"Figure" Skating - Origin of the Name by John Cawly Ph. D.
This short article is written by John Cawly Ph. D. of McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. He has done some research and has found out some interesting facts about the origin of the name "Figure" skating.Dr. Cawly shares the following about himself:
"I have skated both ice and roller for years. I have been a national roller figure judge since 1976, and have held my World judge's credentials since 1991. Figure skating has provided me with the opportunity to travel the globe both as a skater and as an official. Skating has been a tremendous part of my life.
As a result of my long term interest in the sports of figure skating, both ice and roller, I have done some research over the years and found out some truly interesting facts. Fortunately, as an academician, I have access to some really good libraries, and I have gleaned some of the very early literature about figure skating at the University of Missouri at Columbia."
Numbers Were Scribed on the Ice
The origin of the term "figure skating" comes from the very, very early practice of scribing numerals on the ice. Obviously, the only numeral that had any lasting impact was the "figure eight", from which all of the contemporary figures were derived. (I say contemporary because roller skating competitions still include compulsory figures.) The turns used in scribing the numerals were named also, and the only turn that remains unchanged is the "3 - turn", which originally described the turn used to define the two lobes that create the numeral 3. The bracket turn was first done on rollers and then moved to ice, and the names of the counters and rockers have changed meanings over time.
"Fancy Figures" Became Loops, Jumps, and Spins
The loops are the only remaining print of the "fancy figures" which also served as the basis for our modern-day freestyle. In some of the early very intricate patterns, it was necessary to leave an opening space on the imprint, so the skater would hop or jump from one place on the print to another. The advent of curly-cues introduced the spiral and ultimately became the modern-day spins.
Ballet and Dance on the Ice Changed Skating
While the print was the most important element in early "fancy figures", body positions were usually very, very poor. It was only with the advent of the ballet element introduced in Austria by American ballet master, Jackson Haines, that positions became important. Consequently with the development of the ballet style, a more fluid style developed, and the popular music of the time (waltzes and marches) provided the foundation for ice dancing in such dances as the 14-Step (present day Kilian) and Schoeller March (present day Fourteenstep).
