| Ice skating is a popular sport these days. | | | | quarter and one inch, depending on the type |
| But it is by no means a new past time. The | | | | of skate and the purpose it is used for. |
| oldest ice skates ever found are said to be | | | | |
| over 5,000 years old and they were made from | | | | For a professional figure skater, this hollow |
| the leg bones of either a horse or ox. They | | | | will be deliberately carved to suit the |
| were secured to the feet with leather straps | | | | skater's style and weight. Speed skates and |
| and a metal spike was used to propel the | | | | touring skates have a completely flat bottom |
| skater forward. Of course, these ice skates | | | | with no hollow to aid speed without cutting |
| were used mainly for ease of transport across | | | | into the ice. |
| ice and less for entertainment although we | | | | |
| can never be completely sure! | | | | Figure skates are the most popular |
| | | | recreational ice skates. Moulded from stiff |
| Scandinavia and Finland are the obviously | | | | leather for ankle support and with toe picks |
| places for the first ice skates to be made | | | | for easier manoeuvring, these are the type |
| given their vast amounts of ice. Some of the | | | | you will normally be hiring if you attend an |
| examples of the skates that have been | | | | ice rink for fun. |
| uncovered in these regions and consisted of a | | | | |
| thin strip of copper attached to the | | | | Hockey skates are much more lethal looking |
| underside of a leather shoe. So, what else | | | | ice skates. Moulded from plastic, leather and |
| can you do to an ice skate? Apart from slight | | | | ballistic nylon they have better |
| adaptations for comfort and durability, the | | | | manoeuverability and thinner, faster blades |
| ice skate has barely changed much over the | | | | than a recreational ice skate. The ice hockey |
| last 5,000 years. | | | | goalies skate are cut lower and the blade is |
| | | | set slightly different with a protective |
| The Long Reach skate was the most widely used | | | | shell which provides more protection. |
| ice skate for many years and this was | | | | |
| developed in new Brunswick, Canada by James A | | | | Bandy ice skates are quite different. Used |
| Whelpley in 1859. This was developed for long | | | | for playing rink bandy, they come with a much |
| distance skating on the lakes and the family | | | | lower cut boot which barely covers the ankles |
| owned business of manufacturing ice skates in | | | | and a longer blade. Racing skates, or speed |
| this area for another seven years before they | | | | skates have extra long blades and the shoe is |
| moved to New Hampshire. | | | | connected to the blade via a hinge. They also |
| | | | have higher blades to allow for better |
| Today's modern ice skate has changed little | | | | turning and to prevent the boot coming into |
| although there are now slightly different | | | | contact with the ice. |
| designs depending on what the user wants them | | | | |
| for. Although the bottom of an ice skate is | | | | So, whether its recreational skating, figure |
| often seen as a blade it no longer resembles | | | | skating, speed skating, rink bandy or ice |
| a knife blade. It actually has a crescent | | | | hockey that you want to get involved in, |
| shaped hollow along the surface so that you | | | | finding the correct type of ice skate will |
| actually skate on two parallel edges. The | | | | make the game a whole lot easier and a whole |
| depth of this hollow will vary between a | | | | lot more comfortable. |