo. Colorado Springs, of course, is well known for a rich rodeo history, including the annual Pike’s Peak or Bust Rodeo.

High quality pins like those shown in the 1957 World Figure Skating Championships gallery are not made today, unfortunately. But thankfully, these relics from the past remain to help preserve the story of figure skating’s golden era.

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on July 16, 2022, and has been updated with new and expanded information and new pins.

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