Because many of the top American figure skaters (including Carol Heiss and David Jenkins) had retired from the sport after the 1960 Winter Olympics, new champions were crowned in all four disciplines.
A notable feature of this event is that it was the first time the United States Figure Skating Championships were covered on national television, with a modest rights fee being paid by CBS.
The men's competition was won by Bradley Lord, likewise in a come-from-behind victory in the free skating after having been second to Gregory Kelley in the compulsory figures.
However, they never arrived; their flight crashed near Brussels, Belgium the next morning, killing all on board (including coaches, officials, and family members).
The few team members who had not made the trip included skater Brown, and coach Ronald Ludington (who was unable to afford the travel expenses).