Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.

The first Skate America (officially called Norton Skate) was held in 1979 in Lake Placid, New York and was the test event for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. It was incorporated into the Grand Prix Series in 1995, the year of the series' inception.

On September 27, 2001, the Heinz Frozen Foods Company, an affiliate of the H. J. Heinz Company, agreed to become an official sponsor of the USFSA. This gave them the right to rename the competition to Smart Ones Skate America, using their brand name of frozen foods.

Meryl Davis (born January 1, 1987) is an American ice dancer. With partner Charlie White, she is the 2011 World champion, 2010 Olympic silver medalist, the 2010 World silver medalist, three-time Grand Prix Final champion (2009–2011), two-time Four Continents champion (2009, 2011) and four-time U.S. national champion (2009–2012).

Davis and White teamed up in 1997 and they are currently the longest lasting dance team in the United States. They are the first American ice dancers to win the World title. At the 2006 NHK Trophy, they became the first ice dancing team to earn level fours on all their elements.

At the 2010 U.S. Championships, they were nominated to represent the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics. They won the silver medal in the ice dancing event.

Davis and White are the current world record holders for the short dance.

Meryl Davis was raised in West Bloomfield, Michigan. She lives and attends school in Ann Arbor, Michigan and trains in Canton, Michigan.

In June 2005, Davis graduated from Wylie E. Groves High School. She was a member of the National Honor Society and, upon graduation, received the Phi Beta Kappa Society award. She attends the University of Michigan, where she is majoring in cultural anthropology, and also studying Italian. She is an active member of the sorority Delta Delta Delta. She can play the flute.

Tatsuki Machida (町田 樹, Tatsuki Machida^?) (born March 9, 1990 in Kanagawa) is a Japanese figure skater. He is the 2010 Four Continents silver medalist and 2007 Japanese Junior national champion.

As of 2011, he trains at the Ice Castle in Lake Arrowhead, California.

Maxim Leonidovich Trankov (Russian: Максим Леонидович Траньков, born October 7, 1983) is a Russian pair skater. With current partner Tatiana Volosozhar, he is the 2012 European Champion, a two-time (2011 and 2012) World silver medalist, the 2011 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, and the 2011 Russian national champion. They are also gold medalists at 2011 Skate Canada and 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard.

With former partner Maria Mukhortova, he was the 2008 European silver medalist, the 2007 Russian National Champion, and the 2005 World Junior Champion.

Maxim Trankov was born in Perm. His mother was an athlete, competing in running and 400 meter hurdles, and his father was involved in equestrian sports. His father taught him to ride a horse. Trankov is a fan of Russian hip-hop and writes music himself. He has an elder brother, Alexei.

Trankov first stepped onto the ice in the fall of 1987 in Perm; his parents wanted him involved in a sport. He left skating for a while but returned and joined the husband-and-wife coaches Valeri Tiukov and Valentina Tiukova. Trankov was growing quite tall and a coach suggested he take up pair skating when he was 11. He recalled, "I said no at first because I was afraid to grab the hand of a girl, but I tried it and then I liked it."

Mao Asada (浅田 真央, Asada Mao^?, born September 25, 1990) is a Japanese figure skater.

She is the 2010 Winter Olympic silver medalist, a two-time (2008 & 2010) World champion, a two-time (2008 & 2010) Four Continents champion, a two-time (2005–2006 & 2008–2009) Grand Prix Final champion, the 2005 World Junior champion, the 2004–2005 Junior Grand Prix Final champion and a five-time (2006–2009, 2011) Japanese national champion.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, she became the first woman to land three triple axel jumps in the same competition.

Mao Asada was born in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. She was named after the Japanese actress Mao Daichi. She attended Nagoya International School until the middle of 1st grade. After transferring, she graduated from Takabari Elementary School and Takabaridai Junior High. She received her high school diploma from Chukyo High School on March 15, 2009. After that, she enrolled in Chukyo University.

Her sister Mai Asada (two years older) is also a figure skater and finished 6th at the 2006 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. She is now skating in shows.