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Who created figure skating?

Updated: 9/27/2023
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13y ago

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The sport known as figure skating has been known for a couple of centuries. The first known paper written on it is by Englishman Robert Jones in 1772. The American "father" of figure skating is Jackson Haines who developed the "modern" style from which the current sport has been developed. From the pictures of the time of Jackson Haines, he also developed the first skating costume...and possibly the current styling of men's undergarments, although I have not researched this theory. But.... A lesser known member of the tribe called Crank invented figure skating...and ice skating in the process. Crank was an curious child, always getting into mischief. He had this habit of wandering off after Rhonda to see what she would find. But, being a child, he would get tired and simply lie down and go to sleep wherever he was. The tribe would often find him in the fields around the encampment fast asleep, and when they woke him (he was a bit big to simply pick up by one person) he was short tempered and irritable, so they named him Crank. One fine morning, Rhonda decided to make an expedition near the Kokonee mountain to see what else the area contained. She had never been entirely satisfied with the previous two expeditions and just knew that there had to be something else worthwhile in that area beside the huge mountain. Crank saw her making preparations and he grabbed his own purse and followed her out of the camp. As Rhonda strode purposefully into the wilderness, Crank was fascinated by the many wonders of the area outside of the camp. He had seen some of the smaller animals, but the medium animals were an unknown. On the second day, Crank found himself lagging farther and farther behind Rhonda, but he gamely moved in her footsteps trying to catch up. But it was no use; a child simply could not keep up with the much swifter and more fit Rhonda. By this time Crank could see the top of the mountain however, so he knew that Rhonda was making a line for it. Immediately he figured that this was a total bust, so he cast about for a reasonable place to make a mini camp for himself. He soon found a rather shallow but wide stream near a stand of trees and sat down to rest. As he munched on cold paste that Sheila had cooked the day before, he casually looked around. The trees (as usual) were oozing that sticky stuff that was so hard to get off the body, and there were a couple of smallish animals frolicking in the underbrush. Seeing nothing to alarm him, he set about making a fire for the evening to discourage those animals from disturbing him. While he slept, the night grew very cold as was usual for those parts, and the little stream froze over. Crank was warm and comfortable so he didn't even notice much lower temperature until the next morning when he awoke. He noticed the crispness in the air and quickly killed a bird for breakfast. After finishing the bird, he set off to go back to camp. However...he had forgotten that the stream was between him and the path back to the camp. As all children will, he simply decided to cross the stream again and continue on his way. But he only took a couple of steps when he landed flat on his backside. The water was hard and he soon found out that it was very slippery too. He managed to get back to the bank with the aid of some refuse dotting the shoreline and went back to his camp to ponder the problem. As he arrived at his campsite, the bird bones were the first thing to catch his eye. Since he thought that he needed something for traction on the slippery stuff, the breast bone looked like just the thing because the sharp edge looked like it would bite into the hard water. He slipped his mukluk into the ribcage of the bird and it indeed fit. So, taking it off, he immediately killed another bird and speedily skinned and removed the meat. Now he had two ribcages to work with, so he went back to the icy stream with his bird bones. Crank shoved his feet into the bones and gingerly tried the stream. Instead of falling immediately, he was able to glide over the ice on that breast bone! Even as he fell from the lack of balance, he was intrigued. Struggling to regain his feet, he made it and by slowly and carefully shifting his weight, he was able to glide across the ice. Soon Crank was gliding across the ice with ever greater control and precision. His aim improved tremendously, and in a very few minutes, he was enthralled with the swiftness of his progress across the ice. Not since Powl had had his accident had anyone moved so swiftly. He discovered by accident that if one turned the foot just a bit, one could go in circles. Voila! The first skating figure. As he turned the circle, he noticed that the pattern was still on the ice. He retraced the circle, then inspected his handiwork, becoming the first Ice Skating Judge, since one's self is the hardest judge to please. This was fun stuff ideed..much better than following Rhonda! As Crank grew more absorbed in his new occupation, he never noticed that the sun was rising higher in the sky and to his dismay, the ice started to become soft and it broke in chunks around his skates. Swiftly moving to the other side of the shallow brook, he removed his ribcages and went on his way back toward the camp. But his new passtime intrigued him so much that he didn't fall asleep on the way back. Arriving at the camp late in the afternoon, he found a few playmates and told them of his fun new sport. The next few days saw a huge increase in industry among the young population as they all wanted to try the new passtime. About a dozen children became avid hunters of birds and in the process, became critics of the various skeletons as to durability and function on that shallow brook. The tribe had an increase in provender and the children were becoming independent which made their mothers somewhat alarmed. Crank became very popular; so much so that his sleep was interrupted by the other eager novices in this new sport. He grumpily led expeditions to the brook and demonstrated the technique to his pupils. On one of these expeditions, he was so irritable that he leaped upon the ice. To everyone's surprise, he not only stayed upright, but because of the way he landed on his bones...he started to spin. Crank had invented the flying spin, perfected many eons later by the famous Dick Button. The tribe was so enthralled by Crank's new achievement that to this day we remember him. Crank It Up isn't about music...it's about how Crank invented figure skating.

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15y ago
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16y ago

The founder of modern figure skating as it is known today was Jackson Haines, an American. He won the first Championships of America held in Troy, New York in 1864. Haines was known as the first skater to incorporate Ballet and dance movements into his skating, as opposed to focusing on tracing patterns on the ice. Haines also invented the sit spin and developed a shorter, curved blade for figure skating that allowed for easier turns. He was also the first to wear blades that were permanently attached to the boot.

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13y ago

Figure skating started in Europe, but many traces lead back to Jackson Haines from New York.

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12y ago

James hains invented ice skating while he was dancing on ice

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13y ago

Jackson Haines...

im a figure skater, this is the RIGHT answer!

He is mostly known as "The Father of Figure Skating."
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6y ago

Sonja Henie of Norway was one of the earliest skating stars of the Olympics.

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