A SLICK, QUICK GUIDE TO FIGURE SKATING
By Erin K. Schonauer & Jamie C. Schonauer

Spins, jumps, and shimmering costumes.  That’s what you see on the outside looking in.  But, how did figure skating start and what’s a salchow anyway?  Lace up your skates and let’s hit the ice.    

GLIDING THROUGH HISTORY

From skaters gliding outside on frozen ponds in the mid-16th century to skaters performing quad jumps in multi-million dollar indoor ice rinks of today, the sport has evolved significantly.   

Take a glide back in time to the mid 16th century.  Here, the Dutch developed thin iron blades which enabled skaters to move across the ice with speed and stability.  With this invention, skating began to spread worldwide.  

In 1858, New York opened its first skating pond in Central Park.  It was a huge hit and drew tens of thousands of skaters.  The sport began to grow, but the use for skating ponds was seasonal.  That’s when skating and baseball became a pair team.  Did you know that during the Civil War skating was so popular it helped bring about Major League Baseball?  Since the skating ponds were only used in the winter, owners were in search to find a use for the space in the spring and summer.  So, the skating ponds were transformed into baseball fields and Major League Baseball was on its way to stardom.  And by 1908 figure skating became a star when it was introduced at the Winter Olympic Games in London.  

JUMP IN

You might have seen skaters performing various jumps.  But, what’s different about them?  Let’s break down the types of jumps skaters execute.  There are two types: edge jumps and toe jumps.  Edge jumps are exactly what the name implies.  The jump occurs when skaters glide on the edge of their blade just before takeoff.  Salchow, loop, and axel are examples of edge jumps.

Toe jumps occur when skaters use their toe pick, the rigid tip located at the front of the blade, to launch themselves into the air.  When you watch skaters, you’ll see them tap their toe pick in the ice right before the jump.  Toe loop, flip, and lutz are examples of toe jumps.

SPIN OUT

When watching skaters spin, don’t get too dizzy!  Instead, look at the position to identify the type of spin.  When executing a sit spin, the skaters spin in a sitting position.  During a camel spin, skaters spin in an arabesque position.  You can spot a layback spin when skaters arch back and spin on one foot.  When skaters change feet during a spin, they’re also changing the direction which adds difficulty.    

BRAIN FREEZE TRIVIA

• When famous figure skater Peggy Fleming skated in the 1968 Olympic Winter Games, she wore a dress sewn by her mother Doris.  
• In 1988, Olympic skaters, Katarina Witt and Debbie Thomas both picked the same exact music to skate to—the music of Carmen for their long program.  (How awkward!  It’s like showing up to the prom with the same dress as the prom queen.)
• Kurt Browning was the first male skater to land a quadruple jump in competition.  It was a quad toe loop at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.  That’s rotating four times in the air in a matter of seconds!
• High end leather skating boots can cost up to $400.  And the blades?  Well, they can cost up to $500.  
• Robin John Cousins performed the longest back flip on ice.  An impressive 18 feet in length!