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The Best Figures Skaters In North America


Today we'll take a quick look at the best figures skaters in North America! All of the talented skaters in this table won the compulsory figures at the Canadian and U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The skaters with a * beside their name also won the overall title.

A point of reference for the list of figures winners at the U.S. Championships: figures were last a part of the senior men's and women's events in 1990, but were contested for close to a decade afterwards as a separate championship event.  

CANADIAN FIGURES CHAMPIONS

Year

Men

Women

1939

Montgomery Wilson*

Mary Rose Thacker*

1940

Ralph McCreath*

Mary Rose Thacker

1941

Ralph McCreath*

Mary Rose Thacker*

1942

Michael Kirby*

Mary Rose Thacker*

1944

(not held)

Barbara Ann Scott*

1945

Frank Sellers

Barbara Ann Scott*

1946

Norris Bowden

Barbara Ann Scott*

1947

Norris Bowden*

Marilyn Ruth Take*

1948

Wally Distelmeyer*

Barbara Ann Scott*

1949

Roger Wickson*

Jeane Matthews

1950

Bill Lewis

Suzanne Morrow*

1951

Peter Firstbrook*

Suzanne Morrow*

1952

Peter Firstbrook*

Vevi Smith

1953

Peter Firstbrook*

Dawn Steckley

1954

Charles Snelling*

Barbara Gratton*

1955

Charles Snelling*

Ann Johnston

1956

Charles Snelling*

Sonja Currie

1957

Charles Snelling*

Carole Jane Pachl*

1958

Charles Snelling*

Margaret Crosland*

1959

Donald Jackson*

Margaret Crosland*

1960

Donald Jackson*

Wendy Griner*

1961

Donald Jackson*

Wendy Griner*

1962

Donald Jackson*

Wendy Griner*

1963

Donald McPherson*

Wendy Griner*

1964

Charles Snelling*

Petra Burka*

1965

Donald Knight*

Petra Burka*

1966

Donald Knight*

Petra Burka*

1967

Donald Knight*

Valerie Jones*

1968

Jay Humphry*

Karen Magnussen*

1969

Jay Humphry*

Karen Magnussen

1970

David McGillvray*

Karen Magnussen*

1971

Toller Cranston*

Karen Magnussen*

1972

Toller Cranston*

Karen Magnussen*

1973

Toller Cranston*

Karen Magnussen*

1974

Toller Cranston*

Daria Prychun

1975

Toller Cranston*

Lynn Nightingale*

1976

Toller Cranston*

Lynn Nightingale*

1977

Ron Shaver*

Lynn Nightingale*

1978

Jimmy Szabo

Heather Kemkaran*

1979

Brian Pockar*

Deborah Albright

1980

Gary Beacom

Heather Kemkaran*

1981

Brian Pockar

Tracey Wainman*

1982

Brian Pockar

Tracey Wainman

1983

Gary Beacom

Kay Thomson*

1984

Gary Beacom

Kay Thomson*

1985

Brian Orser*

Tracey Wainman

1986

Brian Orser*

Tracey Wainman*

1987

Brian Orser*

Elizabeth Manley*

1988

Brian Orser*

Elizabeth Manley*

1989

Kurt Browning*

Charlene Wong

1990

Jeff Partrick

Margot Bion

You'll notice that this table starts in 1939, which was obviously not when the Canadian Championships began. In figure or 'fancy' skating's early years, the competitions were covered in newspaper's 'society' pages instead of in the sports section. More often than not, only the winners were listed. That said, there are some accounts of skaters winning the figures but not the overall title prior to 1939. Two examples of this would be Constance Wilson in 1925 and Cecil Smith in 1933. When Constance won the figures in 1925, Cecil took the overall title and when Cecil won the figures in 1933, Constance was the overall winner.

Tracey Wainman. Photo courtesy Toronto Public Library, from Toronto Star Photographic Archive. Reproduced for educational purposes under license permission.

Perhaps the most interesting thing this list reveals is that for five years in a row (1980-1984), the winner of the senior men's figures was not the overall winner. Three of those years, Gary Beacom won the figures at Canadians. Tracey Wainman would have actually won four Canadian titles in the eighties instead of two had they have been based on figures alone.

The winners of the school figures the last time they were held at the Canadians in 1990 didn't even medal. Jeff Partrick and Margot Bion both placed sixth overall that year. The winners, Kurt Browning and Lisa Sargeant, were both second in figures.

Another interesting tidbit that stands out is that from 1952 to 1956, only once did the winner of the women's figures take the overall title - Barbara Gratton in 1954. Five different women won the Canadian title during that decade.

U.S. FIGURES CHAMPIONS

Year

Men

Women

1914

Norman Mackie Scott*

Edith Eliot Rotch, Theresa Weld* (tie)

1918

Nathaniel Niles*

Rosemary Seton Beresford*

1920

Sherwin Badger*

Theresa Weld*

1921

Sherwin Badger*

Theresa Weld Blanchard*

1922

Sherwin Badger*

Theresa Weld Blanchard*

1923

Sherwin Badger*

Theresa Weld Blanchard*

1924

Nathaniel Niles

Theresa Weld Blanchard*

1925

Nathaniel Niles*

Beatrix Loughran*

1926

Nathaniel Niles

Beatrix Loughran*

1927

Nathaniel Niles*

Beatrix Loughran*

1928

Roger Turner*

Maribel Vinson*

1929

Roger Turner*

Maribel Vinson*

1930

Roger Turner*

Maribel Vinson*

1931

Roger Turner*

Maribel Vinson*

1932

Roger Turner*

Maribel Vinson*

1933

Roger Turner*

Maribel Vinson*

1934

Roger Turner*

Suzanne Davis*

1935

Robin Lee*

Maribel Vinson*

1936

Robin Lee*

Maribel Vinson*

1937

Robin Lee*

Maribel Vinson*

1938

Robin Lee*

Joan Tozzer*

1939

Robin Lee*

Joan Tozzer*

1940

Eugene Turner*

Joan Tozzer*

1941

Eugene Turner*

Gretchen Van Zandt Merrill

1942

Bobby Specht*

Phebe Tucker

1943

Arthur Vaughn Jr.*

Gretchen Van Zandt Merrill*

1944

(not held)

Gretchen Van Zandt Merrill*

1945

(not held)

Gretchen Van Zandt Merrill*

1946

Jimmy Lochead Jr.

Gretchen Van Zandt Merrill*

1947

Dick Button*

Gretchen Van Zandt Merrill*

1948

Dick Button*

Yvonne Sherman

1949

Dick Button*

Yvonne Sherman*

1950

Dick Button*

Yvonne Sherman*

1951

Dick Button*

Sonya Klopfer*

1952

Dick Button*

Tenley Albright*

1953

Hayes Alan Jenkins*

Tenley Albright*

1954

Hayes Alan Jenkins*

Tenley Albright*

1955

Hayes Alan Jenkins*

Tenley Albright*

1956

Hayes Alan Jenkins*

Tenley Albright*

1957

David Jenkins*

Carol Heiss*

1958

Tim Brown

Carol Heiss*

1959

David Jenkins*

Carol Heiss*

1960

Tim Brown

Carol Heiss*

1961

Gregory Kelley

Stephanie Westerfeld

1962

Monty Hoyt*

Barbara Roles Pursley*

1963

Monty Hoyt

Lorraine Hanlon*

1964

Scott Ethan Allen*

Christine Haigler

1965

Gary Visconti*

Peggy Fleming*

1966

Scott Ethan Allen*

Peggy Fleming*

1967

Scott Ethan Allen

Peggy Fleming*

1968

Tim Wood*

Peggy Fleming*

1969

Tim Wood*

Dawn Glab

1970

Tim Wood*

Janet Lynn*

1971

John 'Misha' Petkevich*

Julie Lynn Holmes

1972

John 'Misha' Petkevich

Julie Lynn Holmes

1973

Gordon McKellen Jr.*

Diane Goldstein

1974

Charlie Tickner

Dorothy Hamill*

1975

Gordon McKellen Jr.*

Dorothy Hamill*

1976

David Santee

Dorothy Hamill*

1977

David Santee

Barbie Smith

1978

Charlie Tickner*

Linda Fratianne*

1979

Charlie Tickner*

Linda Fratianne*

1980

Charlie Tickner*

Linda Fratianne*

1981

Scott Hamilton*

Priscilla Hill

1982

Scott Hamilton*

Priscilla Hill

1983

Scott Hamilton*

Melissa Thomas

1984

Scott Hamilton*

Rosalynn Sumners*

1985

Brian Boitano*

Tiffany Chin*

1986

Brian Boitano*

Debi Thomas*

1987

Brian Boitano*

Debi Thomas

1988

Brian Boitano*

Debi Thomas*

1989

Daniel Doran

Jill Trenary*

1990

Todd Eldredge*

Jill Trenary*

1991*

Craig Heath

Kelly Ann Szmurlo

1992*

Brian Schmidt

Kelly Ann Szmurlo

1993*

Gene 'Gigi' Siruno

Kelly Ann Szmurlo

1994*

Gene 'Gigi' Siruno

Melanie Dupon

1995*

John Baldwin Jr.

Lisa Bryson

1996*

Everett Weiss

Cassy Papajohn

1997*

Everett Weiss

Melanie Dupon

1998*

(not held)

Cassy Papajohn

1999*

(not held)

Lisa Frenzel Swain

Aside from the post-1990 events, only four times has the winner of the school figures not won a medal in a senior event at the U.S. Championships. All four times, it happened in the women's event - in 1969, 1973, 1982 and 1983. The only tie in senior figures at the U.S. Championships happened at the very first event in Boston in 1914. 

Maribel Vinson Owen. Photo courtesy Harvard University, Radcliffe Archives.

Roger Turner holds the record for the most wins in the school figures in the men's event at seven, while Maribel Vinson Owen holds the record for the most wins by a man or woman at nine. Julie Lynn Holmes and Priscilla Hill both have the distinction of winning the figures at the U.S. Championships twice, but never winning a national title. 

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.
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