| Travelling on ice was not always a leisurely pursuit and | | | | Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries |
| although it is now a pastime followed by many people | | | | there are repeated graphic representations of |
| all over the globe irrelevant of environmental conditions, | | | | characters using what appear to be ice skates. Most |
| it has routes in survival. The countries that now | | | | originate from Northern Europe from this period as |
| embrace sports on ice such as hockey and skating | | | | they were afflicted with what is known as the 'small |
| tend to have their routes in the practical problem | | | | ice age' around this time, delivering harsh weather |
| solving of travelling on ice. | | | | conditions and making accessories such as ice skates |
| It is reported that the first ever use of an ice skate | | | | essential. |
| was around 5000 years ago in what is now Finland. | | | | The technologies involved in the production of ice |
| The old Norse skates were fashioned out of animal | | | | skates began to evolve and changes such as the loss |
| bone and their use has been interpreted as an energy | | | | of the curl at the front of the skate were implemented. |
| saving technique. It is thought that the ancient Fins used | | | | This all lead up to the industrial revolution which |
| the ice skates to save energy when moving across | | | | revolutionised the production of ice skates. Many |
| ice, as without there is no traction. | | | | blacksmiths who were producing metal by hand now |
| The earliest recorded use of metal strips in ice skates | | | | changes to motorised machinery, this changed the rate |
| was dated to 200AD in Scandinavia however there | | | | of production and production values of ice skates. |
| have been various discoveries in documentation that | | | | In the late nineteenth century there was a |
| have thrown the debate wide open as to the origins of | | | | breakthrough by a Canadian designer of ice skates |
| ice skating as a pass time. Some experts believe that | | | | who developed the Long Reach Skate. This is |
| the pursuit of ice skating came from Holland however | | | | generally accredited for being the foundation of |
| this is contested by those who believe it was originally | | | | modern skates as we know them. The Long Reach |
| a pursuit of the Vikings. | | | | Skate was designed for skating on the frozen great |
| This might explain why a Latin documentation of the | | | | lakes and ideal for long distances; a factory was set |
| city of London written in the early twelfth century, | | | | up which was then relocated to the US. |
| however not translated until the mid seventeenth, | | | | Now there are many types of ices skates for |
| depicts young men tying bones to their feet to travel | | | | different uses, mainly revolving around sport for figure |
| across ice. This might be explained by the Viking | | | | skating, ice hockey, speed skating and touring. There |
| occupation of Britain earlier in the previous century and | | | | are many retailers offering a wide selection of ice |
| custom might well have survived. | | | | skates both online and from many sports retailers. |