The leg bone of a horse was typically used as a skate blade. The bone was flattened slightly and holes were drilled in each end. Leather straps were then threaded through the holes and tied to the boots or shoes. In fact, an early Dutch word for skate is schenkel, which means "leg bone."
Woodcuts from the 1500’s show bone skates being used together with a stick pushed between the legs to help the skaters pick up speed.
First Iron Ice Skates Invented
In 1592, a Scotsman reportedly invented the first iron, skate blades. The iron blades allowed skaters to glide faster and more smoothly across ice surfaces. This resulted in the formation of the Skating Club of Edinburgh in 1642. The world’s first organized speed skating race was held in 1763 on the Fens in England.
By the 1600s, Dutch people were using ice skates to travel on the many frozen canals and waterways linking villages and homes.
People also began adapting skate blades to the different types of ice surfaces. For skating on the long canals, a long, speed skating type of blade was used. For small ponds and lakes, skates with shorter blades allowed for sharper turns and sideways stopping.
Ice Skating Comes to North America
According to the site, The Short History of Ice Skating, British Army officers likely introduced skating to North America during the 1700s. Since most garrisons were located close to waterways, the Officers cleared a spot and enjoyed games of shinny on the ice. Legend has it that the Iroquois natives also tied animal shinbones to their footwear for skating. And as early as 1604, records show the Acadians in Nova Scotia were skating for sport.
Credit for the invention of the steel ice skate is given to John Forbes, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in 1867.
Figure skating in North America became popular after 1865, when pioneer, American figure skater Jackson Haines is said to have invented skates with a two plate all steel blade. He affixed the blade to a boot with screws making them the first figure skates. Haines was famous for his dance moves, jumps and spins on ice. In 1870, Haines added toe picks to figure skates for greater control and manoeuvrability.
Covered Rinks and Arenas Are Constructed
The first covered indoor skating rink opened in Quebec City in 1852. The rink was built over natural ice and heated sheds provided skaters a place to put on skates and warm up.
The Wapedia.com web site claims the first artificial ice rink, The Glaciarium opened on January 1876, in Chelsea, London, England. The rink was gas-lit so skating could take place at night. Ice rinks became the site of many fancy, dress balls with finely dressed ladies and gentlemen gliding gracefully over the frozen surfaces. They were a precursor to the ice carnivals of today.
Ice-skating has become a sports phenomenon throughout the world. Hockey, figure skating, speed skating and curling have all become Olympic sports. Synchronized skating and Ice Capades with skaters dressed as Disney characters have delighted audiences for decades.
Thanks to early man's determination to travel quickly on foot over frozen surfaces, ice-skating on outdoor rinks and indoor arenas is a sport to be enjoyed throughout the year.
Sheila Aylesworth - Sheila Aylesworth is a retired Student Resource Assistant. Her responsibilities included positive, communication with people from all ...
