The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-14
THREE KINDS OF SKATING.
The Modern Racing style Now General
Adopted Over the World.

The odern Racing style Now Generally
Adopted Over the World.
The thres most distinctive styles of
SKATING are the Dutch, English and mod
ern racing style.
In Holland the skaters are divided into
two classes-those OF FrlesIand 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-Hollander avoids the necessity
of Keeping an upright position or main
tanning n straight course, aud 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 sesms to put off striking the ice as
long as it is possible TO ENJOY the roll, and
theu finally gives a short quick stroke
backward, throwing himself on the Tut
side edge of the other skate.
The Friesiand style Is more adapted to
short distance races. Klass Hanfe, 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 quarter mile race
RI Heerenveen, in 1891, Hapfe took 1853
strides of only three Yards one foot eacn.
He uses the faTnous Frfesland skate in
v%ariably. The blade is about fifteen
inches in length, projecting well forward
Of The foot and curving high up IN front.
Inc blade does not u as far back as the
end of the boot, but stops at the entire of
the heel. 1t is set in a very light wood
top. the whole being fastenea to the foot
by leather thongs. The inside cage of
the blade is ground TO au acute angle,
which cuts the ice like a knife. The
Frieslsnder 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 ten style is coniued to
that district of England known as the
fens, a name given to- "a low aud marshy
territory filled with many small streams
and canals. The Fen skater starts off
slowly. swinging his arms fore aud aft,
and keeping time with his strokes. He
brings his foot forward and puts 1t down
on the outside edge with the toe OF the
skate pointed in, and then tbrusts it
slowly forward. The general course of
the stroke Is Il curve inward at the begin
ming. then a straight line for a short dis
tance, ending with a sharp curve out
ward.
The English maintain that they follow
a straight line better than any other
skaters, but although I have watched
them pretty closely, | have failed to find
this TO be the fact. An English skate is
similar in appearance TO the Datcn, Just
described. 1t is about the same length,
with the high curves in front, bur 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 arms till he has gained Roadway. then
he places his hands behinu 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 fol-
low a straight line as nearly as possible.
AT the end of the stroke he brings the
other foot well up under him aud repeats
the movement. In distances under a mile
the arms are called into play aud are
swung rapidly forward and backward, or
sometimes from side to side. Tue skates
now used by all the fastest skaters are
similar to those used by Hageu.-Joseph
r. DoToghue In HaTper's Weekty.