Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1893-03-23
HOW THEY SKATE.
The Dutch, English and Modern Ra.
cling STYLE.


The three most distinctive styles Of
skating, says Joseph F. Donoghue, in
Harper's Weekly, are the Dutch, Eng
lish and modern racing style.
In Holland the skaters are divided into
two classes-thosc of Friesland and those
of South Holland The method of the
latter is known under the name of the
Dutch roll" On slightly curved blades
the South Hol!ander avoids the necessity
of keeping an upright position or main
tanning straight course, and in easy and
graceful curves he swings from side to
side, riding on the outside edge, and
leaning far over to one side or the other
He seems to put off striking the ice as
long as it is possible to enjoy the roll
and then finally gives short quick stroke
backward, throwing himself on the out
side edge of the other skate.
The Friesland style is more adapted to
short-distance races. Klass Hanfc the
champion short distance skater of Hol
land dashes off, swinging his arms from
side to side with great vigor, and bring
ing his skates down upon the ice with
sudden jerks. In the quartermile race
at Heerenveen, in 1891, Hanfe took 1853
strides OF only three yards one foot each.
He uses the famous Friesland skate in.
variably. The blade is about fifteen
inches in length, projecting we'll forward
OF the foot and curying high up in front.
The blade does not run as far back as the
end OF the boot, but stops at the centre
of the heel, 1t is set in very light
wood top, the whole being fastened to
the foot by leather thongs The inside
edge of the blade is ground to an acute
angle, which cuts the ice like knife
The Frieslander can skate in his stocking
feet, and have seen boys skating along
the canals in Holland holding a large
wooden shoe under each arm
The English or Fen style is confined to
that district of England known as the
Fens, name given to low and marshy
territory filled with many small streams
and canals. The Fen skater starts off
very slowly, swinging his arms fore and
aft, and keeping time with his strokes.
He brings his foot forward and puts it
down on the outside edge with the toe of
the skate pointed in, and then thrusts it
slowly forward. The general course of
the stroke is a curve inward at the be-
ginning, then a straight line for a short
distance, ending with sharp curve out.
ward.
The English maintain that they follow
straight line better than any other
skaters; but, although l have watched
them pretty closely, have failed to find
this to be the fact. An English skate is.
similar in appearance to the Dutch just
described. 1t is about the same lenptb.
with the high curve in 'front.' but the
blade is half an inch higher at the heel
than at the toe Their idea in this is to
enable them to continue longer on their
stroke.
The modern racing style of skating is
being generally adopted all over the
world. The skater starts off, swinging
his arm until he has gained Roadway;
then he places his hands behind his back
and clasps them loosely. He then leans
well forward, and bending low from the
hips, brings his foot we'll up under him
and thrusts it sharply forward, trying to
follow straight line as nearly as posi-
BILE. AT the end of the stroke he brings
the other foot we'll up under him and re-
peats the movement. In distances un-
der mile the arms are called into play
and are swung rapidly forward and back
ward or sometimes from side to side.
The skates now used by all of the fastest
skaters are similar to those used bv
Hagen.