FIGURE SKATING This artistic and fascinating class of skating, as subjected to definite rules, is quite modern, having originated in the 19th century, though the cutting of figures on the ice was regarded as an accomplishment by skaters long before.
Although the Edinburgh Skat ing Club, founded probably in 1742, is the oldest skating or ganization in Great Britain, the Skating club, of London, formed in 1830, is the most important, and for many years practically controlled figure skating. Figure skating championships are held in many countries under the aus pices of the national associations, the world's and European cham pionship meetings having been held since 1896 and 1891, re spectively, by the International Skating Union. In England great impetus has been given to figure skating by the multiplication of clubs, e.g., Wimbledon, founded 1870, Thames Valley, Crystal Palace, and more recently the Figure Skating club, formed for the encouragement of the International style, the combined Figure Skating club, the Manchester S.C. and Combined F.S.C., the Kettering and District, Birmingham, Cambridge university and others, most of which are affiliated to the N.S.A., as well as those of Davos, St. Moritz, Château d'Oex, Engelberg, Wengen, Suvretta and the Bear S.C. at Morgins in Switzerland, the latter an enthusiastic nursery of the English style. Further valuable help has been derived from the construction of numerous artificial rinks, such as at Niagara, the National Skating Palace (known as Hengler's), Prince's club, Manchester Ice palace, and the new Ice club opened in London (Westminster) in 1926. To these must be added the Richmond (1928) and Grosvenor House (1929) rinks. The Richmond Ice Rink Club, on the Middlesex bank of the Thames, built at a cost of L8o,000, was opened on Dec. 18, 1928, and has an artificial ice rink 286 ft. by 85 ft. (an area of 24,300 sq.ft.—the largest covered ice skating rink in the world). The periodical planing, scraping and sweeping of the ice surface is performed by electrical apparatus. The surface will accommodate 1,000 skaters, and speed skating is possible on a track of about 13 laps to the mile. The N.S.A., which nearly to 1898 had sup ported exclusively the English style, has in recent years offered 1st, 2nd and 3rd class badges for figure tests in both English and International styles, as well as for speed; in 1893 the association founded a London Skating Council, while in 1898 and 1902 it held the figure skating championship of the world in London. In America comparatively little interest is shown in this
branch of the sport.
In the British style of figure skating, which is not recognized by the International Skating Union, the body is held as nearly as possible upright, the employed leg is kept straight, the unem ployed leg carried behind, the arms hang loosely at the sides, and the head is turned as a rule in the direction of progress. In the so-called Anglo-Swiss style, affected by British skaters trained at Davos, St. Moritz, and other Swiss centres such as Morgins, the upright, almost rigid position is insisted on, even the unem ployed leg being held straight. Much more latitude is allowed by the Continental school, though here too definite rules of form have been laid down. The knee of the employed leg is slightly bent, and the unemployed leg is in constant action, being used to balance the body during the execution of the figures. The Con tinental is less difficult in execution than the British style, but its movements are more graceful. There are, of course, local modifi cations. Canadians, whose Toronto Skating club is affiliated to the N.S.A., cultivate also grape-vines and other two-footed figures. The essential features are, however, identical. Thus Englishmen consider of secondary importance loops, cross-cuts, continuous and hand-in-hand skating (though such figures as grape-vines, single, double, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia are included in the st class test of the N.S.A.), and devote themselves mainly to "combined figures." Since 1901, however, the N.S.A. has devoted the English challenge cup to the encouragement of single skating in the English style, and since 1906 this competition has consti tuted the championship of Great Britain in that style. There was no contest for the years 1915-20; since then it was won for five out of seven years by R. S. Hewett, Bear S.C., and in 1928 by H. A. C. Goodwin.