The North American Figure Skating Championships were a biennial figure skating competition, which took place between 1923 and 1971. Although sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), they were actually a joint venture of the Canadian Figure Skating Association and the United States Figure Skating Association. The first North American Championships were held in 1923 in Ottawa, Canada, and featured men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and four skating. The championships were held every other year, with Canada and the United States alternating as hosts, as only skaters from those countries were eligible to compete. The championships were interrupted only once, in 1943, due to World War II. Ice dance was added as an event in 1947, while four skating was retired after 1949. The last edition was held in Peterborough, Canada, in 1971, after which Canada discontinued their involvement in order to launch their own international competition, the Skate Canada International.
Montgomery Wilson of Canada holds the record for winning the most North American Championship titles in men's singles (with six), his sister Constance Wilson-Samuel holds the record in women's singles (with four), and the two hold the record in pair skating (with three). Four teams are tied for winning the most titles in ice dance (with two each): Carmel Bodel and Edward Bodel of the United States, Lorna Dyer and John Carrell of the United States, Lois Waring and Walter Bainbridge of the United States, and Geraldine Fenton and William McLachlan of Canada. McLachlan also won a third ice dance title with a previous partner.
History In 1914, the International Skating Union of America – a joint venture of the Canadian Figure Skating Association and the United States Figure Skating Association – hosted their first championship event in New Haven, Connecticut. The second championship event was held in 1918 in New York City, and was attended by skaters from England and the United States, but not from Canada. The last two competitions, held in 1920 and 1921, were attended only by skaters from the United States.
Beginning in 1923, the Canadian Figure Skating Association and the U.S. Figure Skating Association joined together to launch the North American Championships: a soft relaunch of these earlier competitions. At this time, medal contenders at the World Figure Skating Championships and the Winter Olympics came from either Europe or North America. Though the North American Championships were sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), they were jointly organized and run by the Canadian and U.S. skating federations, and they 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 those countries were eligible to compete.
The 1943 North American Championships were cancelled due to World War II, while the 1945 competition, held concurrently with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in New York City, featured only the women's event. Ice dance was added as an event in 1947, while four skating was last held in 1949.
On February 15, 1961, most of the U.S. national team, many of whom had just finished competing at the North American Championships in Philadelphia, departed from New York City aboard Sabena Flight 548 bound for the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague. The airplane crashed while on approach to Brussels Airport in Belgium. All sixty-one passengers and eleven crew members aboard the flight were killed, including the eighteen members of the U.S. national team as well as fourteen family members, coaches, and skating officials who were accompanying them. Among those killed were the recently crowned North American women's champion Laurence Owen, men's silver medalist Bradley Lord, men's bronze medalist Gregory Kelley, pairs silver medalists Maribel Owen and Dudley Richards, and ice dance silver medalists Dona Lee Carrier and Roger Campbell. Nine-time U.S. champion and coach Maribel Vinson-Owen, mother of both Laurence and Maribel, was on the flight as well. Out of respect, the World Championships were cancelled the next day.
The North American Championships developed an unusual judging system in which there were an even number of judges, rather than the typical odd number. This was meant to keep the atmosphere of the competition friendly. However, the ISU insisted that the North American Championships follow its regulations, which stated that competitions must have an odd number of judges. As a compromise, the two Associations decided that the event would be held with seven judges, with four being from the host country. This led to the Canadian Figure Skating Association alleging both sides showed judging bias at the 1969 event. While it was proposed that either the event could bring in European judges or expand to include another country, such as Japan, both ideas was deemed too expensive, as the event did not bring in much revenue.
Before the 1971 event, the Canadian Figure Skating Association heard that the United States planned to send neither Janet Lynn, the national champion, nor Julie Lynn Holmes, the national silver medalist. Lynn agreed to compete after the U.S. Figure Skating Association was contacted, but the Canadian Figure Skating Association was upset that the U.S. had originally intended not to send its top skaters. Additionally, the 1972 World Championships were held in Calgary, and the event was a much greater financial success than the North American Championships had been.
At a planning meeting held in 1972 and attended by representatives from both the Canadian Figure Skating Association and the U.S. Figure Skating Association, the Canadian delegation announced their 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 planning to launch its own international skating competition, Skate Canada, which debuted the next year. The U.S. Figure Skating Association eventually launched their own international event as well: Skate America.
By the mid-1970s, skaters from Asia were successfully competing at major international events and skaters from Europe had the advantage of an ISU championship event that was not accessible to skaters outside of Europe. In order to provide equal opportunities for all skaters, the ISU established the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in 1999; the name referred to the four continents outside of Europe where competitive figure skating took place: Africa, Asia, Australia (Oceania), and North America.
Medalists
Men's singles +Men's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1923 Ottawa Sherwin Badger Melville Rogers No other competitors 1925 Boston Melville Rogers Nathaniel Niles 1927 Toronto Sherwin Badger Montgomery Wilson 1929 Boston Montgomery Wilson Roger Turner Frederick Goodridge 1931 Ottawa James Madden Gail Borden 1933 New York City Robin Lee 1935 Montreal Robin Lee James Madden 1937 Boston Roger Turner Ralph McCreath 1939 Toronto Robin Lee 1941 Philadelphia Ralph McCreath Eugene Turner William Grimditch Jr. 1943 No competition due to World War II 1945 New York City No men's competition due to World War II 1947 Ottawa Dick Button James Grogan Wallace Diestelmeyer 1949 Philadelphia Hayes Alan Jenkins 1951 Calgary 1953 Cleveland Hayes Alan Jenkins Peter Firstbrook Ronnie Robertson 1955 Regina David Jenkins Charles Snelling 1957 Rochester David Jenkins Charles Snelling Tim Brown 1959 Toronto Donald Jackson Tim Brown Robert Brewer 1961 Philadelphia Bradley Lord Gregory Kelley 1963 Vancouver Donald McPherson Thomas Litz Scott Allen 1965 Rochester Gary Visconti Scott Allen Donald Knight 1967 Montreal Donald Knight Gary Visconti 1969 Oakland Tim Wood Jay Humphry John Misha Petkevich 1971 Peterborough John Misha Petkevich Toller Cranston Ken Shelley
Women's singles +Women's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1923 Ottawa Theresa Weld-Blanchard Beatrix Loughran Dorothy Jenkins 1925 Boston Beatrix Loughran Cecil Smith Theresa Weld-Blanchard 1927 Toronto Constance Wilson Cecil Smith 1929 Boston Constance Wilson-Samuel Maribel Vinson Suzanne Davis 1931 Ottawa Elizabeth Fisher Edith Secord 1933 New York City Cecil Gooderham Suzanne Davis 1935 Montreal Maribel Vinson 1937 Boston Maribel Vinson Veronica Clarke Eleanor O'Meara 1939 Toronto Mary Rose Thacker Joan Tozzer Norah McCarthy 1941 Philadelphia Eleanor O'Meara 1943 No competition due to World War II 1945 New York City Barbara Ann Scott Gretchen Merrill Janette Ahrens 1947 Ottawa Janette Ahrens Yvonne Sherman 1949 Philadelphia Yvonne Sherman Marlene Smith Virginia Baxter 1951 Calgary Sonya Klopfer Suzanne Morrow Tenley Albright 1953 Cleveland Tenley Albright Carol Heiss Barbara Gratton 1955 Regina Patricia Firth 1957 Rochester Carol Heiss Carole Jane Pachl Joan Schenke 1959 Toronto Lynn Finnegan Nancy Heiss 1961 Philadelphia Laurence Owen Wendy Griner Sonia Snelling 1963 Vancouver Wendy Griner Petra Burka Shirra Kenworthy 1965 Rochester Petra Burka Peggy Fleming Valerie Jones 1967 Montreal Peggy Fleming Valerie Jones Tina Noyes 1969 Oakland Janet Lynn Karen Magnussen Linda Carbonetto 1971 Peterborough Karen Magnussen Janet Lynn Suna Murray
Pairs +Pairs event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1923 Ottawa 1925 Boston No other competitors 1927 Toronto 1929 Boston 1931 Ottawa 1933 New York City 1935 Montreal 1937 Boston 1939 Toronto 1941 Philadelphia 1943 No competition due to World War II 1945 New York City No pairs competition due to World War II 1947 Ottawa 1949 Philadelphia 1951 Calgary 1953 Cleveland 1955 Regina 1957 Rochester 1959 Toronto 1961 Philadelphia 1963 Vancouver 1965 Rochester 1967 Montreal 1969 Oakland 1971 Peterborough
Ice dance +Ice dance event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1947 Ottawa 1949 Philadelphia 1951 Calgary 1953 Cleveland 1955 Regina 1957 Rochester 1959 Toronto 1961 Philadelphia 1963 Vancouver 1965 Rochester 1967 Montreal 1969 Oakland 1971 Peterborough
Four skating +Fours event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1923 Ottawa No fours competitions held 1931 Ottawa 1933 New York City 1935 Montreal 1937 Boston 1939 Toronto 1941 Philadelphia No other competitors 1943 No competition due to World War II 1945 New York City No fours competition due to World War II 1947 Ottawa No fours competition held 1949 Philadelphia
Records
+ Discipline Most championship titles Skater(s) Years Men's singles 6 1929,1931,1933,1935,1937,1939 Women's singles 4 1929,1931,1933,1935 Pairs 3 1929,1931,1933 Ice dance 2 1951,1955 1965,1967 1957,1959 3 1957,1959,1961 2 1947,1949
Cumulative medal count
Notes
References
Works cited