1988 Canadian Figure Skating Pins: Road to Calgary.

Last Updated on September 15, 2026 by Netropolitan Museum

The Olympic road to Calgary ran through Victoria

An Olympic year. 1988. And, in a bonus for Canadians, the Winter Games were coming to home turf in Calgary that same winter. For collectors, the 1988 Canadian Figure Skating Championships pins are also reminders of just how much was happening in Canadian figure skating during those remarkable few weeks. Ten years had passed since the last national figure skating championship had been staged in Victoria, British Columbia, but the event was back in town in January of that year.

Situated on Canada’s west coast, Victoria is known for many things: the magnificent Empress Hotel; the famed Butchart Gardens; an elegant, old-world style; and the iconic, hanging basket-adorned lampposts along the city’s busy thoroughfares. But unlike the pins from the 1978 Canadian Figure Skating Championships, which featured the lampposts and hanging baskets, the pins made for the 1988 Canadian Championships didn’t have that iconic city tie-in.

Instead, a shield-like shape was used as the main design for the 1988 Canadian Championships logo and for the shape of the logo pin itself. At the center of the pin, which is on a silver-colored base metal, is the logo of the Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA, or what is today called Skate Canada), a design that was introduced at the 1984 World Figure Skating Championships in Ottawa.

Pins Gallery: 1988 Canadian Figure Skating Championships

The dynamic, winged skate—replicating a stylized version of the nation’s beloved maple leaf—is vibrant in red on a white circular background. The dark blue surrounding field brings focus to the logo. The event name, year, and location are worked in along the top and bottom: “Canadians ’88 Victoria.” The design is a good example of how a championship pin can serve two purposes at once. It identifies a specific event while reinforcing the visual identity of the national skating organization. Rather than relying on a recognizable Victoria landmark, the 1988 design puts Canadian figure skating itself front and center.

And the timing adds another interesting layer. The championships were held January 20–23, just weeks before the Calgary Winter Olympics. On the final day of the competition, the Olympic torch even made its way into Victoria on its journey across Canada to Calgary—a particularly fitting coincidence for a national skating championship held in an Olympic year.

Also issued at the event, but given only to competitors and selected officials, is a larger version of the logo pin that incorporates a slight color change to the blue background, using a lighter tone instead. The font used, as well as the positioning of the wording, also varies from the logo pin, particularly the serif font used on the word “Victoria.” Also on a silver-colored base metal, the larger pin is distinctly more substantial than the logo version.

The 1988 Canadian Figure Skating Championships pins belong to a memorable chapter in Canadian skating history: a national championship was held in Victoria, an Olympic torch made its way through the city, and the Winter Games themselves were just around the corner in Calgary.

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on June 10, 2023, and has been updated with new and expanded information.

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