1988 US Figure Skating Pins: With Little Distinction.

Last Updated on March 7, 2026 by Netropolitan Museum

Denver event failed to impress collectors with its official event pins

“The official logo pin from the Championships was quite a disappointment to many people. In this important Olympic year, an outstanding design and product was expected. Instead, a small epoxy domed pin with little distinction was issued. The most popular pin of the event was the colorful cloisonné design created by the [Greater] Denver Chamber of Commerce in limited quantities for the press. It is fine quality and is the item collectors seek.” That quote, from the February 1988 issue of Skating magazine, the official publication of the U.S. Figure Skating Association, perfectly sums up the reaction to the logo pin. In total, three pins were issued for the 1988 US Figure Skating Championships in Denver, Colorado: the main logo pin, a mascot pin, and a press-exclusive version.

Pins Gallery: 1988 US Figure Skating Championships

On a silver-colored base metal, the pin “with little distinction” displays the event logo: a female figure skater performing a layback spin intertwined with red numerals “88,” representing figure eight tracings. A white background helps the artwork and lettering stand out. Around the circumference of the pin are the event year, name, and location: “1988 Nationals Denver.” It is uncommon today to find this pin without significant yellowing in the epoxy dome, a natural result of aging.

The tiny mascot pin, featuring Rocky the Raccoon, is of slightly more character than the logo pin. Done as a cutout shape in red, white, and blue, Rocky appears patriotic—even if, curiously, he himself is blue. Perhaps the freezing January temperatures in Denver had something to do with it. He glides along effortlessly wearing red mittens and a white championship shirt marked “1988 Denver.”

In a close tie-in to the event, the press pin produced by the Chamber of Commerce features the main logo at its center on a rich blue background. The skater is rendered in white, with the numerals “88” in red. Just below are the snow-covered peaks of the Rocky Mountains that tower over Denver. Each pin was presented in a plastic bag stapled to a printed panel featuring the Chamber logo and the names of a local sports committee and three companies that likely contributed to the production. If there is a detail about this pin that can be criticized, it is the lettering used for “Denver,” which may have been copied from hand-lettered artwork. The letters are uneven, poorly spaced, and ill-formed—especially the upper portion of the lowercase “r,” which is extended so far that it disrupts the letter’s shape. Even shiny gold lettering can’t redeem it.

By 1988, pin trading at figure skating events had already begun to decline. So the statement from Skating magazine that the press pin was “the item collectors seek” was mostly true for the small group of seasoned collectors present at the event. But most attendees—even those who actively collected pins—would never have known the press pin existed.

Of the three pins issued in Denver, it’s the press edition that stands out—if only for its rarity rather than its design. Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: 1988 US Figure Skating Pins: With Little Distinction.

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on January 21, 2023, and has been updated with new and expanded information.

#figureskatingpins #pincollecting #pintrading #pincollector #netropolitanmuseum