Early History of Figure Skating

Hello,

Just wondering if there's any info here on these forums for those interested in Figure Skating history particularly the 19th century through to the early 20th century.

I found this video of Ulrich Salchow on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-vqyLXiYLk and just wanted to know if we could get more information on skaters from this era.

Also, can you not reply to a thread if it's in the Archives on this forum? I started this thread: http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sh...t-20-years-would-ve-been-best-at-comp-figures

And I just want to reply to it now.

Thanks all in advance. Oh and I will be back sooner than last time. LOL.

Sam L said:

Hello,

Just wondering if there's any info here on these forums for those interested in Figure Skating history particularly the 19th century through to the early 20th century.

I found this video of Ulrich Salchow on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-vqyLXiYLk and just wanted to know if we could get more information on skaters from this era.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much for starting this thread. I would also be very interested in hearing more about the early history of the sport!

Sam L said:

Also, can you not reply to a thread if it's in the Archives on this forum? I started this thread: http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sh...t-20-years-would-ve-been-best-at-comp-figures

And I just want to reply to it now.

Click to expand...

As for your other thread, I am afraid that you cannot reply to threads that have been archived.

HOWEVER, if you ask very nicely, it is not unknown for the moderators to retrieve a thread from the archives and re-open it...

Sam L said:

Thanks all in advance. Oh and I will be back sooner than last time. LOL.

Click to expand...

It's nice to see you back again!

CaroLiza_fan

Gillis Grafström 1928
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YhphUWTBi7w

Skaters of the Century 1900 – 2000 – The Formative Years (1900-1924)
The early part of the century produced some of the most important names in the development of the sport, which had been dominated by the drawing of elaborate figures on the ice, called the English or American style. But a freer and more open style with jumps and body extension in gliding position was becoming the rage in Europe. The Continental or international style as it was known at the time, was developed originally by American Jackson Haines in the 1860’s.
At the 1901 World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden’s Ulrich Salchow (inventor of that jump) won his first of 10 world titles, but major controversy arose the next year at the championships in London. Despite the fact that it was quite unacceptable for a woman to compete in athletic events at that time, Madge Syers entered the previously all male event in her hometown and placed second, beating other men.
The International Skating Union (ISU) subsequently passed a rule in 1903 prohibiting ladies and gentlemen from competing against each other, but it wasn’t until 1906 that they reluctantly established a separate Ladies event, which Syers won for the first two years. In 1908, the ISU added pair skating as a sanctioned discipline.
Also in 1908, figure skating became the first winter sport to be contested in the Olympic (summer) Games in London. Competitions were held in Men (won by Salchow), Ladies (won by Syers), Pairs (won by German world champions Anna Hubler and Heinrich Burger), Special Figures (won by the father of Russian figure skating, Nicolai Panin). Syers also took the bronze medal in Pairs with her husband Edgar. She remained the only woman to ever win two different medals in skating in the same Olympics in this century.
The first Canadian Championships were held unofficially in 1905 but the event became official in 1914 and was called the International Championships of America, which was open to Americans as well as Canadians. (The United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) was formed in 1921 as an entity separate from Canada.)
The World Championships were canceled from 1915-1921 due to World War I, but in its revival in 1922, Herma Plank Szabo of Austria won the first of five consecutive Ladies gold medals and in 1925 also gained the pairs title with partner Ludwig Wrede, the only woman to win both titles in the same year.
Skating was again contested in the 1920 Olympic (summer) Games in war ravaged Antweerp, Belgum, in which Theresa Weld (Blanchard) became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal – the bronze in Ladies singles. It was not until 1924 that the first Olympic Winter Games were held in Chamonix, France although it was not designated as such until the following year. An 11 year-old Norwegian named Sonja Henie was among the competitors who raised eyebrows with her short skirts and would soon dominate the sport.
Masters of this era included: Men – Gilles Grafstrom (SWE), Richard Johanson (SWE), Per Thoren (SWE), Andrew Krogh (NOR), Willy Boecki (AUT), Sherwin Badger (USA), Gilbert Fuchs (GER), Nathaniel Niles (USA), Fritz Kachler (AUT), Werner Rittberger (GER), Nicolai Panin (RUS). Ladies – Madge Syers (GBR), Herma Plank Szabo (AUT), Magda Julin-Mauroy (SWE), Svea Noren (SWE), Beatrix Loughran (USA), Lily Kronberger (HUN), Opika von Horvach (HUN), Ethel Muckelt (GER), Theresa Weld Blanchard (USA). Pairs – Anna Hubler & Heinrich Burger (GER), Ludowika Jakobson & Walter Jakobson (FIN), Phyllis Johnson & James Johnson, Theresa Weld Blanchard & Nathaniel Niles (USA), Helene Engelmann & Alfred Berger (AUT), Alexa Bryn & Yngvor Bryn (NOR), Phyllis Johnson & Basil Willians (GBR) and Andree Brunet & Pierre Brunet (FRA) .

Gilles Grafstrom (Sweden)
An architect by profession, Grafstrom was a “special figures” expert, inventing intricate, detailed variations of the standard compulsory figures. He was known for the “Grafstrom spin” – a modified camel spin with a more straight-up body and bent skating leg. Although he never competed at the European Championships, he was a three-time World champion winning the titles in 1922, 1924 and 1929 and a three-time Olympic champion in 1920-1924 and 1928. He ended his career in 1932 where he won the silver medal at the Olympic Games. He amassed an all-encompassing “Skating in Art” collection that is now housed in the World Museum in Colorado Springs, CO. Grafstrom was elected into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1976. He died in 1908 at the age of 45.

Ulrich Salchow (Sweden)
Salchow was of Danish origin but competed for Sweden his entire skating career. He captured his first World title in 1901 and won 9 more, missing the 1906 Worlds due to injury. He also won 9 European titles and the first Olympic Games in 1908. He was President of the International Skating Union from 1925-1937, Salchow was known as an athletic skater who invented the outside edge jump that bears his name. He had his detractors and was described at the time as “handicapped by a heavy build and short legs, who could never attain grace.” He was elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1976. He died in 1949 at the age of 72.

Herma Plank Szabo – Austria
Szabo skated in two disciplines – singles and pairs. She won the first of six Austrian singles titles in 1922 and followed that with a win at Worlds in Sweden and beat the hometown favorite Svea Noren, who placed 2nd. She won four more World titles and took the pair title in 1925 with partner Ludwig Wrede. She won the Olympic ladies title in 1924 by defeating Sonja Henie in the free skating. She retired in 1927 amidst a great controversy when the World title was taken from her by Sonja Henie (14) in her home town of Oslo before a panel of judges in which three of the five were Norwegian.
The decision was so criticized, the ISU immediately brought in the rule of one judge per country, which is still in effect today. Szabo was elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1982.

Personally, I'd love to know more about Madge Syers outside of the general information that's out there. She really did seem like a trailblazer who died way too young without enough recognition. If anyone has more info on her it would be much appreciated.

When I was doing research on the Georgian era for a course I was doing, I came across this interesting page on Ice Skating in the 18th Century.

lyverbird1 said:

Personally, I'd love to know more about Madge Syers outside of the general information that's out there. She really did seem like a trailblazer who died way too young without enough recognition. If anyone has more info on her it would be much appreciated.

Click to expand...

Syers was a natural gifted athlete winning awards in horseback riding, swimming and skeetshooting. She was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1981. She died of heart failure in 1917 at the age of 35.

Sam L said:

Hello,

Just wondering if there's any info here on these forums for those interested in Figure Skating history particularly the 19th century through to the early 20th century.

I found this video of Ulrich Salchow on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-vqyLXiYLk and just wanted to know if we could get more information on skaters from this era.

Also, can you not reply to a thread if it's in the Archives on this forum? I started this thread: http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sh...t-20-years-would-ve-been-best-at-comp-figures

And I just want to reply to it now.

Thanks all in advance. Oh and I will be back sooner than last time. LOL.

Click to expand...

Dr. James R. Hines has written some wonderful skating reference-type books - the most recent I bought is titled: Figure Skating in the Formative Years...Singles, Pairs, and the Expanding Role of Women. Forget the name of the other one I bought & too lazy to dig it up.
Actually, I met this man at Nationals Philadelphia as we sat next to each other thru the week. Very interesting guy & oh, so knowledgeable on skating.

KKonas said:

Ulrich Salchow (Sweden)
Salchow was of Danish origin but competed for Sweden his entire skating career. He captured his first World title in 1901 and won 9 more, missing the 1906 Worlds due to injury. He also won 9 European titles and the first Olympic Games in 1908. He was President of the International Skating Union from 1925-1937, Salchow was known as an athletic skater who invented the outside edge jump that bears his name. He had his detractors and was described at the time as “handicapped by a heavy build and short legs, who could never attain grace.” He was elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1976. He died in 1949 at the age of 72.

Click to expand...

The Salchow jump starts on the back of the inside edge

There is a lot of skating history, including very obscure and fascinating skating history, on this blog:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.nl

Sabrina said:

The Salchow jump starts on the back of the inside edge

Click to expand...

Sorry, you are correct.

KKonas said:

Skaters of the Century 1900 – 2000 – The Formative Years (1900-1924)
The early part of the century produced some of the most important names in the development of the sport, which had been dominated by the drawing of elaborate figures on the ice, called the English or American style. But a freer and more open style with jumps and body extension in gliding position was becoming the rage in Europe. The Continental or international style as it was known at the time, was developed originally by American Jackson Haines in the 1860’s.
At the 1901 World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden’s Ulrich Salchow (inventor of that jump) won his first of 10 world titles, but major controversy arose the next year at the championships in London. Despite the fact that it was quite unacceptable for a woman to compete in athletic events at that time, Madge Syers entered the previously all male event in her hometown and placed second, beating other men.
The International Skating Union (ISU) subsequently passed a rule in 1903 prohibiting ladies and gentlemen from competing against each other, but it wasn’t until 1906 that they reluctantly established a separate Ladies event, which Syers won for the first two years. In 1908, the ISU added pair skating as a sanctioned discipline.
Also in 1908, figure skating became the first winter sport to be contested in the Olympic (summer) Games in London. Competitions were held in Men (won by Salchow), Ladies (won by Syers), Pairs (won by German world champions Anna Hubler and Heinrich Burger), Special Figures (won by the father of Russian figure skating, Nicolai Panin). Syers also took the bronze medal in Pairs with her husband Edgar. She remained the only woman to ever win two different medals in skating in the same Olympics in this century.
The first Canadian Championships were held unofficially in 1905 but the event became official in 1914 and was called the International Championships of America, which was open to Americans as well as Canadians. (The United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) was formed in 1921 as an entity separate from Canada.)
The World Championships were canceled from 1915-1921 due to World War I, but in its revival in 1922, Herma Plank Szabo of Austria won the first of five consecutive Ladies gold medals and in 1925 also gained the pairs title with partner Ludwig Wrede, the only woman to win both titles in the same year.
Skating was again contested in the 1920 Olympic (summer) Games in war ravaged Antweerp, Belgum, in which Theresa Weld (Blanchard) became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal – the bronze in Ladies singles. It was not until 1924 that the first Olympic Winter Games were held in Chamonix, France although it was not designated as such until the following year. An 11 year-old Norwegian named Sonja Henie was among the competitors who raised eyebrows with her short skirts and would soon dominate the sport.
Masters of this era included: Men – Gilles Grafstrom (SWE), Richard Johanson (SWE), Per Thoren (SWE), Andrew Krogh (NOR), Willy Boecki (AUT), Sherwin Badger (USA), Gilbert Fuchs (GER), Nathaniel Niles (USA), Fritz Kachler (AUT), Werner Rittberger (GER), Nicolai Panin (RUS). Ladies – Madge Syers (GBR), Herma Plank Szabo (AUT), Magda Julin-Mauroy (SWE), Svea Noren (SWE), Beatrix Loughran (USA), Lily Kronberger (HUN), Opika von Horvach (HUN), Ethel Muckelt (GER), Theresa Weld Blanchard (USA). Pairs – Anna Hubler & Heinrich Burger (GER), Ludowika Jakobson & Walter Jakobson (FIN), Phyllis Johnson & James Johnson, Theresa Weld Blanchard & Nathaniel Niles (USA), Helene Engelmann & Alfred Berger (AUT), Alexa Bryn & Yngvor Bryn (NOR), Phyllis Johnson & Basil Willians (GBR) and Andree Brunet & Pierre Brunet (FRA) .

Click to expand...

Ironic when you consider that the Singles Ladies' Figure Skating event is one of the "crown jewels" of the Winter Olympics.

Thank you all for the responses.

I love this video and this channel on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2LP8ZQa6BE

floskate is wonderful!
http://www.youtube.com/user/floskate

His collection of really old skating footage is truly remarkable.


Another channel with lots of historic videos is k9henrydog
http://www.youtube.com/user/k9henrydog

And for the 1980's and 1990's, 3axel1996

http://www.youtube.com/user/3Axel1996

Hi,

I hope this doesn't sound rude now or like a promotion attempt, but I am actually writing on a summary / column about the history of Figure Skating. I have just reached the year 1900 there and if interested, I can also publish it here. (It will take many more days though).

If you publish it here, of course we will like it!

We love new content!

Cold winters fueled ice skating boom of 19th and early 20th centuries

This Washington Post story recounts the evolution of the sport. Includes photos and prints.

(Although a weather angle apparently inspired the article, it is not heavy-handed.
An interesting read even for those who are not weather buffs.)

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ICYMI, a recent GS thread of possible interest to those who like history: