Spokane’s drive to host the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships reaches a critical stage today.

Yes, organizers and promoters Toby Steward and Barbara Beddor have been working on the city’s bid for months. But all of their hard work and preparation were just the preliminaries to today’s visit by two officials of U.S. Figure Skating whose impressions of our community are critical to Spokane’s selection.

Only one American city will be considered for the event, and if Spokane fails to impress Bob Dunlop and Troy Goldstein – and win the nomination of the skating organization’s eight-member Events Advisory Board – there can be no pitch to the International Skating Union and no championships for Spokane.

The public can help support the city’s bid by showing up this morning at 11:15 for a red-carpet celebration and parade on Post Street, one block south to one block north of River Park Square. A good, lively turnout will say something about the city’s enthusiasm for the world championships.

But whether or not the parade attracts a crowd, we would argue U.S. Figure Skating will find no stronger aspirant for the 2009 championships.

As Steward and Beddor have said repeatedly, Spokane is big enough to host this event. In fact, the world event is actually somewhat more manageable than the upcoming 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. More important, Spokane is small enough for the event to really matter. Athletes and spectators from all over the world will find no friendlier, more accommodating city.

Traffic and other logistical problems that plague the mega-metros won’t be an issue here. Downtown Spokane, the wheel point for the event, will be livelier than ever with thousands of new residents, numberless new businesses and a spanking new convention center (not to mention the refurbished Fox Theatre and the priceless Davenport Hotel).

Even Spokane International Airport will have a fresh, new look.

Spokane may not have been the obvious first choice to host the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships. But after Dunlop and Goldstein see what the community has to offer, we think they’ll agree it’s the best choice.