Describing Ice Skating

Describing Ice Skating

Ice skating, which is performed on both recreational and professional levels, is a sport in which participants wearing steel-bladed skates slide around on an indoor or outdoor ice rink. The sport of ice skating using wood and bones for blades originated in Scotland and the Netherlands and was brought to North America by Scottish immigrants in the1700s.

The invention of the steel-bladed skate to replace those made of iron gave way to various international competitions. These ice skates were made of steel, with sharpened edges on the bottom to aid movement. The construction of modern ice skates has stayed largely the same. Ice skating works because the metal blade at the bottom of the ice skate glides with very little friction over the surface of the ice. However, slightly leaning the blade over and digging one of its edges into the ice gives skaters the ability to increase friction and control their movement at will.

The first main danger in ice skating is falling on the ice, which is dependent on the quality of the ice surface, the design of the ice skate, and the skill and experience of the skater. While serious injury is rare, a number of (short track) skaters have been paralyzed after a fall when they hit the boarding. An additional danger of falling is injury caused by the skater's own metal blades or those of other skaters.

Major international competitions are sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). These include the Winter Olympic Games, the World Championships, the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, the European Figure Skating Championships, the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.

Various recreational games can be played on ice such as Rousette skating and curling. These recreational activities give a lot of impetus to the game and increase the popularity of the sport.