"Figure skating" 1,90 Special Stamp
Material number 0225040Figure skating
Art on ice
This time the series “Sport in motion” is dedicated to the sequences of motions involved in various sports played on ice. One such sporting activity is figure skating.
As long ago as the Neolithic period, people were already using special gliding shoes made of bone to move across the ice, with a stick being used to push themselves off. During modern times, this became a pleasurable social activity, and ice skating subsequently gave rise to the disciplines speed skating and figure skating. In 1863, the American Jackson Haines designed a special ice-skating boot with steel runners attached which made it possible to perform figures, turns and jumps. For the first time, both the artistic impression and the technical merit were assessed at major competitions, while artificial ice rinks were also built and an international rule book drawn up. World championships have been held for men since 1896, with women’s and pairs’ competitions following just a few years later. In 1908, figure skating was the first of winter sports to become an Olympic discipline.
Nowadays, figure-skating skates have teeth, which are particularly important for performing jumps. Competitions are held in the categories men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs and ice dance, in each case comprising a compulsory and a free programme. In contrast to figure skating, jumps are not allowed in ice dance. Aside from sporting competitions and ice skating as a pleasurable pastime, spectators can also enjoy impressive, elaborately staged shows on ice with colourful costumes, dance, acrobatics and music of the kind that became popular in the 1940s.
Figure skating
Art on ice
This time the series “Sport in motion” is dedicated to the sequences of motions involved in various sports played on ice. One such sporting activity is figure skating.
As long ago as the Neolithic period, people were already using special gliding shoes made of bone to move across the ice, with a stick being used to push themselves off. During modern times, this became a pleasurable social activity, and ice skating subsequently gave rise to the disciplines speed skating and figure skating. In 1863, the American Jackson Haines designed a special ice-skating boot with steel runners attached which made it possible to perform figures, turns and jumps. For the first time, both the artistic impression and the technical merit were assessed at major competitions, while artificial ice rinks were also built and an international rule book drawn up. World championships have been held for men since 1896, with women’s and pairs’ competitions following just a few years later. In 1908, figure skating was the first of winter sports to become an Olympic discipline.
Nowadays, figure-skating skates have teeth, which are particularly important for performing jumps. Competitions are held in the categories men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs and ice dance, in each case comprising a compulsory and a free programme. In contrast to figure skating, jumps are not allowed in ice dance. Aside from sporting competitions and ice skating as a pleasurable pastime, spectators can also enjoy impressive, elaborately staged shows on ice with colourful costumes, dance, acrobatics and music of the kind that became popular in the 1940s.