The first ladies’ skating competition was held in 1906
Skating first appeared as an Olympic sport at the Summer Games of 1908, which were held in London. The sport found its home at the Winter Olympics in 1924
In 1924 Sonja Henie from Norway became the youngest person to skate in the Olympics. She was 11
Skates were first used as early as 4000 years ago by hunters to cross frozen lakes. These skates, instead of being metal, were made of animal bones, such as reindeer or elk
Olympic champion Dick Button was the first person to perform the double axel, triple loop jump and the flying camel spin
Know your skating jumps
Toe Jumps
Flip jump / Toe loop
Invented in 1913 and 1920 respectively by
American figure skater Bruce Mapes
Lutz jump
Invented in 1913 by Austrian figure skater Alois Lutz
Edge Jumps
Axel jump
Invented in 1882 by Norwegian figure and
speed skater Axel Paulsen
Loop jump
Invented in 1910 by German figure skater Werner Rittberger
Salchow jump
Invented in 1909 by Swedish figure skater Ulrich Salchow
It is the number of rotations performed in the air that determines whether the jump is single, double, tripple or quad.
And some new ones to learn…
Bunny hop jump Mazurka Falling leaf
Doughnut spin Toe walley Camel spin
Figure skating and beyond…
Figure Skating
Figure skating comprises singles skating (men’s and ladies’), pair skating, synchronised skating and ice dancing.
In pair skating, where a man and a woman perform in unison, skaters use elements from the singles discipline as well as pair-specific moves such as lifts.
In ice dancing, a man and a woman perform together in time to music, but no lifts above the head are permitted.
Figure skates have a pick at the toe (called a toe pick or toe rake) to allow a skater to push off of the ice.
Compulsory figures (Harriet’s speciality), where skaters use the blade of their skates to draw figure 8s and other shapes in ice, are judged on clarity, cleanness and placement. These were a compulsory part of the singles competitions, but this ended in 1990.
Speed Skating
In this Olympic sport competitors race against the clock over a set distance.
Body-fitting aerodynamic clothing is worn to increase a skater’s speed.
Race skates with long blades are worn, not figure skates.
Skaters can reach nearly 40 miles per hour.
Short track speed skating
This discipline has only been an Olympic sport since 1992. Skaters race against others – usually in groups of four or six. A competition-size oval rink is used (30 x 60 metres).
British Skating Champions
John Curry
Olympic, World and European Championship gold medallist – 1976
Robin Cousins
Olympic and European Championship gold medallist – 1980
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean
Their finest year – 1984. Olympic gold in Sarajevo, World gold in Ottawa and European gold in Budapest
Cecilia Colledge (Aunt Claudia’s favourite).
World Championship gold – 1937; European Championship gold – 1937, 1938, 1939
Jeanette Altwegg
World and European Championship gold medallist – 1951 Olympic gold medallist – 1952
Get Your Skates On
How can you start skating and get involved?
* Find an ice rink near you – look in your local library for information (Don’t worry, you don’t have to buy ice skates; hire them from your local rink)
* Join the National Ice Skating Association (NISA) beginners’ programme: Skate UK Find out more at the NISA website: http://www.iceskating.org.uk/
* If you find yourself enjoying skating and want to be more committed, get an experienced trainer. Who knows, you may be good enough to enter the UK Junior World Championships one day
* Log on to these websites to learn more about ice skating
Northern Ireland Ice Skating Association:
http://www.skateni.net/
International Skating Union:
http://www.isu.org/
British Olympic Association:
http://www.olympics.org.uk/
These venues have staged outdoor ice rinks over the winter months, and there are lots more to find. Have a go and have fun!
England
Somerset House
Hyde Park
Natural History Museum
The Tower of London
Warwick Castle
Hampton Court
Kew Gardens
Scotland
George Square (Glasgow)
Winchester Cathedral Princes Street Gardens (Edinburgh)
Wales
Cardiff City Hall
Ireland
Royal Dublin Society
Dundalk Ice Dome
Liffey Valley (Dublin)
Look for more information at your local library, tourist information office, or on-line
Who does what?
Can you match the famous sports stars to their disciplines?
Darcey Bussell
Beth Tweddle
Ellen MacArthur
Kelly Holmes
Louise Bond-Williams
Andy Murray
David Beckham
Horseriding
Rowing
Tennis
Ballet
Gymnastics
Football
Athletics
Sailing
Know your sport: how well did you do?
Darcey Bussell – ballet
Zara Phillips – horseriding
Beth Tweddle – gymnastics
Ellen MacArthur – sailing
Kelly Holmes – athletics
Louise Bond-Williams – fencing
Steve Redgrave – rowing
Andy Murray – tennis
David Beckham – football
About the Author
White Boots
NOEL STREATFEILD was born on Christmas Eve in 1885. She was the second daughter of the Bishop of Lewes, and grew up a strong-willed and difficult child (a story she tells in A Vicarage Family). From an early age she was determined to become an actor, and indeed attended the Academy of Dramatic Art, before performing for nine years in the West End and abroad.
It was a sudden decision to become an author, and at first she wrote only for adults. In 1936, however, she wrote Ballet Shoes, her most famous book, and two years later won the prestigious Carnegie Medal for The Circus is Coming. She then planned to write children’s and adult novels alternately, but her success as a children’s author made this impossible.
Although Noel had no children herself, she never failed to supply the kind of book that children wanted to read. She put this down to the fact that she could remember very vividly being a child herself, and that she had a “blotting-paper memory”!
Other Works
Also by the same author
Ballet Shoes for Anna
Copyright
First published in Great Britain by Collins 1951
This edition published by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008
HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd,
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The HarperCollins Children’s Books website address is
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Text copyright © Noel Streatfeild 1951
Postscript copyright © William Streatfeild 2001
Why You’ll Love This Book © Cathy Cassidy 2008
Illustrations by Piers Sanford
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EPub Edition © OCTOBER 2012 ISBN 9780007380763
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