The curves are skated with a step-over-step action, and the direction is always from right to left. Hence, on entering the curve the right foot is brought across in front and set down on the inside edge, the left passing behind on the outside edge, and being in its turn set down on an outside edge in front. The strokes thus form a series of tangents to the curve, and are little shorter than in the straight. With a radius of 25 and 3o metres, as on the superb 400 metres racing track at Davos, the curves can be skated with safety at full speed.
The following are the amateur speed records at the principal distances: The superiority of Norwegian skaters in world's championship races has been remarkable, Norway having provided 13 out of winners between 1893 and 1928. On five occasions before the present system of points was adopted the result was indecisive, no skater winning three out of four races. Of these 13 victories no less than five stand to the credit of the Norwegian champion, Oscar Mathiesen, of Christiania (Oslo), who from 1914-27 was also holder of four out of five world's records for the usual dis tances. Holland has four victories to its credit (J. J. Eden three and De Koning one), Finland four (F. Wathen one and C. Thun berg three), and Russia two (N. Strunnikoff), while the only New World winner was T. McCulloch (Canada) when the champion ship was held at Montreal in 1897.
Owing to the fickleness of the British climate, England, through lack of ice, has fallen behind in skill since the days of the Smarts, and practically the only English men to compete in international races during the past 3o years have been C. Edgington, president of the Oxford University Speed Skating club, formed in 1895, which won the first representative race on skates between the universities on the duke of Marl borough's lake at Blenheim, defeating Cambridge in each of six races of m. each, with three turns; F. W. Dix, British teur champion in 1908-09 and 1912—the last year in which the championship was held up to 1928, winner of the Dud,dleston Cup 1908) and Baker Cup (22oyd., 1912) ; and L. T. Redburn, winner of the mi. amateur championship of London (1927). C. Edgington was second in each of the five international races at Davos (1901), fourth in two races (1,50o and io,000 metres) in the world's championship at Berlin and in the European champion ship at Davos (1899), and in 1898 and 1899 twice beat the world's record for an hour's skating, accomplishing 18m. i7o9yd. and 19m.
348Yd., the latter standing for seven years till C. C. J. de Koning, Dutch world's champion (1905) made the present record, 20M. 2o7yd. The previous world's record was 18m. 215yd. by A. D. Smith (America) at St. Paul, Minn. (1894). In 1901, Edgington, at Davos, skated Iom. in 33min. 38Isec., beating the best English professional time of James Smart at Hamar (Norway) in 1891, viz., 35min. Ioseconds. The best world's time for iom. was made by J. S. Johnson (American amateur) at Montreal (1894), viz., 31 min. I sec.
There are the American records (see Morgan-Browne, Sporting and Athletic Records), for short distances straight away, and with a wind behind, which show the speed attainable on ice with the help of a strong wind. Such are T. Donoghue, Jr.'s (American amateur) time of 2min. 121sec. for 1 mile at Newburgh, N.Y. (1887), H. Davidson's iooyd. in 9sec. at Red Bank, N.J. (1895), H. Davidson and H. P. Moshier's 33Jsec. for /m. (Orange lake, N.Y., and Red Bank, N.J., 1895), and J. F. Donoghue's 'min. 5Jsec. for 1m. with flying start (Newburgh, N.Y., 1892). Corn petition records (amateur) in America (outdoors) are : Jewtraw, iooyd., 9-isec., Gorman, 440yd., 36Jsec. ; Thunberg, Finland, 88o yd., (4 mile) 'min. ; Thunberg, 1 mile, 2min. 38I-sec.
The best British time for im. is that of F. W. Dix, made on Cowbit Wash in 1912, without favour of wind, but with flying start, viz., 2min. 271 seconds. In 1912 Dix, at Davos, won the 5,000 metres in 9min. i61sec., and io,000 metres in i8min. 49Jsec., defeating the Austrian champion, T. Bohrer, and was second to the latter in the 1,5oom. in 2 min. 33* seconds. These are the best times made by an Englishman. On Dec. 31, 1927, on Lingay fen, near Cambridge, the British amateur championship was contested over a course of with three turns, and was won by C. W. Horn (of Upwell, near Wisbech), in 4min. 55sec., with F. W. Dix (of Raunds, Northants), second. Dix had won this championship in Jan. 1908 in 4min. 37-isec., a time which remains the record. A thaw came before the professional cham pionship could be decided. There had been no competitions for I 5 years, and 25 men started, the oldest of whom was J. C. Aveling, champion in 1895 and on the next three occasions.