1979 Norton Skate

Skate America is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by U.S. Figure Skating. The first Skate America was in held in 1979 in Lake Placid, New York, as a test event for the 1980 Winter Olympics. When the ISU launched the Champions Series (later renamed the Grand Prix Series) in 1995, Skate America was one of the five qualifying events. It has been a Grand Prix event every year since.

Medals may be awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Skaters earn points based on their results at the qualifying competitions each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to then compete at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Todd Eldredge of the United States currently holds the record for the most wins in men's singles (with five), while Michelle Kwan, also of the United States, holds the record in women's singles (with seven). Marina Eltsova and Andrei Bushkov of Russia hold the record in pair skating (with five), while Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto of the United States hold the record in ice dance (also with five).

History

Between 1923 and 1971, the Canadian Figure Skating Association and the U.S. Figure Skating Association co-hosted the North American Figure Skating Championships. At this time, medal contenders at the World Figure Skating Championships and the Winter Olympics came from either Europe or North America. The North American Championships allowed Canadian and American skaters the opportunity to compete at a comparable event to the European Figure Skating Championships. The championships were held every other year, with Canada and the United States alternating as hosts, and only skaters from Canada and the United States were eligible to compete.

At a planning meeting held in April 1972 and attended by representatives from both the Canadian and American skating federations, the Canadian delegation announced Canada's plans to withdraw from the North American Championships. With one of the two participating nations out, this effectively marked the end of the championships. The U.S. delegation was unaware at the time that the Canadian Figure Skating Association was already in the planning stages of launching their own international skating competition: Skate Canada.

The first iteration of Skate America – then called the Norton Skate – was held at the Olympic Center Arena in 1979 in Lake Placid, New York, and was the test event for the 1980 Winter Olympics. Test events are held prior to the Olympics to test the readiness and infrastructure of the venues to be used. Scott Hamilton and Lisa-Marie Allen, both of the United States, won the inaugural men's and women's events, respectively. Sabine Baeß and Tassilo Thierbach of East Germany won the pairs event, and Krisztina Regőczy and András Sallay of Hungary won the ice dance event.

Beginning with the 1995–96 season, the ISU launched the Champions Series – later renamed the Grand Prix Series – which, at its inception, consisted of five qualifying competitions and the Champions Series Final. This allowed skaters to perfect their programs earlier in the season, as well as compete against the skaters with whom they would later compete at the World Championships. This series also provided the viewing public with "additional televised skating," which had been in demand. The five qualifying competitions during the inaugural season were the 1995 Nations Cup, the 1995 NHK Trophy, the 1995 Skate America, the 1995 Skate Canada International, and the 1995 Trophée de France. Skaters earned points based on their results in their respective competitions and the top skaters or teams in each discipline were invited to compete at the Champions Series Final.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, modifications were made to the structure of the 2020 Skate America. The competitors consisted only of skaters from the United States, skaters already training in the United States, and skaters assigned to the event for geographic reasons. On September 25, U.S. Figure Skating announced that Skate America would be held without spectators. Attendees at the competition remained in a bubble – that is, in a cluster made up exclusively of individuals who have been thoroughly tested and unlikely to spread infection, "quarantined from the population of the city of Las Vegas" – throughout the duration of the event.

The 2025 Skate America will be held November 14–16 at the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York.

Medalists

Men's singles

Women's singles

Pairs

Ice dance

Records

Cumulative medal count

Men's singles

Women's singles

Pairs

Ice dance

Total medals

References

External links

U.S. Figure Skating

Skate America
at Skating Scores

{{Grand Prix Figure skating

ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating
International figure skating competitions hosted by the United States
Recurring sporting events established in 1979
1979 establishments in New York (state)