History of figure skating

In the work, centered on Thomas Becket, he describes a scene taking place below the northern city walls of Canterbury during the winter: ...if the moors in Finsbury and Moorfield freeze over, children from London play.

In the Netherlands, ice skating was considered proper for all classes of people to participate in, as shown in many pictures by the Old Masters.

Skating was used as a means of transportation because the waterways which connected Dutch towns sometimes froze for months on end, hampering the economy.

King Louis XVI of France brought ice skating to Paris during his reign[citation needed].

While the Spanish wore clogs with spikes to travel over the frozen sea during battles, the Dutch fought on bladed skates, which allowed them to defeat their enemy.

In 1813, Jean Garcin published the first book about ice skating in France, entitled Le vrai pattineur (The True Skater).

[5] By the last 25 years of the 19th century, skating became a rapidly growing and popular sport in Canada, with clubs being founded in many cities and competitions occurring frequently within and between them.

[9] Sex segregation at ponds disappeared early on and skating became "one of the only activities that single men and women could do together unchaperoned.

"[9] Additional skating ponds opened in Brooklyn, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Staten Island as the activity grew in popularity.

[9] Jackson Haines, an American, was the first skater to incorporate ballet and dance movements into his skating, as opposed to focusing on tracing patterns on the ice.

He also invented the sit spin and developed a shorter, curved blade for figure skating that allowed for easier turns.

Haines instead attempted to spread his innovations in ice skating style in Europe, gaining success in such countries as Sweden and Austria.

The first notable indoor ice rink was made in 1876, by John Gamgee, in Chelsea along the north bank of the Thames River; it measured 24 by 40 feet.

Carnivals, beginning in the 1870s, provided opportunities for skaters of all skills and levels to present shows for their parents and families, and for the general public.

Grapevines, which Hines calls "a uniquely North American innovation",[8] required skaters to keep both feet on the ice for the duration of the figure.

Theresa Weld, Nathaniel Niles, Sherwin Badger, Roger Turner, Maribel Vinson, Joan Tozzer, and Bernard Fox trained there in the years before World War II.

[7] In the beginning of the 20th century, figure skating was lent a more athletic character through the developments of Ulrich Salchow, a Swede.

Salchow was considered the greatest figure skater of his day by far, winning the world championships ten times.

Oelschlägel won a championship in the United States at the age of 17, and had a professional career spanning ten years.

In 1922, the World and European Championships were renewed and in 1924 figure skating was part of the first Winter Olympics, held in Chamonix, France.

Henie, a ten-time world champion, brought a new style to figure skating in both athletic practice and dress.

Figure Skating Association sponsored the first of annual association-wide carnivals held for three years in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.

During Henie's years of domination, beginning in 1927, Fritzi Burger, Melitta Brunner, Hilde Holovsky, and Liselotte Landbeck won 11 of the 20 silver and bronze medals contested at Worlds during that time.

Many of the new top competitors came from the United States and Canada, bringing with them a style that emphasized speed, endurance, and dynamic movements.

They included Americans Richard Button (who was the first skater to complete both the double Axel jump and a loop jump with three rotations), Hayes Alan Jenkins, David Jenkins, Tenley Albright, and Carol Heiss; and Canadians Barbara Ann Scott and Donald Jackson.

In 1961, the crash of Sabena Flight 548 claimed the lives of the entire United States figure skating team and their coaches.

The event sharply reduced American strength in the sport for a period but by the late 1960s the country began a resurgence led by Peggy Fleming.

[24] Once worth 60% of the score in single skating, compulsory figures steadily decreased in value to 20% and were eliminated from international competition after the 1989–90 season.

[25][26] Skaters were able to achieve greater speed with improvements in blade sharpening and water purification (affecting ice quality).

[28] In June 1992, skaters who had already lost their eligibility were given an opportunity to apply for reinstatement in order to compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics.