1986 US Figure Skating Pins: Lost On Long Island.

Last Updated on August 16, 2025 by Netropolitan Museum

A rocky ride to the Championships in out-of-the-way Uniondale

When you fly into JFK Airport and take a taxi to Uniondale, Long Island, you’re hoping for a straightforward ride—especially when you’re headed to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. But in 1986, The Curator of The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins, with an under-the-weather fiancée in tow, ended up with a driver who got lost twice—or perhaps pretended to be lost to pad the fare of the unsuspecting out-of-towners. Fortunately, the 1986 US Figure Skating Championships event pins were far less expensive than the frustrating and overpriced journey to get there.

Pins Gallery: 1986 US Figure Skating Championships

The 1986 event was commemorated with two different logo pins and a mascot pin. Designed in an unusual stadium shape, the logo pins feature a series of interconnected and stylized circles that not only loosely form “86” to represent the event year but mimic a compulsory figure tracing. A color palette of red, blue, white, and gold creates a strong and subtly patriotic look.

Tucked into the open areas of the circles are an old-fashioned skate blade, the event year “1986,” and the name and symbol representing the New York Regional Council, an organization focused on local economic opportunities. Along the top circumference of the pin is the event name: “United States Figure Skating Championships”; and around the bottom is the event venue: “Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.” A few interesting tidbits about the logo pin: 1) it is one of only a few pins issued for a U.S. national championship (through 1990) to include the event’s formal name; 2) one of only a few pins to include a venue or stadium name; and 3) one of only a few not to include the host city name. The second version of the logo pin includes one major change—it layers the official mascot, Bebie the Beaver, over the lower half of the pin, replacing the Regional Council details.

By 1986, mascots had become a bit of a tradition at the US Championships, dating back at least to 1982 with Shivers the Penguin in Indianapolis. In 1986, Bebie the Beaver was brought to life and starred on his own mascot pin. This rounded design—with a cutout area at the top—features Bebie gliding joyfully along the ice with his red, white, and blue scarf trailing behind him. His light brown fur contrasts well with the colorful enamel work. The text on the pin is minimal, reading simply: “Nationals 1986 New York.” The casual “Nationals” takes the place of the formal event name, while “New York” serves as a substitute for the less glamorous-sounding “Uniondale.” (This practice isn’t unheard of—Oakland, California, played the same card when it hosted the 1992 World Championships and opted to include “San Francisco” in the event branding for better location appeal.)

One near-tragic pin story from the event still sticks with The Curator. One afternoon while on the main concourse and in the middle of a pin trade that was going nowhere, the announcer called the first group of senior-level ladies to the ice. The Curator hurriedly ended the negotiation, picked up personal belongings, and rushed off to the lower-level seating deck—but in the process left behind a large bag of “traders” on a high-top table. Quickly realizing the error, The Curator returned to the concourse just in time to catch a food service worker making a beeline for the pins, undoubtedly to claim them as her own. Upon catching the death stare of The Curator, the employee quickly changed course and pretended to be going elsewhere. But her movement and intent had been crystal clear, and if just a few more seconds had elapsed before The Curator realized the pins had been left behind, they all would have been gone. Stolen. It is New York, after all.

In happier remembrances, this post wouldn’t be complete without a tribute to a good friend and valued member of the figure skating community: Dale Mitch. Appointed editor of Skating magazine during the 1986 Championships, Dale was also a passionate collector. He played a key role in raising awareness of the hobby by featuring pins and collectibles in several issues of Skating, the official publication of what was then called the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA).

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on December 2, 2022, and has been updated with new and expanded information.

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