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 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, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates, both of the United States, are tied for holding the most records in ice dance (with five each).
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 International Skating Union (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 same skaters whom they would later encounter at the World Championships. This series also provided the viewing public with additional televised skating, which was in high demand. The five qualifying competitions during this inaugural season were the 1995 Nations Cup, the 1995 NHK Trophy, the 1995 Skate America, the 1995 Skate Canada, 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 then 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 2026 Skate America is scheduled to be held from October 22 to 25 in Everett, Washington.
Medalists
Men's singles +Men's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1979 Lake Placid, New York Scott Hamilton Scott Cramer Jan Hoffmann 1980 No competition held 1981Lake Placid, New York Scott Hamilton Robert Wagenhoffer Brian Boitano 1982 Heiko Fischer Jozef Sabovčík 1983 Rochester, New York Brian Boitano Rudi Cerne Bobby Beauchamp 1984 No competition held 1985 Saint Paul, Minnesota Jozef Sabovčík Brian Boitano Viktor Petrenko 1986 Portland, Maine Brian Boitano Viktor Petrenko Daniel Doran 1987 No competition held 1988 Portland, Maine Christopher Bowman Daniel Doran Todd Eldredge 1989 Indianapolis, Indiana Viktor Petrenko Kurt Browning 1990 Buffalo, New York Viktor Petrenko Christopher Bowman Todd Eldredge 1991 Oakland, California Christopher Bowman Petr Barna 1992 Atlanta, Georgia Todd Eldredge Scott Davis Mark Mitchell 1993 Dallas, Texas Viktor Petrenko Brian Boitano Alexei Urmanov 1994 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Todd Eldredge Philippe Candeloro Éric Millot 1995 Detroit, Michigan Michael Weiss Alexander Abt 1996 Springfield, Massachusetts Alexei Urmanov Alexei Yagudin 1997 Detroit, Michigan Evgeni Plushenko Alexander Abt 1998 Alexei Yagudin Michael Weiss Alexei Urmanov 1999 Colorado Springs, Colorado Timothy Goebel Elvis Stojko 2000 Timothy Goebel Alexei Yagudin Todd Eldredge 2001 Takeshi Honda Alexander Abt 2002 Spokane, Washington Brian Joubert Alexander Abt Matthew Savoie 2003 Reading, Pennsylvania Michael Weiss Takeshi Honda Zhang Min 2004 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Brian Joubert Ryan Jahnke Michael Weiss 2005 Atlantic City, New Jersey Daisuke Takahashi Evan Lysacek Brian Joubert 2006 Hartford, Connecticut Nobunari Oda Alban Préaubert 2007 Reading, Pennsylvania Daisuke Takahashi Patrick Chan 2008 Everett, Washington Takahiko Kozuka Johnny Weir Evan Lysacek 2009 Lake Placid, New York Evan Lysacek Shawn Sawyer Ryan Bradley 2010 Portland, Oregon Daisuke Takahashi Nobunari Oda Armin Mahbanoozadeh 2011 Ontario, California Michal Březina Kevin van der Perren Takahiko Kozuka 2012 Kent, Washington Takahiko Kozuka Yuzuru Hanyu Tatsuki Machida 2013 Detroit, Michigan Tatsuki Machida Adam Rippon Max Aaron 2014 Chicago, Illinois Jason Brown Nam Nguyen 2015 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Max Aaron Shoma Uno Jason Brown 2016 Chicago, Illinois Shoma Uno Jason Brown Adam Rippon 2017 Lake Placid, New York Nathan Chen Adam Rippon Sergei Voronov 2018 Everett, Washington Michal Březina 2019 Las Vegas, Nevada Jason Brown Dmitri Aliev 2020 Vincent Zhou Keegan Messing 2021 Vincent Zhou Shoma Uno Nathan Chen 2022 Norwood, Massachusetts Ilia Malinin Kao Miura Cha Jun-hwan 2023 Allen, Texas Kévin Aymoz Shun Sato 2024 Kao Miura 2025 Lake Placid, New York Kévin Aymoz Mikhail Shaidorov Kazuki Tomono
Women's singles +Women's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1979 Lake Placid, New York Lisa-Marie Allen Susanna Driano Sandy Lenz 1980 No competition held 1981 Lake Placid, New York Vikki de Vries Elaine Zayak Claudia Kristofics-Binder 1982 Rosalynn Sumners Claudia Leistner Kristiina Wegelius 1983 Rochester, New York Tiffany Chin Jill Frost Kelly Webster 1984 No competition held 1985 Saint Paul, Minnesota Debi Thomas Tracey Wainman Katrien Pauwels 1986 Portland, Maine Tiffany Chin Tonya Harding Agnès Gosselin 1987 No competition held 1988 Portland, Maine Claudia Leistner Midori Ito Kristi Yamaguchi 1989 Indianapolis, Indiana Tonya Harding Jill Trenary Simone Lang 1990 Buffalo, New York Kristi Yamaguchi Midori Ito Tonia Kwiatkowski 1991 Oakland, California Tonya Harding Kristi Yamaguchi Surya Bonaly 1992 Atlanta, Georgia Yuka Sato Nancy Kerrigan Chen Lu 1993 Dallas, Texas Oksana Baiul Surya Bonaly Tonya Harding 1994 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Surya Bonaly Michelle Kwan Irina Slutskaya 1995 Detroit, Michigan Michelle Kwan Chen Lu 1996 Springfield, Massachusetts Tonia Kwiatkowski Sydne Vogel 1997 Detroit, Michigan Tara Lipinski Elena Sokolova 1998 Maria Butyrskaya Elena Sokolova Angela Nikodinov 1999 Colorado Springs, Colorado Michelle Kwan Julia Soldatova Elena Sokolova 2000 Sarah Hughes 2001 Viktoria Volchkova 2002 Spokane, Washington Ann Patrice McDonough Elena Liashenko 2003 Reading, Pennsylvania Sasha Cohen Jennifer Kirk Shizuka Arakawa 2004 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Angela Nikodinov Cynthia Phaneuf Miki Ando 2005 Atlantic City, New Jersey Elena Sokolova Alissa Czisny Yoshie Onda 2006 Hartford, Connecticut Miki Ando Kimmie Meissner Mao Asada 2007 Reading, Pennsylvania Kimmie Meissner Miki Ando Caroline Zhang 2008 Everett, Washington Yuna Kim Yukari Nakano Miki Ando 2009 Lake Placid, New York Rachael Flatt Júlia Sebestyén 2010 Portland, Oregon Kanako Murakami Carolina Kostner 2011 Ontario, California Alissa Czisny Carolina Kostner Viktoria Helgesson 2012 Kent, Washington Ashley Wagner Christina Gao Adelina Sotnikova 2013 Detroit, Michigan Mao Asada Ashley Wagner Elena Radionova 2014 Chicago, Illinois Elena Radionova Elizaveta Tuktamysheva Gracie Gold 2015 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Evgenia Medvedeva Gracie Gold Satoko Miyahara 2016 Chicago, Illinois Ashley Wagner Mariah Bell Mai Mihara 2017 Lake Placid, New York Satoko Miyahara Kaori Sakamoto Bradie Tennell 2018 Everett, Washington Sofia Samodurova 2019 Las Vegas, Nevada Anna Shcherbakova Bradie Tennell Elizaveta Tuktamysheva 2020 Mariah Bell Audrey Shin 2021 Alexandra Trusova Daria Usacheva You Young 2022 Norwood, Massachusetts Kaori Sakamoto Isabeau Levito Amber Glenn 2023 Allen, Texas Loena Hendrickx Niina Petrõkina 2024 Wakaba Higuchi Rinka Watanabe Isabeau Levito 2025 Lake Placid, New York Alysa Liu Anastasiia Gubanova
Pairs +Pairs event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1979 Lake Placid, New York 1980 No competition held 1981 Lake Placid, New York 1982 1983 Rochester, New York 1984 No competition held 1985 Saint Paul, Minnesota 1986 Portland, Maine 1987 No competition held 1988 Portland, Maine 1989 Indianapolis, Indiana 1990 Buffalo, New York 1991 Oakland, California 1992 Atlanta, Georgia 1993 Dallas, Texas 1994 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1995 Detroit, Michigan 1996 Springfield, Massachusetts 1997 Detroit, Michigan 1998 1999 Colorado Springs, Colorado 2000 2001 2002 Spokane, Washington 2003 Reading, Pennsylvania 2004 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 2005 Atlantic City, New Jersey 2006 Hartford, Connecticut 2007 Reading, Pennsylvania 2008 Everett, Washington 2009 Lake Placid, New York 2010 Portland, Oregon 2011 Ontario, California 2012 Kent, Washington 2013 Detroit, Michigan 2014 Chicago, Illinois 2015 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2016 Chicago, Illinois 2017 Lake Placid, New York 2018 Everett, Washington 2019 Las Vegas, Nevada 2020 2021 2022 Norwood, Massachusetts 2023 Allen, Texas 2024 2025 Lake Placid, New York
Ice dance