Team FARNA, a Tokyo-based figure skating team, is running a rewards-based crowdfunding campaign on CAMPFIRE, one of Japan's largest crowdfunding platforms, to compete in "Synchro9," a brand-new figure skating discipline launched in 2026. The team has brought on Yuiko Hoshino, a two-time world champion, as coach, and is taking on the unusual challenge of building a nine-member team for this new event format.
Funds raised will go toward a goal of 3 million yen to cover rink rental fees, land training costs, and costume expenses between September and November 2026. The rarity of the new discipline combined with the presence of an accomplished coach appears to be drawing supporter interest.
As an example of fundraising in a minor sport and team-based competition, the appeal strategies here—covering the initial investment needs typical of launching a new event and foregrounding a coach's credentials—offer useful lessons for other sports organizations and teams. However, the campaign page does not specify current funding progress relative to the goal, so it's unclear how the project is performing or how supporters have responded so far.
Highlights
- Appeals to credibility by bringing on a two-time world championship-winning coach
- Highlights the rarity and buzz factor of competing in a brand-new discipline
- Clearly breaks down fund usage by time period and expense category
Why this campaign attracts support
Editorial analysis based on publicly available information. It is not a confirmed account of why backers chose to give.
Several factors likely explain why this project can attract support. First, there's the rarity and pioneering appeal of "a discipline born in 2026"—it offers backers the narrative of being part of a brand-new chapter in figure skating history. Second, coach Yuiko Hoshino's clear track record of two world championship titles lends credibility and signals the team's serious commitment. Third, the challenge of forming a rare nine-member team format is itself a talking point likely to draw attention from media and skating fans alike. The detailed breakdown of fund usage—rink rental, land training, and costumes—also helps backers understand exactly where their money goes. That said, supporting a minor sport or an entire team, rather than an individual athlete, can sometimes dilute the emotional focus of giving; how well the team communicates the individual stories and personalities of its members may significantly affect its fundraising success going forward.
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A note from the editors
This is an intriguing case study in fundraising for a team taking on a newly launched sporting discipline. Bringing on a world championship-winning coach and clearly itemizing expenses are approaches other sports organizations could learn from when seeking support. That said, the article doesn't reveal how the campaign is tracking against its goal, so it's worth keeping an eye on how things develop. In fundraising for minor sports and team competitions, how well individual members' stories are told is likely to be a key factor in success.