Awful quiet on the forums this week. Hope all is well.
I'm thinking about going to Skate America this year. I was wondering if the atmosphere was like US Nationals, with skating-related vendors and the "fan zone" where you can meet the skaters?
It has been quiet!
I can't answer your question, but I am eager to find out too. I hope someone can jump in with their experience.
I've been to US Nationals once (2007) and Skate America twice (2008 and 2010). There was definitely a Fan Zone at Skate America, and there were vendors but not as many as at Nationals. Great atmosphere and I was really pleased to see some of my favorite international skaters at a live event.
Skate America is in Lake Placid this year, such a beautiful setting and the facilities are great.
Back then, USFS was offering a free Learn-to-Skate event on one of the weekend days. I ran into Susi Wehrli from USFS at Nationals who had recently come and given a training to our newly-formed skating club and she was looking for more coaches for the event, so I said sure, I'll do it if I can teach adults. It was actually very fun—people were so excited to take a skating lesson. Some of them had waited in line for 2 hours just to be sure they got in. At the end of the lessons, some of the competitors that had been practicing nearby (but weren't competing that day) came over and did some skating demonstrations. That was my first view of the Shibutanis, in probably their first year at Nationals. It was pretty fun to be on the ice at the same time as them, so much power and grace in those kids! I enjoyed it so much that I volunteered to coach at the two Skate America events I went to as well.