In the Loop

Brand New Zuca Bags are Here!

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:40:00 GMT

Every once in a while we have some incredible news regarding product launches. This is one of those times. The brand new Zuca Line has just rolled out (pun intended), and we have them all in stock and ready to ship out!

Here is a glimpse at some of the new inserts:

Ok, so from right to left we have the following brand new inserts:

1. Orbz (Green Spotz with Bright Blue Background)

2. Splash (Blue, Green, and White Tie-Dye) - Winner of the 2011 Design contest.

3. Sweetheartz (Red and White Hearts, Pink Background, Crystal Embelishments) - A little late for Valentine's Day 2012, but get one now for 2013!

Do you see something that I see? That isn't a Gray Frame on the Splash insert...that is a brand new White Frame! Yes, after all of these years a white frame is finally available, and we have a ton of them. Get one today!

The white frame will go with any insert you choose. You just can't go wrong with this sleek look.

Annual Inventory Clearance, Customer Appreciation Sale

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:17:00 GMT

Here it is...I know you've been waiting for this...

All items on the Clearance Rack are automatically marked down 15-25%. Get additional savings on all purchases with the following:

Spend $100.00 - Get additional 10% Off! -- Code: Loyal2012a

Spend $250.00 - Get additional 15% Off! -- Code Loyal 2012b

Spend $500.00 - Get additional 30% Off! -- Code: Loyal 2012c

THIS SALE ENDS AT MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012!!!!

Here is the fine print. Do NOT try to apply to previous orders (backorders included). All clearance item sales are FINAL. Do you hear that? All clearance item sales are FINAL. If you return anything you purchased using a discount code, it will incur a "restocking fee". Exchanges are perfectly ok, as long as it is within the normal exchange period of 30 days. Please do not attempt to exchange items purchased from the Clearance Rack...we know who you are!

We reserve the right to cancel orders that have typographical errors, have an incorrect price, or other possible misfortunes. As most of you know, we are extraordinarily easy to work with, but mistakes happen on occasion. We do try to make it up to our customers when this happens, but we request there be a mutual respect when this happens.

You guys are great! Let's have the best year ever on the ice in 2012!

Updates, News, and other Important Information

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:35:00 GMT

Hello Everyone!

A quick update from CherryLoop Headquarters.

1. Those of you who have been with us for some time know that we hold a "post holiday" inventory/overstock sale. That sale will begin at Midnight tonight. Only current customers, members of our email list, and foreign heads of state will have access to the special deals. If you are not on the list...sign up here <<<<SIGN UP NOW>>>>

2. The extended deadline for exchanges/returns expired on January 23, 2012. Any exchanges/returns accepted after that date may incur a "restocking fee", or worse yet...we may send it back to you. However, our awesome and unbelievable return/exchange policy still remains. 30 days after receipt of your order you can send it back to us in new condition, with tags, unworn/unwashed, and we will refund or exchange your order free of charge!

3. Due to rising shipping fees, we will no longer be able to ship free to Alaska or Hawaii. Boo...it is just too difficult to ship to these areas. Sorry!

That just about does it for now. Let us know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns! Email us at: info@cherryloop.com

Thanks again, and have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Guaranteed by Christmas Updates!

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:20:00 GMT

As most of you know, we pride ourselves on working tirelessly to rush orders out the door and we guarantee most orders placed prior to midnight, December 15th to arrive on or before Christmas Eve. If you order after this date, we will try desperately to beat Santa down the chimney. We have a huge inventory of items that we can get on your door step by the 24th even if you wait until Wednesday, December 21st.

Here are some updates of what we will no longer be able to guarantee:

The following styles we can't guarantee by Christmas, they are selling out too fast, and we are already waiting on a shipment to arrive early next week.

ChloeNoel Spiral Pants

ChloeNoel Spiral Pants with Polar Fleece

ChloeNoel Swirls Pants

ChloeNoel 2-Tone Pants

ChloeNoel Spiral Jacket

Click on each link above to get more specific details about the items that are definitely sold out, and will NOT arrive by Christmas.

We are expecting a large shipment of Spiral Pants to arrive early next week, but we can no longer guarantee arrival by Christmas. If you want it to arrive on time, please buy something that is not of stock.

Here are some other items that will not arrive in time:

Pink Blinkerz

Black Blinkerz

Purple Blinkerz

6-8 Footed Tights

Adult Medium Footed Tights

Blue Zuca Frames

SK8 Zuca Inserts

Here is the rest of the information regarding the "Guaranteed by Christmas Promise"

Guaranteed by Christmas Promise:

All orders placed on or by Midnight, Thursday, December 15th, 2011 qualify for the Christmas Guarantee. All orders placed by that time also qualify for our "Extended Exchange" policy. Read about that here: Extended Exchange Policy for 2011.

Here is how it works.

1. You place an order.

2. We will let you know within 72 hours if there is a problem with the order. For example, if it is out of stock, discontinued, or the size or color you ordered will not be available. If we can't get it to you by Christmas we will let you know at that time. You can choose to exchange for something else, or cancel the order for a full refund.

3. If there is not a problem, your order will arrive on or before Saturday, December 24th, 2011. If it does not arrive we will be incredibly sorry, and will beg for your forgiveness AND give you a Gift Voucher for 20% of your next order at CherryLoop.com. This is highly unlikely, as we will know almost immediately whether or not we can fulfill your order.

4. Not included in the "guarantee" are the following: Brad Griffies Dresses, Figure Skatewear Dresses, Skating Blades, Boots, Heys Luggage (Heys Bags will probably arrive, but we can't guarantee that). All Brad Griffies Dresses are "made to order" and take 3-4 weeks for delivery. Unless you purchase from the "Clearance Rack" (then it will ship out immediately).

5. Stop reading and go buy something for Christmas >>Shop Now<<

Black Friday - Cyber Monday Annual Sale!

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:16:00 GMT

It is finally here. If you are trying to find a good deal on figure skating apparel, accessories, and equipment...you came to the right place and the right time.

Here is our Black Friday - Cyber Monday Annual Sale:

SPEND $100+ take $10 OFF!
Code: BFCM1a

SPEND $250+ take $50 OFF!
Code: BFCM2a

SPEND $500+ take $100 OFF!
Code: BFCM3a

SPEND $750+ take $150 OFF!
Code: BFCM4a

SPEND $1000+ take $250 OFF!
Code: BFCM5a

SPEND $1500+ take $500 OFF
Code BFCM6a

3 DAYS Only!

Use the code "BFCM (1a-6a)" at checkout to receive the discount.

This discount will only be good until Midnight CST on Monday, November 29th - there will be no exceptions. Does not apply to gift certificates. Not valid with any other offers.

This promotion is only sent to current customers and members of our newsletter.

CODE: BFCM (1a-6a)
simply use this code at checkout to take off the corresponding amount!
Some things to remember:

1. We encourage you to order early if you want items before Christmas. We have a guarantee all the way up until December 15, 2011...BUT the closer it gets the less will be in stock and orders may have to be changed.
2. Please don't try to apply discounts to previous orders, returns/exchanges, or orders placed after the deadline.
3. Read our blog for updates on Holiday Shopping: CherryLoop Blog - In The Loop
4. Stop reading the fine print and shop!

Read the Black Friday Email Here

Happy Thanksgiving! Holiday Shopping Updates

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:15:00 GMT

This goes without saying, but I feel like we should say it anyway. We are very thankful for every single one of our customers. I personally have never been involved with an industry or sport where the people are so kind, considerate, thoughtful, hard working, and just fun to be around.

So, give yourself a big pat on the back. You all are absolutely incredible. I would like to send a blanket "Thank You" for all of the kind words regarding our customer service, the products we offer, the fast delivery, etc, etc, etc. It would not be possible without all of you.

Now here is some house cleaning we need to do regarding Holiday Shopping. Don't worry, it is all good news!

Return Policy for any items purchased prior to November 15th, 2011:

All returns and exchanges need to be received on or before January 23rd, 2012. Yes, you heard right...buy now, put it under the tree, and wait until they actually open it and see if it fits before you have to return it. Our normal (super awesome) exchange policy of 30 days after receipt is waived for all purchases made prior to December 24th, 2011. Woo hoo!

That is big time...you will not find a more forgiving return/exchange policy in our industry.

However, all returns (not exchanges) may be subject to a "Restocking Fee" if you purchased the item on sale, with a discount code, or other offer that is not full retail price of the item. Exchanges are cool...don't worry about those :)

Product House Cleaning:

Zuca Blue Frames are out of stock, and we don't expect them to ship out until December 12th (ish)...should be in time for X-Mas, but order with caution.

Everything else is looking good!

Happy Thanksgiving...I'm going to crash into a Tryptophan Coma, and wake up ready for some Black Friday deals.

Holiday Shopping Updates

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:17:00 GMT

Wow, can you believe holiday shopping is approaching so soon? Well, we've been preparing for the holiday season since early May...yes, you heard right...more than six months before Santa wiggles down the chimney we are building inventory, creating new products, adding vendors, and streamlining our shipping/receiving processes.

Here is what this means for you:

We guarantee that orders placed on or before Thursday, December 15th, 2011 will arrive before Christmas Day.

Most of our inventory is in stock and ready to ship immediately. In some cases we need to transfer between warehouses and it may take 3-4 days before we can ship your order. In order to save on shipping costs (we pay all shipping, you pay none!), we will almost always ship the entire order one time.

We will notify you within 72 hours of placing your if an item is out of stock and unable to make it before Christmas. It is a busy time of year, so if something sells out we may not be able to get it to you in time. We will let you know, and you can tell us how to handle the order.

We have 95% of ChloeNoel in stock. We have 100% of Zuca in stock and ready to ship immediately. We have the largest and most affordable inventory of ChloeNoel and Zuca. You can shop with confidence.

Those of you who have been around know that we run some excellent specials during this time of year. Keep an eye out in your Facebook Account, Twitter Account, and Email Account for these exclusive deals. If you haven't signed up for the list I highly suggest you do so right now:

http://cherryloop.com/subscribe.html

We will keep you updated as often as possible right here on the blog.

Let us know if you questions:

info@cherryloop.com

Veterans Day - 11/11/11

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:13:00 GMT

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the Veteran's who have served our country past, present, and future.

Without the sacrifice of these brave men and women and their families we certainly would not enjoy the freedoms and liberties we have today.

We donated 5% of all sales on 11/11/11 to the following organization:

http://www.usvetsinc.org/

We recently heard an interview on NPR with the President of this organization, and they are doing great things to assist Veterans with housing, career development, and counseling. Let us know of any other organizations you feel are worth donating to. We take the care and support of our Veterans very seriously.

Here are some uplifting quotes to remind us of how important their sacrifice is to us.

Thank you!

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. ~Author unknown, sometimes attributed to M. Grundler

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

Freedom is never free. ~Author Unknown

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul. ~Michel de Montaigne

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! ~Maya Angelou

Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die. ~G.K. Chesterton

In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. ~Mark Twain, Notebook, 1935

But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for,Is their monument to-day, and for aye. ~Thomas Dunn English

Travis and Robin

What's So Great About Figure Skating?

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:18:00 GMT

Ryan Jahnke, from MySkatingMall.com, and 2003 World Team Member has been working on a video called, "What's So Great About Figure Skating".

This is a motivational, inspirational, and exciting video. Ryan worked hard over the last few months filming skaters (some celebrity skaters too!), getting people to submit their own videos, cutting the tape, and promoting this video.

Check out the video here, make a comment on YouTube, and support the figure skating community.

We love figure skating too Ryan! Keep an eye out for a CherryLoop Video coming soon.

Watch the Video Here "What's So Great About Figure Skating?"

Congratulations to Agnes, Ashley, and Joshua!

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 02:15:00 GMT

We have some of our great figure skating friends to congratulate on an incredible season!

Agnes Zawadzki, a long time friend of CherryLoop.com recently placed 4th at the US Nationals in Greensboro, NC and just a few days ago grabbed the Bronze at the Junior World Nationals. You can read several great articles at the Ice Network about Agnes and her beautiful skating here:

Russian ladies take top spots at junior worlds
Zawadzki aims to play spoiler at U.S. Champs
Czisny triumphs as stellar season continues
Aaron picks Agnes to win at Skate Canada
Ice Network Skater Profile - Agnes Zawadzki

Ashley Cain and Joshua Reagan, also long time friends of CherryLoop.com, who hail from our hometown (well Robin's) of Dallas, TX. We have been watching their career bloom for several years and we couldn't be happier with the results. They traveled the world on the Junior Grand Prix tour, and recently took the Gold Medal for Junior Pairs at Nationals and placed 5th at Junior Grand Prix in December.

You can read about all of their recent accomplishments here:

Cain, Reagan impress to win junior pair crown
Ice Network Skater Profile - Cain and Reagan

One of the things we love about this sport is watching the skaters grow up on the ice. We see sparks of genius in them when they are very young, but it takes an outrageous amount of drive and ambition to skate at the levels these skaters do. We could not be more proud and we look forward to watching their careers in the future!

Congratulations Agnes, Ashley, and Joshua!

Travis and Robin

Christmas 2010 Orders, Time Frames, Shipping Schedule - Last Day to Order!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:23:00 GMT

Happy Holidays Everyone!

This post is intended to help all you last minute shoppers understand what is happening with your CherryLoop orders at this busy time of the year. Today (December 15, 2010) is the last day you can place an order if you expect it to arrive before Christmas (December 24th, 2010). Most orders placed today will ship on Monday, December 20th, 2010 via USPS Priority Mail.

There are some exceptions. We may sell out of a certain item, and then we will notify you with options. It will look something like this: Refund your purchase, wait for the item to arrive (probably after Christmas), or exchange for a different size or style.

We also may be able to get items ordered after today to you prior to Christmas depending on the products. We have a lot of items in stock at our Pro Shop and those will ship much faster. It is best to call us and discuss availability if you really want it before Christmas.

There were some styles that we have been waiting on to arrive for several weeks. The Chloe Noel spiral pants and the princess seam jackets. They are now available and will be shipping soon. I know a lot of you are waiting on these items, but we are working tirelessly to get these orders out to you.

Thank you for your interest in CherryLoop.com, we appreciate your business.

We would like to wish you and your family a happy holiday season and a prosperous new year!

Travis and Robin
CherryLoop.com

Southwest Regional Championships - We'll Be There!

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:37:00 GMT

We leave for the Southwest Regional Championships early Wednesday morning. We can't wait to see all of our favorite up and coming skaters. Regionals is where it all begins. What regionals will you be attending this year and where?

I love following the skaters from Regionals, then on to Sectionals, and finally Nationals. Last year we watched some close friends climb that ladder. Ashley Cain and Joshua Reagan surprised the field by winning Nationals in Novice Pairs and they are on the Jr. Grand Prix Circuit as we speak.

Agnes Zawadzki, another friend of the company went on to win the 2010 Junior National Championship.

But it all started at Regionals. Last year the Southwest Regionals was in Dallas, this year we make the trek back up to Colorado Springs, CO to see all of the skating action.

If you plan on being there please stop by and say hello. We'd love to see you again and we'll snap some pics at the CherryLoop booth.

For those of you staying home, don't worry...CherryLoop.com will still be shipping out your favorite figure skating merchandise. Some of the staff must stay home and hold down the fort. We'll also be shipping stuff directly from our booth at The World Arena.

Thanks again, and we'll see you on the ice!

Travis and Robin

Happy Birthday CherryLoop.com!

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:55:00 GMT

Happy Birthday CherryLoop.com!

On September 25th, 2009 at 12:01 am we officially launched CherryLoop.com - Your online figure skating store. A lot has happened since that day. We've been to many figure skating competitions, events, and appearances. We made it through our first Holiday Season. We opened up a Pro Shop in April this year. We have been featured on some of the most prominent websites, blogs, and magazines. Our apparel and equipment has been worn by Olympic Skaters, National Medalists, and hundreds of up and comers in figure skating. We've added new vendors such as Brad Griffies, Harlick, Zuca, and many others.

We want to thank each and every one of our customers for your support. We are convinced that figure skaters, figure skating parents, coaches, judges, and leaders are the best customers in any sport or industry. We've come to know so many of you so well, that we feel you are much more than customers. Most of you have become friends and family. This is why we are so grateful for you. We feel very fortunate to be involved in this community.

We have learned a lot about the business, the sport, and ourselves in this year. Some things we've learned the hard way. Those of you that had to wait longer than expected for some items this summer know what we are talking about. The good news is, we are still going strong and we are completely committed to our customers. We are working hard right now to ensure that we are fully stocked for the holidays and are trying to head many problems off at the pass. There will be mistakes, there will be disappointments, but we can promise we will do everything in our power remedy any issues to your complete satisfaction.

Thank you all for making this a wonderful year, and here is to many more to come!

Regards,

Travis and Robin
CherryLoop.com

Report from the Houston Fall Invitational

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:21:00 GMT

Well, we've been back from the Houston Fall Invitational for two weeks now and we're still putting the shop back together. As predicted in our last blog post, we had a blast in Houston at this event.

It isn't everyday you get to hang out with an Olympic Figure Skater, and that is exactly what we got to do on Saturday. Amanda Evora blessed us with her presence and was kind enough to take pics and sign autographs. Our youngest daughter Violet got an autograph and a photo with Amanda. Amanda, as you know, skated for the US at the Olympics in Vancouver with her partner Mark Ladwig. They took the silver last year at Nationals clinching a spot in the Olympics. They finished a strong 10th place in Vancouver, and they have a promising career ahead of them. They appeared on the cover of Skating Magazine in the August/September edition.

Above is Amanda Evora and our littlest Violet at the Houston Fall Invitational.

Amanda Evora and Danika Burton (skater at our local rink in Tulsa)

We also got to catch up with a lot of our long time friends and customers in Houston. Peter Cain from the Dallas Stars Figure Skating Club was there with many of his skaters. We missed his wife Darlene and Daughter Ashley as they were preparing for the upcoming Junior Grand Prix in Sheffield England. Ashley and her partner Josh Reagan have been on a rampage since winning the Novice Pairs Gold Medal at Nationals in Spokane last year. This is a really exciting time for them, and we wish them the best. They leave on Sunday, and I know they will kill it!

Read this awesome article about Ashley and Joshua at Golden Skate: Read Here

This is Ashley at regionals last year in Dallas.

We also saw Hailee Settle and her partner Rique Newby-Estrella. Their program looks incredible. We saw Becky Du, Zhaira Costiniano from the Senior Ladies division. We got to know Shymali Moujan and we look forward to watching her skating career blossom. It is so much fun to watch the younger skaters move up the ranks. Skaters like Ashley Bratton, Megan Midkiff, Hope and Kennedy Plott, and so many others.

We'll post some more pictures as we go through them.

I can't believe that Regionals is less than 3 weeks away! I'm still recovering from Houston. This is notice that we will be at the Southwestern Regional Championships in Colorado Springs. So, stop by and say hello. We can't wait to see you!

Where will you be over Labor Day?

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:27:00 GMT

How will you be enjoying the last days of summer?

Grilling out by the pool? Wakeboarding at the lake? Telling ghost stories by the campfire? Floating the river one last time? Working (on Labor Day!!??)

We will be....you guessed it...at the freezing cold rink in Sugar Land Texas!

We attend this event every year and we absolutely love it. I hate the grueling 9-10 hour drive, I hate the drive back, I hate Houston traffic, I want to be grilling out by pool after a long day at the river. But, I just love this event. People travel from all over the region to make it to the Houston Fall Invitational. It is the first big qualifying event of the season and more importantly the biggest regional event before...Regionals.

My view will look something like this on Labor Day :)

We get to see new programs, listen to new music, and see the new hopefuls coming out of their shells.

I'll give a full report upon our return, and will try to keep everyone updated via Twitter, Facebook, and this blog.

Any skaters we should be keeping our eye on?

Stop by and say hi if you're going to be in town...we'll have a big booth and we're bringing everything!

See you in Houston.

Travis and Robin
CherryLoop.com

CherryLoop Friends Compete Strong at Collegiate Nationals!

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:31:00 GMT

It has been a busy summer, and we'll spare you the details and get right to it.

Several of our customers, friends, and fellow skaters have been killing it this summer.

Melissa Jaggers, a long time friend of the family and figure skater from Oklahoma City, OK, finished quite well at the
2010 U.S. Collegiate Championships held in Lansing, MI

She finished with 108.68 points to take 7th overall in a field of 50 skaters. She had a great Short Program finishing 8th, and her solid Free Skate placed her in 7th gaining a spot.

We're very proud of you Melissa! Keep an eye out for an upcoming interview with Melissa in the very near future. That is, of course, if she can find the time to squeeze it in between studies and skating.

Melissa Jaggers poses for CherryLoop, March 2010

Another friend of the company and "Brad Griffies" girl - Maria Sperduto finished in the top 5 at the same competition. She finished with 113.07 points and claimed 4th place! A strong showing on her Short Program put her in 3rd place after day one. She kept up the excellent skating taking 6th place in her Free Skate. Maria is joy to work with and we had the pleasure of watching her win the Senior Ladies event at The Broadmoor Open in June. I think we'll be seeing a lot from her in the future.

Maria Sperduto - CherryLoop booth at The Broadmoor Open - 2010 (wearing a Brad Griffies design)

Zuca Bags Have Arrived!

Thu, 13 May 2010 21:49:00 GMT

Ask and you shall receive! CherryLoop.com and our sister store in Tulsa, OK now have Zuca Bags. You heard right ladies, gentlemen, and all you blinky wheeled Zuca Bag rolling skaters out there.

It took some time to put this together, but we are now ready to roll (pun intended).

If you have been at the rink even for short period of time, you know that the Zuca is a must have. We have three in our household (plus a cooler!). Those skates are heavy and who wants to drag them around in a backpack or (gasp) the box they came in?

If you need a new bag, or just a fresh insert...we've got you covered. New inserts and frames come out in 5 days...so, keep an eye out for the new goods.

As always, you can count on Free Shipping here at CherryLoop.com! Yes, that's right...even the Zuca Bags will ship in the US for free.

CherryLoop at the Oiler's Ice Center - Open for Business!

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 03:55:00 GMT

Well, I had to get this post up before midnight. We took the plunge. As of today, April 2nd, 2010 CherryLoop has a brand new store front! CherryLoop.com's sister came as much as a surprise to us as anyone. We realized how much business we were doing at our local rink, and we wanted to offer our neighbors the same great service we offer the online community. So, we rented some space at the Oiler's Ice Rink in Tulsa, OK, built out the space, and officially opened to the public today.

This offers us a place to do custom boot fittings for people in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Fayetteville, Little Rock, Wichita, and anyone else who happens to be close by. We now have a place to get immediate feedback from our customers on new merchandise, sizings, and other information that used to take weeks to compile. But what we really like is being so close to our customers. We'll get some valuable feedback which will in turn be passed on to our online friends.

If you happen to be in the area, please stop by...we're having a "Grand Opening" Sale tomorrow. 10% off everything in the store!

We'll post pictures of the new store, and you'll get the opportunity to hear about all of the changes as they progress right here at "In the Loop".

Thank you all for your continued support. We truly appreciate it!

Travis and Robin

MySkatingMall.com Grand Opening!

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:39:00 GMT

Hi Everyone,

You may have heard the buzz in the online skating world recently about the new store: MySkatingMall.com.

MySkatingMall.com, allows you to sell your gently used items in a “skaters only” environment. We wrote about the upcoming launch of MySkatingMall.com, an a blog post several months ago, and the Grand Opening is this Friday, March 26, 2010! CherryLoop.com is a featured partner on the site, and we couldn’t be more excited about being a part of this movement.

MySkatingMall.com serves the skating community in three important ways:

It provides a low cost, trustworthy, online environment connecting buyers and sellers of new and used skating goods.

Donates 5% of all items sold directly to the team or club or your choice.

Helps skating families offset the costs associated with skating by continuing to add new listings/members with the overall goal of offering the best selection of skating goods anywhere online.

This is the special offer for CherryLoop customers only:

If you go to the MySkatingMall.com website, register and add a new listing by Saturday, March 27, 2010 you will receive a 10% discount code good at CherryLoop.com. Just enter the code cherryloop provided at the end of the “selling listing form” provided at MySkatingMall.com and we’ll send you the discount code.

If you can’t get to the site by this Saturday, don’t worry you can still add a listing and receive a 5% discount if you add a listing before April 30th, 2010.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions, comments, or suggestions. As always, we are here to serve you.

Thanks again,

Travis and Robin

Olympic Women's Figure Skating Champion Crowned!

Mon, 24 May 2010 18:58:00 GMT

Warning - Spoiler Alert! If you haven't watched it yet, and you want the feeling of suspense I got...don't read any further...

I've got to keep this short, but I absolutely had to write about the Women's Free Skate and Medal Podium from the Olympics last night. I am confident this event will be talked about as the best Olympic competition figure skating has seen for years. I'm talking in 50 years the performance...both the short and free skate will be talked about. I simply can't imagine anything topping that. Kim has raised the bar so high, and the other competitors brought their own spices for a recipe of pure entertainment.

*Image Removed* - I will try to replace with licensed images as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience.

I am going to write so much more on this topic and everything Olympic and Figure Skating...but I'll give you the once over.

Kim Yu-Na has changed the sport. She has completely and totally taken it to a new level. She has EVERYTHING. She has the skills, natural talent, work ethic, beauty, she is humble, hard working, fun, cute, and she has IT. I feel extremely fortunate to be a huge figure skating fan right now. The Olympic event we watched last night and Tuesday has been a long time coming and it simply did not disappoint.

*Another Image Removed*

Mao Asada attempted something that has never been tried on Olympic Ice. She landed three clean axels between her short and free skate. In any other Universe where Kim doesn't exist...she owns the sport for years. However, we live in Kim's Universe. In this world she must settle for Silver.

Joanie Rochette skated under ridiculous circumstances. You probably know that her mother passed away from a massive heart attack on Sunday shortly after she landed in Vancouver to watch Joanie skate in the Olympics. Joanie chose to skate. I don't even know what it takes to have the courage to skate AND to throw up a huge score in the short placing her in third, and then to finish strong with a Bronze after her free skate.

And that is just the podium. Wait till we get to the other competitors.

Wow, I'm still reeling from last night. It simply doesn't get any better.

More later. See you on the ice!

Evan Lysacek wins Olympic Gold!

Mon, 24 May 2010 19:01:00 GMT

So, if you missed it...I highly suggest you watch the men's final from Vancouver on NBCOlympics.com. I couldn't be happier for Evan Lysacek. He became the first american to take home gold in the Men's competition since Brian Boitano did it in 1988.

You can read more about it in these places:

Ice Network

NY Times

NBC Olympics

*Image Removed*

It was not without controversy though...of course...

I am no judge, but here is my two cents.

1. I'm incredibly happy for Evan. From what I understand no one trains harder, works harder, or wants it more than Evan Lysacek. You can read my interview with Aaron Harris, and he has been told the same thing. This guy is a work horse. He also played this very smart. He knew what it was going to take to win this, and he simply went out and did it. Even going back to Nationals in Spokane, he was thinking about the Olympics. I think he saw Nationals as a training ground, and didn't let the fact that Jeremy Abbot outscored him there do anything to his mental well being and toughness going into the Olympics. He also didn't let Plushenko's whining about the quad, over and over and over and over again get the best of him. He knew it was a risk not throwing a quad, but he also knew he would have to skate perfect to win the Gold. He did that. End of story...congratulations Evan! We couldn't be happier for you...

*Image Removed*

2. Evgeni Plushenko is one of the worst "losers" (he did take home the Silver, so I don't know why he is still crying), of all time. He has three Olympic medals, one from '02, the gold in '06, and now a silver in 2010. He is obviously an incredible skater...he is just a really, really poor loser. Just like Evan knew it was a risk to go out and _not_ attempt a quad, Plushy knows it is a risk to skate less than perfect in your final free skate. He also got to skate last. He knew exactly what he needed to do to beat Evan, he just couldn't do it. He fell flat when he needed it the most. But that is not the problem. The problem is that he will not stop crying about losing. He blames the judges, the system, calls the winner an Ice Dancer, and even has the leader of Russia Putin whining about the loss. Read about that here: Putin Cries. I've got more on the subject, but don't have time right now. Ice Dancing is about to come on (seriously).

3. Johnny Weir skated an incredible program. I wish he would have scored higher on his Free Skate. You can read plenty of articles that agree with me on the subject. I just don't know enough about the judging to make an educated statement here. I was just really happy that he left it all on the ice. Great job Johnny!

*Image Removed*

Alright, I've got some Ice Dancing to watch.

See you on the ice!

Exclusive Interview with Aaron Harris, Gold Blogger for One Winter, Five Dreams and Axels, Loops, and Spins – February 9th, 2010 – Part II

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:55:00 GMT

OK, a little disclaimer on the rest of this interview. I took a little liberty on the questions and answers, and so blame me for any grammatical errors. It is difficult to transcribe an interview from voice to text, especially when you have an inexperienced interviewer (me). Also, on most of the names mentioned in this interview I link to their profile on the Ice Network. The problem is you can't see the links until you mouse over the name. I'm working on fixing that problem.

I think the takeaway from this post should be two things:

1. 1. Read Aaron’s blog as often as possible. He loves the sport and updates all of us on a regular basis. I, for one, have learned a lot about the sport from his blog and he helps keep me updated on the latest news. Read it here: http://loopaxles.blogspot.com/

2. 2. He’ll be at the Olympics, while the vast majority of us will be at home watching it on TV. So, follow his tweets, blog, and facebook. I’m looking forward to the insider’s perspective. Follow him on twitter here: http://twitter.com/skating102

So, here is Part Deux!

TP: Are you a figure skater?

AH: I wouldn’t call myself a figure skater. But once I got really into the sport, out of pure interest I put on some skates and started to skate. I know how to skate on the ice, but I don’t know how to do any big tricks or anything.

TP: When did you get into figure skating?

AH: Well, it started like so many other people. With “the knee whack herd around the world”. It was 1994 Nationals, I was in 8^th grade, everyone was talking about it. Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan were all over the news. But the person I got the most interested in that year, wasn’t Nancy or Tonya…but Michelle Kwan, who got 2^nd place in Nationals but didn’t go to the Olympics. I’ve been hooked ever since.

TP: Tell us about your writing, is that something you’ve always been interested in doing?

AH: When I blog, I like to do it. I don’t consider it a chore. Academically I’ve written a lot with my Masters and Undergrad work. I find writing easy, but if it wasn’t figure skating I don’t think I would be as interested in writing for writing’s sake.

TP: We know you love Michelle Kwan, and I think she’s brilliant, but who are your other favorite skaters?

AH: Going back to the Kwan era we have, Todd Eldredge, Meno and Sand, Alexie Urmanov (he coaches Sergei Voronov, who got bumped from the Olympics…I really like him). Moving into modern skating I like Stephane Lambiel. I like Yu-Na Kim (I think she’s probably the most deserving of the Gold if she skates well), but I don’t count her among my favorites. Shizuka Arakawa (I really liked her, I was really happy when she won Gold in Torino), French Ice Dance Team (Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Shcoenfelder), Meryl Davis and Charlie White (I think they’re brilliant).

TP: [I comment on his breakdown of the Olympic field, and thank him for sharing his expertise].

TP: What do you think of the “Be Good Johnny Weir” on the Sundance Channel?

AH: I love it! I can’t get enough of it.

TP: I’m going to bust into your interview, because I’m so glad to hear you say that. I absolutely love that show.

AH: Another friend of mine, Hugo Chouinard does the music for the Canadian team and owns Sk8Mix.com …he doesn’t get the show in Canada. So, I’ve been recording them for him, and I’m going to bring the tapes to the Olympics so he can see the show.

AH: That is good TV right there, I just can’t get enough of it. The Sundance Channel has been sending me there Press Releases, because they like my blog and wanted me to get the word out to my show. They felt like my readers would be interested in it. I think their doing a 2^nd Season, because it has been a hit.

TP: I found this out from you, but I heard Tanith Belbin is going to be rooming with Johnny at the Olympics.

AH: Yeah, Lynn Rutherford tweeted that first. And I thought, oh no, that is actually kind of brilliant. That is made for TV.

TP: [I go on and on about how much I love this show…and so does Aaron] You can listen to the interview for the details.

AH: When you asked me about my favorite skaters, I’d like to add Johnny to that list. I have other opinions about Johnny outside of skating, and I think he could be so much better than he is…but his natural ability is superb. He didn’t start skating until he was 12 years old. He is gifted in a way in which other skaters aren’t.

TP: What events do you usually hit on an annual basis?

AH: As far as events I never miss…that would be Nationals. I’ve been every since 1998. I didn’t go this year because of the God Awful two weekend format. Nobody likes this format, none of the skaters like it, none of the fans like it. It was all done to help NBC and give them another weekend to promote the Olympics. I understand US Figure Skating was in a bind and they needed to strike a deal with the major networks, but because of that split weekend I couldn’t justify the trip for the first time since 1998.

AH: I try to make it to Skate America, a few Skate Canadas, been to World’s when it was in Vancouver and Calgary. I’ve been to so many skating competitions it is hard to remember all of them. I’ve been to Worlds three times in the US. My plan is to make it to a big International Event sometime really soon. I really want to make it, and I have an event in mind.

TP: I was going to ask if you’ve ever been to Vancouver, but it sounds like you were there for World’s when Vancouver hosted it.

AH: I’ve actually been to Vancouver lots of times. I grew up in Seattle and we would just go to Vancouver for the weekend. I was just up in Vancouver less than a year ago for the Four Continents Cup, I went to that event to see the Olympic Venue to see it in action…thinking, “I won’t get a chance to see it during the Olympics”.

TP: If you were going to make some predictions this year at the Olympics?

AH: I think if Plushenko stands up on two feet, he’s going to be handed a Gold Medal. People say he doesn’t have the same components as like a Patrick Chan or an Abbot, but I don’t think that matters. The judges love him. I see Evan Lysacek on the podium. I think he is going to make himself skate well, and I think he’ll be on the podium. Third spot is up for grabs, Patrick Chan, Ado, Brian Joubert. If I had to pick one to make it to the podium, I’d say Joubert.

On the ladies side: I think it will be Kim Yu-Na, I think Mao Asada and her triple axels will probably get her on the podium. I think that Rachel Flatt is going to surprise us. She is very consistent and she doesn’t have the pressure that the other ladies have. So, I think she has a shot at the podium.

TP: What are your thoughts on the new judging system?

AH: I get the system, because the old system was way too subjective. The old system was ripe for scandal. Salt Lake City is a perfect example of how that system could be misused. I support the new system, but they have to fine tune exactly how the scoring system and slow motion replays work. How aggressive they should be on deductions. They need to hone in on the component score. They need to find a way to be consistent. I think it’s a workable system, it just has to be improved and they’ve got to get rid of the anonymous judging.

Olympic Pairs Short Program tonight at 7pm Eastern!

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:57:00 GMT

Olympic Pairs Short Program tonight at 7pm Eastern!

Can I get a hallelujah? How long have you been waiting for the Figure Skating Events to begin? Days, weeks, months, or 4 years? Click here for schedules, news, and information: NBC Olympics

I personally can’t wait. This will be my first Olympics as a hardcore figure skating fan, and I am super excited for the US Team, the world, and the sport in general. If anyone wants to know…below is my Figure Skating Fantasy Team for the Vancouver Olympics.

2010 Olympic Winter Games Event

Ladies A
Yu-Na Kim, KOR

Ladies B
Laura Lepisto, FIN

Ladies C
Tugba Karademir, TUR

Men's A
Jeremy Abbott, USA

Men's B
Johnny Weir, USA

Men's C
Javier Fernandez, ESP

Pairs A
Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov, RUS

Pairs B
Caydee Denney/Jeremy Barrett, USA

Pairs C
Anais Morand/Antoine Dorsaz, SUI

Ice Dancing A
Meryl Davis/Charlie White, USA

Ice Dancing B
Emily Samuelson/Evan Bates, USA

Ice Dancing C
Christina Beier/William Beier, GER

Believe It!!!

Exclusive Interview with Aaron Harris, Gold Blogger for One Winter, Five Dreams and Axels, Loops, and Spins – February 9th, 2010 – Part I

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:57:00 GMT

Exclusive Interview with Aaron Harris, Gold Blogger for One Winter, Five Dreams and Axels, Loops, and Spins – February 9^th, 2010 – Part I

This is Part I of an exclusive interview I did with Aaron Harris from Axels, Loops, and Spins. He will be blogging for Panasonic’s “One Winter, Five Dreams” project the next few weeks. Aaron is well known in the Figure Skating World and has been a prolific blogger on the subject since July 2007. We are proud to have had the opportunity to get some time with him two days before he left for Vancouver to cover the Olympics.

Here is a link to his blog: Axels, Loops, and Spins: http://loopaxles.blogspot.com/

Here is a link to the “One Winter, Five Dreams” project: http://5dreams.panasonic.net/

This is my first time to transcribe an interview…and as it turns out, it is much more difficult than I imagined. So, this is Part I, just so I can get it online. The rest of the interview and a link to the Audio Interview is coming soon.

I highly suggest you follow Aaron Harris on twitter (http://twitter.com/skating102) , facebook, and read his blog daily if you are interested in Figure Skating or the Olympics at all.

So, without further ado, and no more gilding the lilly I bring you Aaron Harris and Travis Phipps discussing The Olympics, Figure Skating, Blogging, and of course Johnny Weir!

TP: How are you doing?

AH: I’m exhausted, but I’m ok.

TP: When do you take off (for the Olympics)?

AH: Thursday afternoon.

TP: Tell us a little about the project “One Winter, Five Dreams”

AH: Was launched several months ago by Panasonic when they decided to follow 5 athletes, from 4 different sports that wouldn’t have the most conventional way to the Olympics. They aren’t your Evan Lysacek’s, Patrick Chan’s, Kim Yu-Na’s. They don’t come from ideal training situations, they don’t come from places that have heavily supported Olympic Federations, they are people that have really had to work hard. They have been following these 5 athletes on the One Winter, Five Athletes website. They also put out a contest looking for a blogger. Not only blogging about these 5 athletes but also the Olympics in general. I like blogging and I love the Olympics, so I entered the contest by filling out a questionnaire. I tried to be as sincere as possible. Apparently my efforts were good enough, because I won.

TP: What was the process for selecting the winner?

AH: I suppose they followed my blog, but other than that there wasn’t any other process except for me getting the email stating that I won the contest.

TP: When did you find out that you won the contest?

AH: I actually knew for a week before I posted it on Twitter. Panasonic asked me to wait until the Olympics were closer prior to announcing it on my blog. They told me last Friday that I could announce it; however, they still don’t want me to go into great detail because they want to announce it in Vancouver.

TP: Do you have a “Day Job”, because I know you spend a lot of time on Axels, Loops, and Spins?

AH: Yeah, I work for a non-profit medical organization in medical imaging…and I’m not really allowed to use their name either. On the blog it can be deceptive because I can write a post in the evening and have it pop up first thing in the morning.

TP: How long will you be in Vancouver?

AH: I leave on Thursday (February 12) and return on March 1^st, so I’ll be there the whole time.

TP: Wow, I can’t tell you how jealous I am.

AH: Everyone on facebook and twitter has been saying the same thing. I said that if there is a problem taking off in the snow storm that I’ll get out and push the plane, and everyone else is saying, “if you take me with you, I’ll help you push the plane!”

TP: Where do you live?

AH: West Central Illinois. Right in between Chicago and St. Louis.

TP: Have you decided what you’re going to wear to the Opening Ceremonies?

AH: I have no idea, I’ll figure that out when I’m frantically packing.

TP: Do you have a schedule, do you get to attend all of the events, how is it all going to work?

AH: Some of it, I’m sure I’ll learn as I go, but Panasonic has told me a lot…but they want me to keep that a secret for the time being. But as it unfolds I’ll be blogging about it.

TP: We’ll keep an eye on your blog as the Olympics comes around, and we’ll send everyone your way for minute by minute updates. So, everyone keep your eyes open for that. But in the meantime can you tell us a little bit about your blog, how long you’ve been blogging, and what got you started?

AH: Sure, I started blogging in 2005 just before the Torino Olympics. You can actually see on my blog archives the very early beginnings of Axels, Loops, and Spins. It was spotty writing, nothing consistent, and I kept track of Michelle Kwan because I’m a big fan. I got away from it, and took break for almost a year, but got back into it in the Summer of 2007. Started the “Pic of the Week”, and then it became real steady. Went to several events and wrote about those. I found that what will drive traffic to your blog is mainly frequent updates. When I started hooking it up with Facebook and Twitter and that is when I started getting a lot of traffic.

TP: [This is where I spend some time complimenting Aaron on his prolific writing and thanking him for his consistency ;) ]

More to come!

Congratulations to Brianna de la Mora, Taylor Wilson, Mandy Garza, and Brandon Frazier!

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:57:00 GMT

Brianna de la Mora and Taylor Wilson took home the Gold at the United States Junior Figure Skating Championships, in Strongsville OH. They represent the Texas Gulf Coast Figure Skating Club, and are coached by Elena and Val Prudsky. We’ve been very impressed with them since we first saw them skate at the Houston Fall Invitational over Labor Day in 2009. At that time, they had only been skating together for 2-3 months. We saw them skate again at the Southwest Regional Championships in Grapevine, TX. We’re very excited about their future and glad to hear that Taylor is going to stay close to home and go the University of Houston next year. Brianna is only 10 years old and skating with fire. We couldn’t be happier for the both of them, and we are certain you’re going to be hearing more from these two!

Mandy Garza and Brandon Frazier brought home the Bronze in Novice pairs at the US Championships in Spokane. Mandy and Brandon represent the Texas Gulf Coast Figure Skating Club, but train with Dalilah Sappenfield’s group in Colorado Springs. They rose from 4^th in the short program to 3^rd with an impressive 2^nd place finish in their Free Skate. Mandy and Brandon have only been skating together for about 8 months, and this was their first Nationals. I doubt this is the last we’ll be hearing from this pair. They plan on moving up to Juniors next year and competing in the Junior Grand Prix Circuit.

Please join us in congratulating Brianna, Taylor, Mandy, and Brandon for seeing success after a lot of hard work.

If you know a skater, that you would like to see highlighted in our blog, please let us know by dropping us a line at info@cherryloop.com. We love this sport and we especially love watching our skaters work hard and see success!

See you on the ice!

Travis and Robin

Custom Harlick Boots with CherryLoop Logo!

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 15:57:00 GMT

Custom Harlick Figure Skating Boots with CherryLoop Logo!

Well, I don’t how many people will be that interested in our new boots, but I know I am!

I mentioned in a blog post back in November that we dropped by the Harlick manufacturing facility for a little visit. It was an incredible visit by the way. We met Phil Kuhn, his wife Ginger, and the rest of the small staff that is responsible for a good percentage of the skating boots on the ice today. We already knew Rudy quite well from our trip to the Southwest Regional Championships.

They gave us (my wife Robin and our three figure skating daughters) a tour of the facility. You would not believe what all goes into making a pair of Harlick Skating Boots (Quality in every pair – that is their tagline ;)). Suffice it to say, you have to be there to believe it. Every single pair of boots, including stock boots are made by hand and with painstaking detail. I can assure you, no stone goes unturned.

Phil also gave me a quick tutorial on the “correct” way to put blades on the boots. I won’t go into the details, but let me just tell you…there is a lot more to it than just screwing on the blade. He also showed me little tips and tricks to make certain every skater I fit will have the best possible fitting boots. I watched and participated in about 5 custom fittings, including fittings for our 3 girls.

Now we’re getting to the good part. It just happens to be time for our middle daughter to get a new pair of boots, and so we put our money where our mouth is. We purchased a pair of Custom Harlick Boots. These boots have the Double Duo Bond, White Elk Leather, with Flex Notch, 50/50 Lamb’s Wool and Foam Rubber Tongue, Growth Insoles, Orthopedic Arch, Clarino Lining, with a standard wax finish…AND our CherryLoop logo on the outside of each boot.

You too can have the CherryLoop logo (we’d pick up the charge if you were interested), an initial, a little animal; etc, etc…the sky is the limit on what Phil can put on the boot. Here are some samples: Harlick Artistic Boot Designs.

We will be doing Harlick custom and stock fittings at the Sooner State Games in Tulsa, OK. We are also available for fittings by appointment, and we are happy to walk you through the process on the phone. We absolutely _love_ the Harlick Boots and we want you to be as happy with your boots as we are with ours!

Here are some pictures of the infamous boots and some pics from our visit to Harlick:

Side by side Harlick Boots with CherryLoop Logo (We're going to make the loop with Swarovski crystals)

Close up of CherryLoop logo Top view of boots (shows the 50/50 tongue)

Outside of the Harlick Facility Inside (look closely at some of the boxes in this pic...some famous names)

Travis, Phil Kuhn, and Ginger Kuhn Click on the pic above for a slide show tour of the Harlick Facility

Congratulations Ashley Cain and Joshua Reagan – Gold Medal at Nationals!

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:02:00 GMT

Congratulations Ashley Cain and Joshua Reagan – Gold Medal at Nationals!

We would like to congratulate Ashley Cain and Joshua Reagan of the Dallas Stars Figure Skating Club for taking the Gold in Novice Pairs at Nationals in Spokane, Washington. Ashley also grabbed a Silver medal for her solid performance in the Novice Ladies competition.

Ashley and Joshua finished in second after the short program, and then went on to win the free skate and pull into first overall.

Ashley’s week was very full competing in both events, but obviously she handled the pressure, hard work, and lack of sleep very well indeed.

We could not be happier for Ashley and Joshua. We first met Ashley and her family last year at the Houston Fall Invitational, and then we got to know them better at the Southwestern Regional Championships in Grapevine, Texas. We will be watching with great interest as her skating career continues to blossom.

For more information, interviews, and quotes from the skaters themselves read the ongoing coverage at Ice Network. Here are some articles relating Ashley and Joshua at Nationals:

Cain, Reagan take novice pairs title

Aliso Viejo and Colorado Springs teams also medal

Cain edges Kulgeyko in novice ladies short

Coaching a family affair for Texans

Keiser jumps her way to novice title

Cain picks up second medal of Championships

Ashley Cain with Gold Medal – CherryLoop booth at the Southwest Regional Championships, Grapevine, Texas

CherryLoop Partners with MySkatingMall

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:54:00 GMT

We are proud to announce that CherryLoop.com has recently partnered with the MySkatingMall.com. You will soon be able to buy and sell gently used figure skating items directly from the online mall. Imagine an eBay or Amazon type store just for figure skaters. Not only is this a much needed service, but MySkatingMall is taking the idea one step further. 5% of every purchase made at the mall will be donated to the skaters club of choice! This serves and supports the entire skating community. Your club makes money from your purchases, you save money by buying gently used items at a discounted rate, you can sell items that otherwise would have sat in your closet.

Ryan Jahnke, 2003 World Team Member and PSA Master Rated Coach, is the founder of MySkatingMall.

I’ve spoken with Ryan several times over the last few months regarding the MySkatingMall.com and CherryLoop.com partnership. He is extraordinarily passionate about skating, serving the community, and helping every skater have the opportunity to succeed. He has been intimately tied to the figure skating community for more than 24 years, so he knows the obstacles that must be overcome in order to succeed in this sport. We are proud to assist Ryan in this pursuit, and look forward a successful partnership.

Some you may know that CherryLoop.com was actually considering a similar idea during the infancy of our business. Before we decided to launch CherryLoop.com, one of our ideas was to have an auction site just for figure skaters. Obviously, we chose to open an online retail store offering the most fashionable and functional figure skating apparel, equipment, and accessories instead. We also considered opening up our forum for our customers to have a “Craig’s List” way of offering your old skates, dresses, and equipment for sale to other customers. Weeks before we were going to open it up, we received a call from Ryan regarding forming a partnership. We thought it was a wonderful idea, and we are happy to offer our customers a way of buying and selling gently used figure skating items, while at the same time donating a portion of the proceeds to the clubs of the skater’s choice.

If anyone has any questions regarding MySkatingMall.com, feel free to contact us and we’ll keep you updated on everything that we hear. We’ll also inform you of the official launch date when that becomes available. You can also learn more at the MySkatingMall.com website: http://www.myskatingmall.com.

CherryLoop to visit Harlick Skating Boots Headquarters

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:39:00 GMT

We have the honor of receiving a tour of the infamous Harlick Skating Boots manufacturing facility tomorrow. We're very excited about the trip, and plan on continuing our education into boot fitting. As I mentioned in a previous post >> click here to read that post <<, CherryLoop is now an authorized dealer of Harlick Skating Boots.

We met Rudy Kuhn at the Southwestern Regional Championships in Grapevine, TX last month and had an excellent time learning about the way Harlick's are made and fitted. We can't wait to meet the Harlick team and see where the magic happens.

The Harlick facility is located in San Carlos, a few miles south of San Francisco. You can read more about the Harlick tradition, family, and quality of their boots on their website: Harlick Skating Boots - Where quality is built into every pair!

We will give you a full report on the facility, the staff members we met, and any other cool things that happen during our visit.

Believe It!

Travis and Robin

Joyce Komperda Athlete Support Fund - Accepting Applications

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:01:00 GMT

We received the email below informing us that U.S. Figure Skating is now accepting applications for the Joyce Komperda Athlete Support Fund. You can learn more about Joyce Komperda, and the fund on the USFSA website.

So, what are you waiting for? Download the application and see if you qualify. You know you could use a few extra bucks for ice time. Good Luck!

Thanks Joyce!

Joyce Komperda

Team CherryLoop

*****email from USFSA*****

Dear Friends,

U.S. Figure Skating is now accepting applications for the Joyce Komperda Athlete Support Fund. You will find information and a downloadable application form with instructions at Joyce Komperda Athlete Support Fund. This opportunity is open to skaters at the novice, intermediate and junior levels.

Applications will be accepted through Monday, November 30^th (or date stamped no later than November 30, 2009). Please be aware that the 25^th and 26^th of November is the Thanksgiving Holiday and allow an appropriate amount of time for your application to be processed through USPS.

Application review and selection will take place December 1- 11, 2009. Notification of awards will take place beginning the week of December 14^,2009.

If you have questions as you complete the application process please feel free to contact Kevin Burns or Stacey Marsh in the Development Department at U.S. Figure Skating at 719.635.5200

CherryLoop.com is now an official reseller of Harlick Skating Boots!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:47:00 GMT

CherryLoop.com is now an official reseller of Harlick Skating Boots!

You heard right ladies and gentlemen. We are proud to announce that we will be offering the famous Harlick skating boots both online and locally. We have gone through an extensive training program and working closely with Harlick management we will have the opportunity to custom fit you or your skater in the highest quality skating boot on the market today.

If you are located locally in the Tulsa, OK area or close by we’ll do a fitting for you at the rink, our showroom, or at a skating competition. However, if you don’t live in the area (which most of you don’t) we will still be able to walk (no pun intended) you through the fitting process. It is relatively simple and with just a few measurements and a quick discussion of your skating history we’ll be able to put you into a professionally fitted custom or stock Harlick boot.

We would like to thank Harlick for all of the training and expertise they have provided to date, and we look forward to working with them.

Please go to this link to fill out the contact form or call us today to schedule your fitting!

CherryLoop – Harlick Skating Boots

Why Ian Lurie should review CherryLoop.com

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:44:00 GMT

Why Ian Lurie should review CherryLoop.com

This is a comment we wrote on Ian Lurie's website: Conversation Marketing, in order to win some much needed assistance with our Internet Marketing efforts. Ian is what some people would call an expert in the field of Internet Marketing, and we have employed many of his ideas, thoughts, and suggestions when building this site.

If flattery and bribery are against the rules, please “delete” this comment so we can rewrite our post.

Well, when CherryLoop.com was just a twinkle in our eye we purchased a copy of “Web Marketing, All-in One, for Dummies.

Were we Desperate? Well, yes.

Are we cheap? Yes, we even got $25.00 worth of free Google Adwords free with purchase.

Was the book Helpful? Of course it was.

Have we finished that 3 pound book? Are you kidding me? However, it did save my wife’s life once when she heaved it at her assailant late one night.

The best thing that book did for us was introduce us to Ian Lurie. We’ve been avid readers of Conversation Marketing, since the day we bought the book. We eagerly await updated posts, and sometimes dread the content because it reminds us of all the work that needs to be done on the site.

The domain was registered on April 2, 2009. We officially launched CherryLoop.com – Your online figure skating store – on September 25, 2009. Yes, she is brand spanking new. But from idea to a genuine revenue producing business in less than 6 months we feel we are doing pretty well.

The site needs so much work; we don’t even really know where to begin. Quite frankly, we are still uploading products to the online catalog. Title tags, meta data, copy writing, oh my! That is where Ian Lurie can really help us out. We’ll be working on the site, making changes large and small, and doing everything in our power to drive traffic and sales…but it sure would be nice to have an “expert” give us some sage advice on what we can do soon. It would be nice if the advice also consisted of things we can do on the cheap!

All of that being said, we think the most important reason why Ian should review CherryLoop.com is because we will send him chocolate this month, chocolate next month, and chocolate the following month, in the mail as a not so subtle bribe.

So, pick us!

Travis and Robin

CherryLoop.com is open for business!

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:15:00 GMT

This is the email we sent to our current customer base last night introducing our online grand opening.

Highlights of the email:

* CherryLoop.com is open for business

* We are still adding products to our online catalog (we have a LOT of products to add)

* CherryLoop.com always offers FREE SHIPPING in the United States

* CherryLoop will be attending the Southwestern Regional Championships in Grapevine, TX (just outside of Dallas, TX)

* Ways to follow CherryLoop include: twitter: mycherryloop and facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cherryloop

*******************************

We wanted to let our loyal customers, fans, and followers know that the much anticipated CherryLoop website is live and open for business. CherryLoop – Your online figure skating store – officially opened its internet “doors” on Friday, September 25, 2009. However, not all of our products are on the site yet, but we are working hard to get everything online.

Most of you know us from the rink, an ice skating competition, or were referred to CherryLoop by a friend (that is a really great friend), but now that the site is live everyone can enjoy the high quality figure skating apparel, equipment, and accessories we have to offer.

For those of you who are just getting to know us, we represent such designers as Se_Ku, KP (Krista Prendergast), Chloe Noel, Figure Skatewear, and Heys Skate Bags. We offer a wide variety of practice dresses, skate pants, jackets, shirts, skirts, shorts, tights, spinners, soakers, bags, totes, blankets, and much more. We are adding products to the online catalog daily and building our inventory to meet all of your figure skating needs. So, if you don’t see what you want (or absolutely must have) on the site we encourage you to give us a call or drop us an email and we may have what you are looking for (if not, we’ll order it for you).

Remember, CherryLoop always offers _free_ shipping in the United States (even Hawaii and Alaska).

We are currently working on our loyalty program and would love to hear your ideas. We truly believe we have the best customers in the world and we won’t forget it. We want you to be happy with your shopping experience with CherryLoop every time, and we will work hard to make that happen.

If you know anyone who may be interested in figure skating apparel, equipment, or accessories please feel free to forward this to them or refer them to our website. Make sure they let us know who sent them, and we’ll do something special for you.

Other ways to stay in touch with CherryLoop:

· twitter: mycherryloop

· facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cherryloop

· call our office line at: 918.728.6347

We will also be attending the Southwestern Regional Championships as vendors, in Grapevine, TX – October 9-13. If you are going to be in the area or are skating at the event, please stop by and say hello. We’d love to see you again.

Thank you for your continued interest in CherryLoop and good luck on the ice!

Team CherryLoop

email: info@cherryloop.com

office: 918-728-6347
web: http://www.cherryloop.com
twitter: mycherryloop
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cherryloop

Welcome to CherryLoop!

Tue, 19 May 2009 01:24:00 GMT

Welcome to the first of many blog posts here at CherryLoop.com. Until we officially launch "the premier online store for your figure skating needs", you will see a recurring theme. We want to hear from you, our future customers. We want to know about you, what you like and what you dislike, we want to hear your ideas and thoughts, we want to get to know you. Here are some questions you can help us with to provide you with the best figure skating store online or anywhere in the world for that matter:

What figure skating or ice skating equipment would you like to see featured on this site?
How would you like the store arranged for easy access and purchasing?
What experiences have you had that you would like repeated on CherryLoop?
What experiences have you had that you DON'T want repeated?
How would you like to receive your products?
What would you like to talk about in the forums?
What do you want us to blog about?
Do you want local, national, or international information?
What do you consider the most important:
- Product Selection
- Customer Service
- Shipping Methods
- Price Discounts
- Loyalty or Rewards programs

We have a ton of ideas on how to provide our customers with the best possible service, but we need your help to send it over the top. We built this site because we felt that the online shopping experience for figure skaters was lacking. We want to build something that truly exceeds your expectations in an online store for ice skating equipment, apparel, and accessories. We are going to do everything in our power to turn our customers into loyal participants in this community. We want everyone to feel "In the Loop".

We will be showing you new logos, trademarks, taglines, and designs. We want you to tell us what you think is best. If you have any ideas at all...let us know and we will let you know what we think. Who knows, your idea may be the new direction CherryLoop takes. Drop us a line or send us an email today, we can't wait to hear from you!

The CherryLoop Team