Known today as a blend of art and sport, figure skating wasn't always the popular sport that it is today. Although figure skating is one of the most popular competitive events in the Olympic Winter Games, the dance-like form of figure skating practiced today didn't boom until the 20th century. The history of figure skating is mixed with the origins of ice skating itself, and the sport's popularity is attributed to a few key people in history.
Origins
To understand the origins of figure skating, you must first look at the origins of ice skating. Ice skating dates back to more than 4,000 years ago, when people in Northern Europe used pieces of wood or bone to slide upon to cross frozen ground, according to the National Ice Skating Association of Great Britain. Recreation ice skating was recorded by William Fitzstephen in 1190 in London, England, where men tied bones to the bottom of their shoes and skated on the ice. Ice skates made with iron blades emerged in 1395 in Scandinavia and Holland as a means of travel. The Dutch are considered the early pioneers of modern-day ice skating, but the origins of figure skating began in the U.S. and Europe, Olympic.org notes. In 1850, the American inventor Edward Bushnell produced the first steel-bladed ice skates. The American ballet master Jackson Haines was the first person to add dance and ballet to ice skating while he was living in Vienna, Austria in the 1860s. Thus, figure skating was born, and the Viennese continued to develop the mixture of sport and art form.
Development
Although Haines tried to introduce his dance and skating combination in Civil War-era America, he ultimately found his success in Europe, according to U.S. Figure Skating. After 1900, figure skating finally caught on in the United States, despite several local clubs and competitions in America in existence since the mid-1800s. The Viennese, however, developed the Compulsory Figures used in the figure skating World Championships until 1990, which described the various basic movements and geometrical figures of skating, says the National Ice Skating Association of Great Britain. One of the first artificial ice rinks for figure skating was created in London, England in 1876. The National Skating Association, which focused on the sport of speed skating, expanded to include figure skating in 1880. Then in 1891, the first European figure skating championships were held in Hamburg, Germany. By 1908, figure skating joined the Olympic Games, with events in pairs, special pattern skating and singles for men and women.
Significance
Figure skating is the oldest program sport in the Olympic Winter Games, consisting of pairs, men's singles, women's singles and ice dancing, according to Olympic.org. The first figure skating "star" was 11-year-old Sonja Henie, who won a gold medal in figure skating during the 1924 Winter Olympic Games. Henie's successive gold medals and second career as a Hollywood film actress helped spur the widespread popularity of figure skating. Although the first official ice skating club was formed in 1742 in Scotland, the first figure skating club was founded in London, England in 1932, called the Royal Skating Club, says the National Ice Skating Association of Great Britain.
Modern Day
Today, figure skating has earned its spot as a well-respected competitive sport. Figure skating and several branches of the sport include proficiency tests, says U.S. Figure Skating. Figure skating is a popular competitive sport in the Olympics and other worldwide championships, as well as local and national competitions. Also, figure skating has become part of entertainment, with many commercial ice shows touring throughout the world. Figure skating as a sport has become big business too, with companies paying large fees to skaters for sponsorships and advertising during competitions.
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