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NEWS & NOTESSee You in San Jose for ISI Worlds 2024!
by Eileen Viglione
Fun! Amazing! A blast! These are just some of the words used to describe ISI’s most popular, supercharged national event of the year (the daddy of them all!) — World Recreational Team Championships!
Do you know your way to San Jose? We sure hope so because this year’s event kicks off July 25-28 at Sharks Ice San Jose in San Jose, Calif.
Test and entry deadline is May 15. Register Now
Home of the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks and the American Hockey League’s San Jose Barracuda, Sharks Ice San Jose is considered the largest rink facility west of the Mississippi. A massive 370,000 square feet, it features five ice rinks, a pro shop, a full-service restaurant, and bar. In 2022, the ice center opened the 4,200-seat Tech CU Arena, where Worlds events will take place on the last day of competition.
Worlds Is EPIC
The largest national recreational ice skating competition in the country, ISI Worlds draws competitors from across the United States and a few foreign countries. It offers participants of all skill levels and ages, from tots to seniors, an opportunity to perform and compete in the sport that they love. Competitors can chose from more than 25 different event categories for individuals, partners, groups and teams.
Worlds Competitors’ Party
ISI Worlds is a big deal, and we like to celebrate it accordingly, with a Worlds Competitors’ Party exclusively for Worlds participants and their families. This year’s celebration will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, July 26 at San Jose’s Excite Ballpark, where skaters and their families will enjoy watching (in a private section) the San Jose Giants minor league baseball team take on the Modesto Nuts.
Tickets are $35 each (ages 5 and up) and will include a barbecue dinner and fireworks following the game. (Children under 4 do not need a ticket but will not receive a food voucher; food will be available for purchase at the ballpark.) Watch the ISI website for more details to follow, including how to purchase tickets.
Josephine Lee to Headline ISI Benefit Show
The ISI Benefit Show, featuring a “celebrity” guest skater and selected Worlds participants, is a much-anticipated event during Worlds.
2024 U.S. silver medalist Josephine Lee will star in this year’s show, July 27 at Tech CU Arena (the new, 4,200-seat arena attached to Sharks Ice San Jose). Ticket information will be announced shortly.
Trade a Pin, Make a Friend!
Lastly, pin trading is a favorite activity at Worlds, and we encourage our skaters to participate, as it’s a great way to make new friends! Maybe your team/club/school can design a special pin to celebrate the new skating season, your organization or ISI Worlds. And don’t forget to send us your pin-trading photos from the event for a chance to appear in both our print and digital communications. Send to editor@skateisi.org.
The Scoop on San Jose
Located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay, in the heart of Silicon Valley (home of 6,000 technology companies), San Jose offers easy access to three major airports and features beautiful scenery; a small, walkable downtown; plenty of fun things to see and do; and a kaleidoscope of restaurants featuring authentic international dishes.
Keep in mind that the sun shines here an average of 300 days a year — it’s so bright ya gotta wear shades! July is pleasantly warm, with an average high of 82 degrees.
Here are just some of the many popular attractions in this marvelous city: (Photos courtesy of Visit San Jose)
Santana Row — A fun dining and shopping destination, serving up 50 unique shops and restaurants, a movie theater and live entertainment.
Winchester Mystery House — One of the largest Victorian homes in the United States,the 160-room mansion boasts odd and mysterious features, such as staircases that lead to the ceiling and doors that open to nowhere. It’s been featured on “Mythbusters,” “Ghost Adventures” and “Ghost Brothers.”
The Tech Interactive — A Silicon Valley landmark in the heart of San Jose, this family-friendly science and technology center offers hands-on activities, experimental labs and design challenge experiences. Its goal is to “inspire the innovator in everyone.”
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum — Home to the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the western United States!
San Pedro Square Market — A lively public market offering an assortment of food from around the world. Visitors can dine in open-air plazas, sidewalk cafes and in three indoor food halls.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph — Build in 1876, this stunning architectural masterpiece showcases striking stained glass windows.
San Jose Museum of Art — A must-see for art lovers!
Other family-centric hotspots include Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose and Legoland Discovery Center in Milpitas. What’s more, Santa Cruz, San Francisco and Half Moon Bay are just a short drive away and offer endless adventure.
WHY WORLDS?
Out of the Mouths of Skaters & More
“You would love it if you went to the Worlds competition. It is so much fun and awesome. I felt wonderful doing my routines in a rink so far away and feeling good about how I did. No matter the place you take, it doesn’t matter; you still have fun. All the skaters say, ‘good job,” and I smiled the whole time. It is a great experience.”
Emily Bible, first-time Worlds competitor, 2023
Hastings Civic Arena, Hastings, Minn.
“Ever since 2018, I have traveled and competed at ISI Worlds. Every time I have gone, I have had a blast, made memories, met new people and overall enjoyed participating.”
Cyana Johnson, Worlds 2023
Orlando Ice Den, Orlando, Fla.
“ISI World Championships has been an amazing experience … Hannah has had an amazing time making new friends every year during the pin trade. It is so, so much fun, and she filled almost two lanyards with trade pins this year, exchanged phone numbers with new friends, and this year it was exciting to see one friend she made in Worlds competition 2022 in Chicago.”
Monica Andrea Puentes Rivera, parent of Hannah, Worlds 2023
Orlando Ice Den, Orlando, Fla.
“The members of the Ice & Blades Figure Skating Team could not have asked for a more perfect event. Great competition opportunities, pin trading, new friends, building team spirit, skating in the benefit show, meeting a skating icon and winning the Board of Directors Award to cap off the event.”
Joyce DiToppa, Ice & Blades Figure Skating Team President, Worlds 2023
Pittsburgh, Pa.
More information
ISI World Recreational Team Championships
Established in 1959, the Ice Sports Industry (ISI) — creator of America’s first learn-to-skate curriculum — is an international trade association encompassing all aspects of the ice sports industry. Our goal is to promote ice skating as a participant sport and recreational activity for everyone — all ages and abilities. Learn more about the ISI Ice Skating Program.
