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Ice Skating is a real treat to watch. Lithe skaters seem to effortlessly glide over the rinks and yet maintain their poise. Figure skating, performed either individually or in pairs, can be likened to an art form. Figure skaters, who are the embodiment of technique and grace, synchronize their routines to music. Having started as a mode of transport, ice skating is now a professional sport played at the Winter Olympics. Find out more about this sport and its origins.
History of Ice Skating
The history of Ice Skating can be traced back to the frozen canals and waterways of Scandinavia and the Netherlands, about 1000 years ago. People laced animal bones to their footwear and glided across frozen lakes and rivers. The credit for creating a pair of all-iron skates goes to a Scotsman who invented them in1592. In the 1600s, traveling on blades between villages was a useful and popular means of transport for the Dutch. The Skating Club of Edinburgh was formed in 1642 and the world's first organized speed skating race was held in the year 1763 on the Fens in England. The sport was later introduced in North America, and a lighter, sharper, all-steel blade was produced in 1850. The Dutch organized the first world championship in 1889, where the skaters covered four distances 500m, 1500m, 5000m and 10000m. Jackson Haines of America was a pioneer in figure skating. He was talented in ice skating and dancing, and brought about many innovations. Norway's Sonja Henie popularized figure skating during the 1920s and 1930s.
In Ice Skating, people glide across a stretch of ice by balancing on steel runners fixed to the bottom of boots specifically designed for skating. People skate on frozen lakes, ponds, rivers or streams as well as on artificially created ice in indoor or outdoor skating rinks. Ice Skating is popular both as a recreational activity as well as a competitive sport. Ice skating, as a competitive sport can be further categorized into figure skating and speed skating. Figure skating is a blend of athletic and artistic skills. Speed skating is Ice Skating on oval tracks. Ice Skating skills are necessary for ice hockey players too. Recreational Ice Skating is popular in cold countries, where the winters are long and cold. People in warmer countries enjoy Ice Skating in indoor rinks. Understanding the basic techniques, proper equipment and clothing, and paying attention to safety issues are important aspects of Ice Skating.
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