The North American Challenge Skate was a series of annual summer figure skating competitions for American an Canadian figure skaters on the novice and junior levels. It was a developmental program rather than an elite competition series; the purpose of the program was to give young skaters a chance to compete internationally and hone their skills. The events began in 1996 and consisted of two to four competitions each year, split between the US and Canada. The competitions were jointly sponsored by Skate Canada and the USFSA, rather than being international competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union. Skaters competed in four disciplines across the two levels: men's singles, ladies singles, pairs, and ice dance. The competition was also open to invited skaters from Mexico.