Introduction to the ice skating sports (and their disciplines) (2024)

The different types of ice skating sports

The main types are:

• Figure skating - for people looking for a more artistic sport
• Ice Hockey - for a team sport
• Speed skating - for those looking to push their physical performance

They have various disciplines you can practice, and I will introduce them in this article.

Despite happening in the same ice rink, these sports are radically different, even in their equipment:

Types of ice skates

Is figure skating a sport?

I am so sad to start this section with this subject, but the question is still often being asked.
Yes, figure skating is a sport. It is even an Olympic sport.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, a sport is : "a game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job:"

• Well figure skating needs physical effort for sure - the simple act of propelling yourself on the ice and controlling the trajectory requires strong muscles
• Skill - well, just try doing a single turn on the ice without the skill - this should be fun
• Rules - figures are imposed for example - actually, the International skating union (one of the oldest sports organization still existing) started codifying in 1892.

Now let's move one and discover the different disciplines of figure skating.

• Introduction -
  Skaters perform 2 programs to music which combine complex footwork, spirals (sustained one-foot slides on a single edge), spins and jumps. The tricks are performed along the length of the ice or in a circle. They demonstrate agility, dexterity and speed.
• What is needed to practice -
  Ice skates with the 'artistic style' blade which is longer than the dance blade at the back.
  In competition, you also need a costume that does not block artistic movements and acrobatic figures.
• Origin -
  After being a mean of transportation and then a leisure activity on ponds, dance movements were added in 1863 by Jackson Haines who tried to spread this new style of skating.
  In 1892, the Vienna School established the International Skating Union, one of the oldest sports associations still in existence.
• Olympic history -
  The first Olympic figure skating events were held in 1908 in London. It was the first winter sport to be added to the Olympics.
• Famous sportsperson from the US -
  Women - Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamagucchi, Peggy Flemming, Janet Lynn, Sasha Cohen...
  Men - Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Dick Button, Paul Wylie...
  See this article ranking the US figure skaters

Marcus Cyron, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0/CC BY-SA

• Introduction -
  Similar to Single figure skating - skaters do side by side jumps and pirouettes but also combined elements with spirals, above the head lifts and figures where the man throws the woman into a jump.
• What is needed to practice -
  Same as single
• Origin -
  The history of pair figure skating developed with the single sport.
• Olympic history -
  Joined the Olympics at the same time
• Famous sportsperson from the US -
  Kitty and Peter Carruthers, Vivian and Ronald Joseph, Nancy and Ronald Ludington

• Introduction -
  Although being part of figure skating, ice dancing is a different sport. It has no jumps or lifts above the head. Technical footstep and artistic interpretation play a bigger role in the the programs.
  You can see the difference with pair figure skating in this article.
• What is needed to practice -
  Ice dancing skates (shorter blade) and costumes for competition.
• Origin -
  Haynes arrived in Europe from the US with his ballroom moves and ice dancing became popular by the early 1900s. But it remained recreational.
  The first national competitions occurred in the 1930s.
  In 1952, ice dancing was added to the World Championships.
• Olympic history -
  Ice dance first appeared as a demonstration sport at the 1968 Winter Olympics and it was fully added at the 1976 Olympics.
• Famous sportsperson from the US -
  Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto, Collen O'Connor and James Millns
• Learn more on my introduction to ice dance article

Rich Moffitt from Boston, USA/CC BY

• Introduction -
  In this sport, eight to sixteen figure skaters perform together as one or several units. They perform skilled footwork and figures in unison.
  In the USA, it was first called precision skating.
• What is needed to practice -
  Same as the rest of figure skating - skates and costumes
• Origin -
  Although group skating may have started in the 19th century, the sport as it is currently known started in 1954 with the first precision skating team in Michigan.
  The first international competition happened in 1976 between the US and Canada.
  It has grown rapidly in the 20th century and the US alone has now over 600 teams.
• Olympic history -
  It is being reviewed for Olympic eligibility.
• Famous teams from the US -
  The Haydenettes, Miami University, the Skyliners
• Learn more on my introduction to synchronized skating.

• Introduction -
  Know as ballet on ice in Europe, it consists in 8 to 30 skaters telling a story together. It combines figure skating, theater and dance.
  2 programs are being performed: the free skate and the choreographic exercise
• What is needed to practice -
  Skates and costumes for each program
• Origin -
  I have not found how it has developed. But it has been quite recent, maybe from the beginning of the 21st century.
  Some countries have formal championships but there are no regulated international competitions yet.
• Olympic history -
  This is not an Olympic sport

• Introduction -
  Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on the ice. The skater use sticks to shoot the puck into to the opponent's net. The objective is to score goals.
• What is needed to practice -
  Ice hockey skates (different from figure skates), a helmet, gloves and a stick
• Origin -
  Mentions of games with sticks and some sort of puck date back to the 18th century and developed during the 19th century.
  The contemporary organized sport of ice hockey originated in Montreal, Canada. In 1875 a game was played between 2 teams of 9 players.
  Professional hockey developed from the beginning of the 20th century.
  NHL is the league.
• Olympic history -
  Ice hockey (men teams) was introduced during the 1920 Olympic Games. The Women tournaments only started in 1998.
• Famous teams from the US -
  Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers
• Learn more on my introduction to Ice hockey

• Introduction -
  Speed skating is a race over a certain distance on skates. What is commonly known as speed skating is the long track speed skating.
  It takes place on 400-meter ovals. And various distances are raced.
• What is needed to practice -
  Special speed skates, helmet
• Origin -
  It seems that the first official race took place in 1763 in England.
  It started developing in North America during the second half of the 19th century.
  The federation was founded in 1892.
• Olympic history -
  It was supposed to make its Olympic debut in 1916 but because of the war it was pushed back to 1924.
• Famous sportsperson from the US -
  Men - Chad Hedrick (1000m - 1500m-5000m - 10000m), Derek Parra (5000m - 1500m), Shani Davis (1000m-1500m), Joey Cheek (500m - 1000m), Eric Heiden
  Women - Beth Heiden (3000m), Dianne Holum (1500m - 3000m), Jennifer Rodriguez (1000m-1500m), Christine Witty (1000m - 1500m), Bonnie Blair (500m - 1000m)

Johann Conus/CC BY-SA

• Introduction -
  Short track skaters race just over one-quarter of the 400m oval (111.12m).
  The goal is not necessarily to manage the best time.The goal is to finish in the top two of each heat to progress to the next round.
• What is needed to practice -
  Special speed skates, helmet
• Origin -
  Some European and Japanese leaders expressed the wish of mass-start races. They started in 1967 with international competitions from 1976.
• Olympic history -
  First appearing on the Olympic scene at Calgary in 1988, short track skating competition quickly integrated the core group of medal event from 1992.
• Famous sportsperson from the US -
  Men - Apolo Anton Ohno, Rusty Smith, John Henry Krueger, J.R. Celski
  Women - Cathy turner, Amy Peterson, Katherine Reutter

Red Bull Canada at English Wikipedia/CC BY-SA

Freestyle ice skating

Since around 2010, Freestyle ice skating is developing as a new phenomenon, using hockey skates.
It is an extreme sport where you try to create the craziest figures with long jumps, ramps and other pieces of equipment.

Recreational skating

Programs have been established in many rinks to empower people with disabilities to enjoy ice skating.
In 1976, the Sabah organization started the movement.

It is accessible to people with blindness, mental challenges as well as physical ones.
Devices have been created to help people feel the joy of gliding on the ice: the support walker, orthotic inserts, wheelchair runners...

Randykwapis / Public domain

Adaptive figure skating

Skaters with mental disabilities can take part in the US figure skating special Olympics program and other competitions.

popejon2/CC BY

Ice skating at the Paralympics

Only 2 ice skating sports are currently present at the Paralympics: male sled hockey and wheelchair curling.

It is a timed run down a narrow and twisting ice track inside a gravity-powered sleigh.
A 4-person team pushes and maneuvers the sleigh to get the best aggregated time over several runs.

It has been featured in the Olympics since the 1924 games.

Angy84ita/CC BY-SA