The on sale date coincides with the 2007 Marshalls U.S. Figure Skating Showcase taking place at the Sovereign Center on April 6. The one-day event features the entire U.S. Figure Skating World Team, including World ice dancing bronze medalists Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto and U.S. champions Kimmie Meissner and Evan Lysacek, in an exhibition show. Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen will also perform at the event.

Skate America, taking place Oct. 26-28, is an Olympic-style international figure skating event featuring three days of competition in ladies and men’s singles, pairs and ice dancing. The event attracts more than 60 world-class figure skaters from approximately 12 countries. Past champions include five-time World and nine-time U.S. champion Michelle Kwan, 2002 Olympic bronze medalist Timothy Goebel, 2002 Olympic pairs champions Jamie Sale & David Pelletier of Canada, 1992 Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi and 1984 Olympic champion Scott Hamilton.

Other stops on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series each year include Skate Canada, the Cup of China, Trophée Eric Bompard in France, the Cup of Russia and the NHK Trophy in Japan. The Grand Prix Final takes place each December and rotates among the countries that host the ISU Grand Prix events.

Tickets go on sale Friday and can be purchased at the Sovereign Center box office, the Sovereign Performing Arts Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at (215) 336-2000 or at www.ticketmaster.com. All-event ticket packages – which include tickets to all nine competitions, the exhibition and practices – begin at $151. Individual event tickets begin at $20. See www.usfigureskating.org for complete pricing.

Skate America last took place in Reading in 2003 when Belbin & Agosto won their first of three Skate America ice dancing titles. In addition, Cohen and Michael Weiss won the ladies and men’s titles. More than 16,000 fans attended the event.

2007 SKATE AMERICA EVENT SCHEDULE – TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Friday, Oct. 26
6:00 p.m. Compulsory Dance
7:35 p.m. Pairs Short Program
9:10 p.m. Men’s Short Program

Saturday, Oct. 27
2:00 p.m. Original Dance
3:35 p.m. Pairs Free Skate
6:00 p.m. Ladies Short Program
7:40 p.m. Men’s Free Skate

Sunday, Oct. 28
1:00 p.m. Free Dance
2:50 p.m. Ladies Free Skate
6:30 p.m. Exhibition

– U.S. Figure Skating –
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure Skating is comprised of approximately 1,450 member clubs and Basic Skills programs representing nearly 200,000 members. U.S. Figure Skating is charged with the development of the sport on all levels within the United States, including athletes, officials, sanctioning of events and exhibitions, and establishing the rules and guidelines by which the sport is governed.