The article “Bargain deals can be found at www.myskatingmall.com” was recently published on page 44 in the August/September 2010 issue of Skating Magazine! Skating Magazine is the official publication  of U.S. Figure Skating so I am extremely excited that MySkatingMall.com received mention.

The issue highlights Olympian pair skaters Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig on the front cover. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find the cover picture for this newsletter:-)

Below is the text from the article in case you don’t have your magazine handy:

“Former U.S. bronze medalist and PSA master-rated coach Ryan Jahnke credits a conversation he had with his father for a new web site that offers the skating community bargain deals on new and used equipment and attire.

“These outfits are in great shape; there has to be somewhere to sell them,” Jahnke’s father told his son one day while looking at a heaping pile of skating-related items that had collected over the years in a closet.

Jahnke took his father’s words to heart, and with his entrepreneurial instincts, founded www.myskatingmall.com.

The web site offers an international marketplace to buy and sell new and used skating items, with an added perk of supporting U.S. Figure Skating teams, clubs and the Memorial Fund as part of the online transaction.

“It is there to open up the closets of all competitive skaters in the world so people are not limited to only buying new items,” Jahnke said.

As a former athlete board member of U.S. Figure Skating and as a coach at the Broadmoor Skating Club in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jahnke sees first-hand how difficult it is for individual skaters and teams to meet the financial demands of the sport.

As a remedy to this dilemma, Jahnke used his recently earned degrees in finance and information systems to help launch www.myskatingmall.com. Behind his own money, Jahnke hired web-design pros to develop the site, which he manages on a daily basis.

More than 200 people [currently 397] have registered to buy and sell products on the web site since its launch in March. Jahnke, in fact, sold both his costumes from the 2003 campaign, in which he won the U.S. bronze medal and earned a spot on the World Team.

Unlike other online retail stores, www.myskatingmall.com is a perpetual fundraising opportunity. Those individuals who purchase items from the web site can designate a portion of the purchase price for a club, a team or the Memorial Fund.

“It’s free to register for an account and all the resources are right there to help you [clubs and teams] begin a hassle-free fundraising campaign,” Jahnke said.

Of more than 200 members to date [currently 397], 65 [currently 145] have chosen the Memorial Fund as the beneficiary of their transactions.

“This is something the skating community has needed for a long time,” Olympic champion Brian Boitano said. “I love that it will help many people keep skating and support grassroots clubs and teams at the same time.”  -Jenny Walter