North American Figure Skating Championships
# North American Figure Skating Championships

The North American Figure Skating Championships were a former elite figure skating competition for skaters from the United States and Canada. It was a biennial (every two years) competition held between 1923 and 1971, with locations alternating between the two countries.

## History

Although the event was classified as an "international competition" under International Skating Union rules, it was actually a cooperative venture between the United States Figure Skating Association and the Canadian Figure Skating Association, which both had their roots in a former organization called the Ice Skating Union of America. The latter organization had sponsored competitions open to skaters of both countries as early as 1913.

The 1943 competition was canceled due to World War II and the 1945 competition included ladies single skating only. Ice dance was included for the first time in 1947.

The competition was discontinued when the Canadian federation abruptly canceled its participation in the 1973 event, which was to have been held in Rochester, New York. The CFSA cited problems with the judging (which tended to favor the skaters of whichever country had a majority of judges on the panel) and the reluctance of top skaters from both countries to participate in an event immediately before the World Figure Skating Championships. In fact, the CFSA was at that time already planning to hold its own international competition, the first Skate Canada International, in the fall of 1973. This event would be open to skaters from all ISU member countries and use international judges. The USFSA established its own international competition, Skate America, in the fall of 1979.

## Medalists

### Men

Men's medalists :

| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1923 | Ottawa | Sherwin Badger | Melville Rogers | ? |
| 1925 | Boston | Melville Rogers | Nathaniel Niles | no other competitors |
| 1927 | Toronto | Melville Rogers | Sherwin Badger | Montgomery Wilson |
| 1929 | Boston | Montgomery Wilson | Roger Turner | Frederick Goodridge |
| 1931 | Ottawa | Montgomery Wilson | James Madden | Gail Borden |
| 1933 | New York City | Montgomery Wilson | J. Lester Madden | Robin Lee |
| 1935 | Montreal | Montgomery Wilson | Robin Lee | J. Lester Madden |
| 1937 | Boston | Montgomery Wilson | Roger Turner | Ralph McCreath |
| 1939 | Toronto | Montgomery Wilson | Robin Lee | Ralph McCreath |
| 1941 | Philadelphia | Ralph McCreath | Eugene Turner | William Grimditch |
| 1947 | Ottawa | Dick Button | James Grogan | Wallace Diestelmeyer |
| 1949 | Philadelphia | Dick Button | James Grogan | Hayes Alan Jenkins |
| 1951 | Calgary | Dick Button | James Grogan | Hayes Alan Jenkins |
| 1953 | Cleveland | Hayes Alan Jenkins | Peter Firstbrook | Ronnie Robertson |
| 1955 | Regina, Saskatchewan | Hayes Alan Jenkins | David Jenkins | Charles Snelling |
| 1957 | Rochester, New York | David Jenkins | Charles Snelling | Tim Brown |
| 1959 | Toronto | Donald Jackson | Tim Brown | Robert Brewer |
| 1961 | Philadelphia | Donald Jackson | Bradley Lord | Gregory Kelley |
| 1963 | Vancouver | Donald McPherson | Thomas Litz | Scott Allen |
| 1965 | Rochester, New York | Gary Visconti | Scott Allen | Donald Knight |
| 1967 | Montreal | Donald Knight | Scott Allen | Gary Visconti |
| 1969 | Oakland, California | Tim Wood | Jay Humphry | John Misha Petkevich |
| 1971 | Peterborough, Ontario | John Misha Petkevich | Toller Cranston | Ken Shelley |

### Ladies

Ladies' 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 | Beatrix Loughran | Constance Wilson | Cecil Smith |
| 1929 | Boston | Constance Wilson | Maribel Vinson | Suzanne Davis |
| 1931 | Ottawa | Constance Wilson | Elizabeth Fisher | Mrs. Frederick Secord |
| 1933 | New York City | Constance Wilson-Samuel | Cecil Gooderham | Suzanne Davis |
| 1935 | Montreal | Constance Wilson-Samuel | Maribel Vinson | Suzanne Davis |
| 1937 | Boston | Maribel Vinson | Veronica Clarke | Eleanor O'Meara |
| 1939 | Toronto | Mary Rose Thacker | Joan Tozzer | Norah McCarthy |
| 1941 | Philadelphia | Mary Rose Thacker | Eleanor O'Meara | Norah McCarthy |
| 1945 | New York City | Barbara Ann Scott | Gretchen Merrill | Janette Ahrens |
| 1947 | Ottawa | Barbara Ann Scott | 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, Saskatchewan | Tenley Albright | Carol Heiss | Patricia Firth |
| 1957 | Rochester, New York | Carol Heiss | Carole Jane Pachl | Joan Schenke |
| 1959 | Toronto | Carol Heiss | Lynn Finnegan | Nancy Heiss |
| 1961 | Philadelphia | Laurence Owen | Wendy Griner | Sonia Snelling |
| 1963 | Vancouver | Wendy Griner | Petra Burka | Shirra Kenworthy |
| 1965 | Rochester, New York | Petra Burka | Peggy Fleming | Valerie Jones |
| 1967 | Montreal | Peggy Fleming | Valerie Jones | Tina Noyes |
| 1969 | Oakland, California | Janet Lynn | Karen Magnussen | Linda Carbonetto |
| 1971 | Peterborough, Ontario | Karen Magnussen | Janet Lynn | Suna Murray |

### Pairs

Pairs medalists :

| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1923 | Ottawa | Dorothy Jenkins / A.G. McClennan | Theresa Weld Blanchard / Nathaniel Niles | Channing Frothingham / Charles Rotch |
| 1925 | Boston | Theresa Weld Blanchard / Nathaniel Niles | Gladys Rogers / Melville Rogers | no other competitors |
| 1927 | Toronto | Marion McDougall / Chauncey Bangs | Theresa Weld Blanchard / Nathaniel Niles | Constance Wilson / Montgomery Wilson |
| 1929 | Boston | Constance Wilson / Montgomery Wilson | Theresa Weld Blanchard / Nathaniel Niles | Maribel Vinson / Thornton Coolidge |
| 1931 | Ottawa | Constance Wilson / Montgomery Wilson | Frances Claudet / Chauncey Bangs | Beatrix Loughran / Sherwin Badger |
| 1933 | New York City | Constance Wilson-Samuel / Montgomery Wilson | Maud Smith / Jack Eastwood | Kathleen Lopdell / Donald Cruikshank |
| 1935 | Montreal | Maribel Vinson / George Hill | Constance Wilson-Samuel / Montgomery Wilson | Louise Bertram / Stewart Reburn |
| 1937 | Boston | Veronica Clarke / Ralph McCreath | Maribel Vinson / George Hill | Grace Madden / J. Lester Madden |
| 1939 | Toronto | Joan Tozzer / Bernard Fox | Norah McCarthy / Ralph McCreath | Aidrie Cruikshank / Donald Cruikshank |
| 1941 | Philadelphia | Eleanor O'Meara / Ralph McCreath | Donna Atwood / Eugene Turner | Patricia Vaeth / Jack Might |
| 1947 | Ottawa | Suzanne Morrow / Wallace Distelmeyer | Yvonne Sherman / Robert Swenning | Karol Kennedy / Peter Kennedy |
| 1949 | Philadelphia | Karol Kennedy / Peter Kennedy | Marlene Smith / Donald Gilchrist | Irene Maguire / Walter Muehlbronner |
| 1951 | Calgary | Karol Kennedy / Peter Kennedy | Janet Gerhauser / John Nightingale | Jane Kirby / Donald Tobin |
| 1953 | Cleveland | Frances Dafoe / Norris Bowden | Carole Ann Ormaca / Robin Greiner | Margaret Anne Graham / Hugh Graham |
| 1955 | Regina, Saskatchewan | Frances Dafoe / Norris Bowden | Carole Ann Ormaca / Robin Greiner | Barbara Wagner / Robert Paul |
| 1957 | Rochester, New York | Barbara Wagner / Robert Paul | Maria Jelinek / Otto Jelinek | Nancy Rouillard / Ronald Ludington |
| 1959 | Toronto | Barbara Wagner / Robert Paul | ? | ? |
| 1961 | Philadelphia | Maria Jelinek / Otto Jelinek | Maribel Owen / Dudley Richards | Debbi Wilkes / Guy Revell |
| 1963 | Vancouver | Debbi Wilkes / Guy Revell | Gertrude DesJardins / Maurice LaFrance | Vivian Joseph / Ronald Joseph |
| 1965 | Rochester, New York | Vivian Joseph / Ronald Joseph | Cynthia Kauffman / Ronald Kauffman | Susan Huehnergard / Paul Huehnergard |
| 1967 | Montreal | Cynthia Kauffman / Ronald Kauffman | Susan Berens / Roy Wagelein | Betty Jean Lewis / Richard Gilbert |
| 1969 | Oakland, California | Cynthia Kauffman / Ronald Kauffman | JoJo Starbuck / Ken Shelley | Mary Petrie / Robert McAvoy |
| 1971 | Peterborough, Ontario | JoJo Starbuck / Ken Shelley | Melissa Militano / Mark Militano | Sandra Bezic / Val Bezic |

### Ice dance

Ice dancing medalists :

| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1947 | Ottawa | Lois Waring / Walter Bainbridge | Ann Davies / Carleton Hoffner | Marcella Willis / Frank Davenport |
| 1949 | Philadelphia | Lois Waring / Walter Bainbridge | Irene Maguire / Walter Muehlbronner | Ann Davies / Carleton Hoffner |
| 1951 | Calgary | Carmel Bodel / Edward Bodel | Carol Ann Peters / Daniel Ryan | Pierette Paquin / Donald Tobin |
| 1953 | Cleveland | Carol Ann Peters / Daniel Ryan | Virginia Hoyns / Donald Jacoby | Carmel Bodel / Edward Bodel |
| 1955 | Regina, Saskatchewan | Carmel Bodel / Edward Bodel | Joan Zamboni / Roland Junso | Virginia Hoyns / William Kipp |
| 1957 | Rochester, New York | Geraldine Fenton / William McLachlan | Joan Zamboni / Roland Junso | Sharon McKenzie / Bert Wright |
| 1959 | Toronto | Geraldine Fenton / William McLachlan | Andree Jacoby / Donald Jacoby | Anne Martin / Edward Collins |
| 1961 | Philadelphia | Virginia Thompson / William McLachlan | Dona Lee Carrier / Roger Campbell | Paulette Doan / Kenneth Ormsby |
| 1963 | Vancouver | Paulette Doan / Kenneth Ormsby | Donna Mitchell / John Mitchell | Sally Schantz / Stanley Urban |
| 1965 | Rochester, New York | Lorna Dyer / John Carrell | Kristin Fortune / Dennis Sveum | Carole Forrest / Kevin Lethbridge |
| 1967 | Montreal | Lorna Dyer / John Carrell | Joni Graham / Don Phillips | Judy Schwomeyer / James Sladky |
| 1969 | Oakland, California | Donna Taylor / Bruce Lennie | Judy Schwomeyer / James Sladky | Debbie Gerken / Raymond Tiedemann |
| 1971 | Peterborough, Ontario | Judy Schwomeyer / James Sladky | Anne Millier / Harvey Millier | Mary Karen Campbell / Johnny Johns |

### Fours

Fours competitions were held only in the indicated years.

Fours medalists :

| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1923 | Ottawa | Elizabeth Blair, Florence Wilson, Philip H. Chrysler, C.R. Morphy | ? | ? |
| 1931 | Ottawa | Frances Claudet, Kathleen Lopdell, Melville Rogers, Guy Owen | ? | Elizabeth Fisher |
| 1933 | New York City | Margaret Davis, Prudence Holbrook, Melville Rogers, Guy Owen | Constance Wilson-Samuel, Elizabeth Fisher, Montgomery Wilson, Hubert Sprott | ? |
| 1935 | Montreal | Margaret Davis, Prudence Holbrook, Melville Rogers, Guy Owen | ? | ? |
| 1937 | Boston | Margaret Davis, Prudence Holbrook, Melville Rogers, Guy Owen | Naomi Slater, Aidrie Cruikshank, Jack Hose, Donald Cruikshank | ? |
| 1939 | Toronto | Dorothy Caley, Hazel Caley, Ralph McCreath, Montgomery Wilson | Gillian Watson, Ruth Hall, Sandy McKechnie, Donald Gilchrist | Nettie Prantel, Marjorie Parker, Joseph Savage, George Boltres |
| 1941 | Philadelphia | Janette Ahrens, Mary Louise Premer, Robert Uppgren, Lyman Wakefield, Jr. | Therese McCarthy, Virginia Wilson, Donald Gilchrist, Michael Kirby | ? |
| 1949 | Philadelphia | Janet Gerhauser, Marilyn Thomsen, Marlyn Thomsen, John Nightingale | Mary Kenner, Vera Smith, Peter Dunfield, Peter Firstbrook | ? |
