Skating History & Facts
The oldest pair of skates known date back to about 3000 B.C., found at the bottom of a lake in Switzerland. The skates were made from the leg bones of large animals, holes were bored at each end of the bone and leather straps were used to tie the skates on. The Dutch word for "skate" is "schenkel" which means "leg bone".
Around the 14th Century, the Dutch started using wooden platform skates with flat iron bottom runners. The skates were attached to the skater’s shoes with leather straps. Poles were used to propel the skater. Around 1500, the Dutch added a narrow metal double-edged blade, making the poles a thing of the past, as the skater could now push and glide with his feet (called the "Dutch Roll").
In 1848, E. V. Bushnell of Philadelphia, PA invented the first all steel clamp for skates.
In 1865, Jackson Haines, a famous American skater, developed the two plate all metal blade. The blade was attached directly to Haines' boots. The skater became famous for his new dance moves, jumps and spins. Haines added the first toe pick to skates in the 1870's, making toe pick jumps possible.
The first artificial ice rink (mechanically-refrigerated) was built in 1876, at Chelsea, London, England and was named the Glaciarium. It was built near the King's Road in London by John Gamgee.
In 1914, John E. Strauss, a blade maker from St. Paul, Minnesota, invented the first closed toe blade made from one piece of steel, making skates lighter and stronger.
The largest outdoor ice rink is the Fujikyu Highland Promenade Rink in Japan, built in 1967 and boasts an ice area of 165,750 square feet-- equal to 3.8 acres.
The World's Oldest Known Skating Image
In 1396 Lydwine (also Ludwina and Lidwina), a beautiful 16-year-old girl, from Schiedam in Holland was visited by friends, who invited her to go skating. Legend says that Lydwine's friends insisted that she go skating even though she said she wasn't feeling well. Once they were on the ice Lydwine was knocked down. She broke 6 ribs and was bedridden for the rest of her life. After the accident Lydwine had visions and was given credit for performing many miracles. Lydwine was canonized in 1890 and was named the Patron Saint of Skating in 1944. The Dutch artist, Johannes Brugman, made this image of the fateful fall in 1498. This image provided courtesy of the SchaatsMuseum (Netherlands)
When the British and Dutch colonized America, they brought their skates along. The early center of skating in America was in Philadelphia. The first skating club in the United States was founded there on December 21, 1849. In the 1850's and 1860's skating became a craze in Europe and America. 50,000 people a day would skate at New York's Central Park! Thousands of people from all walks of life were caught up in the craze. Rich, poor, children, drunks, even horses joined in the madness.
Jamie & David, History in the Making
