Art & Sport on Ice

Feeling the cold air as you move, the adrenaline of spinning at a high speed
while you jump or the pain when you fall down are things you experience while
practicing figure skating. Many people argue this is not a real sport, but actually if
we look at a definition of sport at a dictionary it says that it is an athletic activity
requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. So according
to the definition of Dictionary.com we can say figure skating is a sport. Just as
Johnny Weir, an American figure skater says “Figure skating is theatrical. It's
artistic. It's elegant. It's extremely athletic. And there's a very specific audience for
that”. Entering the world of training figure skating it’s an incredible option if you
want a different sport, something that is also combined with art. But first, let me
give a general background presenting figure skating history, its pros and cons.

Figure skating has developed from a practical way to get around on ice into
the elegant mix of art and sport it is today. This type of skating began in the 1850s
when skaters started experimenting with different spins on ice. This sport got really
popular among several kings of England; some passionate skaters included Marie
Antoinette, Napoleon lll and Johann Wolfgang.

The history in competitions started in 1896 when the first Men World Figure
Skating Championship was held at Russia and later on in 1906 the Women World
Figure Skating Championship was held in Switzerland. A competition just for
women emerged because in 1902 a woman, Madge Syers, enter the world
championships for the first time finishing at second place. The International Skating
Union (ISU) quickly banned women from competing but then established a
separated competition for ladies in the year mentioned before. Personally I think
that at the beginning the ISU showed a very discriminating attitude, but I’m glad
they opened another competition just for girls.

It wasn’t until 1908 that figure skating was included in the Olympics; it was
first contested at the London Summer Games of that year. Since 1924, the sport
has been a part of the Winter Olympic Games, being considered one of the oldest
sports in these games. Now a days there are 4 Olympic disciplines: men’s singles,
ladies’ singles, pair skating and ice dancing.

Practicing figure skating has many pros. Balance is one of them, according
to a research from the Sports Medicine and performance Centre at the Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia skating helps improve balance and coordination. Calorie
expenditure is another benefit; it is estimate that even nonprofessional skaters can
burn 450-600 calories on the ice, many people believe this happens because the
body has to work harder to maintain a good temperature in chilly conditions. In a
recent study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology it was show that
skaters demonstrated high levels of aerobic power what is also a very good thing.
But that is not everything; research from University Hospital of Northern Sweden
found that the thighs of skaters are continuously working making them stronger.
I’ve skate for a lot of years and also have many skater friends to say that I totally
agree with the things found in the previous studies.

As most things in life it also has its cons and the most significant may be the
breathing problems, Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is high among ice-
rink athletes. A study in the journal medicine & science in sport & exercise found
that 39.5% of female skaters have symptoms of EIB. It may sound alarming, but
don’t get scared it’s actually not as bad as it seems. Out of that the only other
obstacle you may find if you want to practice it professionally is your age because
most of the coaching is aimed at children. However if you ask me or any
professional skater I’m sure they will tell you all the sacrifice in figure skating is
worth it.

Figure skating as you may have seen has passed through several changes
to be what it is the sport we know today. It’s a sport where you have to make
aesthetic moves in an ice-rink to the rhythm of the music. Figure skating requires a
combination of power, skill, and grace. So why don’t you give this sport a try?

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