|
The History of Skating
Skating developed thousands of years ago in the
northern regions of Europe as a means of travel over frozen waterways. Early
skates were carved out of wood or bone and were attached to shoes with straps made of leather or cloth. The Dutch would later introduce iron blades to the world of skating in the 1500s. Eventually, people began to skate less for travel and more for fun, and started racing along rivers and
canals. Speedskating became the first form of ice skating to develop into a sport
with the first official race held in 1763 and first world championships held in 1889. Speedskating officially became an Olympic event in 1924. These
days, there are many different styles of speedskating; Long Track, Short Track, Marathon, and Inline Speedskating.
Long Track vs. Short Track
Long track speedskating, also known simply as speedskating, is a form of competition
where athletes race against the clock. Races are held on a two lane, 400m oval
over distances of 500m, 100m, 1,500m, 3,000m, 5,000m, and 10,000m. A pair of skaters, each with an arm
band marking them as starting in the inner (white) or outer (red) lane, skate together around the oval for a set distance. The skaters switch lanes on the back stretch of every lap to ensure that one skater
doesn’t have an advantage over the other (the inner lane has a shorter distance.)
Though the skaters are matched against each other, the real race is with the clock.
The winner of a speedskating race is determined by who can complete the distance in the fastest time.
Equipment for a long track skater consists of mainly two things: a pair of
skates and a skin suit. Long track skates have blades that can range in length
from 12 to 18 inches, depending on the skaters size. Competitive skaters use
what is called a ‘clap skate.’ Clap skates are only connected to
the front of the boot and are hinged so that they open when a skater pushes off. Springs
allow the blade to return to its original position on the boot following a push. This
creates the distinctive clapping sound from which the skates derive their name. The
purpose of these skates is to allow a longer time for the blade to touch the ice, thus resulting in a more effective push.
Skin suits are tight-fitting, full body suits made of lycra/spandex. Their purpose is simply to reduce the wind-resistance of a skater. The skin suit of a long track speed skater usually includes a hood.
Short track speed skaters compete pack style on a 111m oval. Skaters race against not only the clock, but each other over distances of 500m, 1000m, and 1500m. In addition to these races, short track has a relay event (3000m for women, 5000m
for men) in which teams of skaters compete against each other.
Short track skating involves a bit more equipment than long track: a pair
of short track skates, a skin suit, helmet, and gloves. Short track skates have
shorter, fixed blades with the right blade set closer to the inside of the boot and left blade set to the outside. The boots also have more ankle support than long track boots. Skaters use skates like these
because they are designed to help with the many sharp turns involved in short track.
The skin suits used in short track are similar
to the ones used in long track, with a few differences. Some short track suits
are not totally skin-tight because they include padding on the knees for the skater’s protection. Instead of a hood, short trackers wear helmets to protect their heads.
Because of the number of skaters and close quarters of the ice, skaters need this extra protection. On their hands, short track skaters wear gloves. The fingers
of the glove on the left hand are tipped for protection- turns are so tight, skaters put their left hands down on the ice
to maintain balance when rounding a corner.
Speedskating
in Duluth, MN
Additional information on the Duluth club's history to come.
|
| Uncle Walter' on Duluth's bay of Lake Superior |
|
