1986 Canadian Figure Skating Pins: North Bay Gateway.

Logo and competitor pins that marked the Canadian Championships Calling itself “Gateway of the North,” the city of North Bay, Ontario, hosted Canada’s figure skating elite for the national championships in early 1986. It had been nearly a quarter century since the event was last held in the small lakeside town. Like many major competitions… Continue reading 1986 Canadian Figure Skating Pins: North Bay Gateway.

1990 Skate Canada Pins: Figure Skating and a Barbecue.

A final appearance for Skate Canada's short-lived snowflake logo By 1990, the financial services and insurance company Sun Life was in its third year as title sponsor of Skate Canada, North America's oldest international figure skating invitational. Marked by a logo that appears to be a hybrid of a snowflake and an asterisk, the 1990… Continue reading 1990 Skate Canada Pins: Figure Skating and a Barbecue.

1985 Canadian Figure Skating Pins: The Moncton Mystery.

Examining one of Canadian figure skating’s lingering pin mysteries When collectors talk about elusive pins, they usually mean those that are difficult to find. In the case of the 1985 Canadian Figure Skating Championships pins, however, the mystery has nothing to do with rarity. Instead, it centers on the design itself. The pins created for… Continue reading 1985 Canadian Figure Skating Pins: The Moncton Mystery.

1989 US Figure Skating Pins: One and Done.

Baltimore's brief turn on American figure skating's biggest stage Baltimore, Maryland, is among a long list of U.S. cities with a "one and done" record for hosting the United States Figure Skating Championships. And since the city consistently ranks high on the list for violent crime in the U.S., maybe it's a good thing the… Continue reading 1989 US Figure Skating Pins: One and Done.

1989 Skate Canada Pin: On Snowflakes and Asterisks.

A turning point in Skate Canada pin design Helping to kick off the 1989–90 skating season was the annual Skate Canada event, held in Cornwall, Ontario, in late October 1989. For collectors, the 1989 Skate Canada pin represents more than a simple event souvenir—it marks a visible turning point in both design philosophy and the… Continue reading 1989 Skate Canada Pin: On Snowflakes and Asterisks.