Ice Skating as a Sport

• Individual Figure skating (also called 'Free skating')
• Pairs skating
• Ice Dancing
• Precision Team skating
• Speed skating
• Team games such as ice hockey

Figure Skating

Although Ice Dancing and Pairs Skating are types of figure skating, Individual Figure Skating or Free Skating is for solo skaters, male or female. It consists of jumps, turns and spins, all done with graceful flowing movements.

Jumps
A simple jump is a hop from one foot to another but when top professional skaters perform their jumps, they often consist of one, two or three revolutions of the body. In an Axel jump, the skater takes off forwards and lands backwards completing one-and-a half, two-and-a half turns or even three-and-a half turns in the air! Other jumps include the Lutz, Salchow and Waltz.

Spins
A spin involves a skater rotating on the spot. This can be done on two feet, on one foot with the other leg raised (a camel spin), standing up or crouching down. Spins are hard to control but the top professionals can spin so fast, their body seems like a blur.

Competition
There are two events in international Free Skating competitions - the Short programme and the Long Programme. In the Short Programme, skaters perform a number of set 'elements', including jumps, spins and a 'step sequence'. The Long Programme is an original routine, created to show off the skater's skills. Some are very dramatic with sensational jumps and impressive spins.

Pairs Skating

This event is similar to 'solo' figure skating, except that it is done in pairs. Most competitors are already good senior free skaters.

Jumps and Spins
As in solo free skating, there are jumps and spins and these are combined with dramatic overhead lifts and 'thrown' jumps, where the man hurls his partner into the air - the throw is practised many times to ensure she lands safely! The two-person spins are fascinating to watch and most pairs perform the 'death spiral' where the woman, lying almost flat on the ice, spins around her partner.

Competition
Synchronisation is the key to good pairs skating - each partner mirrors or parallels the steps of the other to keep perfect time throughout each routine. In competitions, there are long and short programmes as in single free skating.

Ice Dancing

Ice dance is about precision, smoothness and control. Skaters must keep in perfect time with the music and each other. There are no jumps and none of the dramatic overhead lifts allowed in pair skating. Instead, an ice dance is composed of flowing movements and professional dancers work hard to improve the technical difficulty and originality of their routines. The masters of ice dance are of course Torvill and Dean, who continue to amaze and enthral audiences with their ice shows. [See Information: Links: Torvill and Dean].

Competition
There are three events: Compulsories, Original Dance, and the Free Dance. Compulsories are dances with set patterns. For the Original Dance section, skaters must abide by certain conditions set by the ISU (International Skating Union) and prepare a routine in line with these conditions. The Free Dance event is the most spectacular to watch because in this section, skaters have almost complete freedom to design a unique routine providing they keep to certain rules, particularly those relating to lifts and jumps.

Precision Team Skating

Precision Team Skating, originating from Michigan in 1956, is a new discipline in the sport of ice-skating. It is formation dancing on ice for mixed teams of 12 to 24. Teams perform various movements such as the block, circle, straight line, wheel and an intersection. In competition there are are two programmes: short and long. In the short programme, teams perform set movements and in the long programme, they are free to design their own routine.

Judges sit above the ice surface so that they can see the patterns as they are performed. The first World Championships are scheduled for 1998.

Speed Skating

Speed skating is probably the oldest competitive form of ice skating with a history dating back to the 17th century. Races are held over various distances. In top competitions skaters don't race against each other. Instead, their individual performances are timed. Those with the best times are declared first, second and third respectively.

Ice Hockey

Ice Hockey is an action-packed game and is one of the fastest of all sports. With the development of the new Superleague in the UK, it is increasingly popular as a spectator sport throughout the country. As well as the Superleague, there are senior men's and ladies' leagues and junior leagues. (See Sporting Year Book: Ice Hockey on HomeCampus)

The game is played on an oval rink enclosed by a board wall. It is divided into three 20-minute periods. Six players from each team are allowed on the ice at any one time during the game but several substitutions are allowed.

Ice Shows

Skating for Fun

Never attempt to skate (or walk) on a frozen pond. The ice is of an uneven thickness and could easily crack and break under your weight. Many serious accidents occur when people ignore this warning.[See On the Ice: Safety]