| Back in the 1990's a rivalry was heating up between | | | | known about this club, but it gave birth to other clubs |
| three equally talented young ladies whose sole desire | | | | that focused on figure skating. America's first figure |
| was to be the best figure skater on ice that the world | | | | skating club was formed in 1849 and was named |
| had ever known. They competed against each other | | | | Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society. The |
| in every major competition, but the results never | | | | goal of this society had four parts: correctly use |
| seemed to change, unless one of them fell on a jump, | | | | rescue equipment when skaters fell through the ice, |
| stumbled on the turns, or slipped out of a rotation. None | | | | give instruction on how to skate, provide constructive |
| of it changed, that is until one figure skater's boyfriend | | | | feedback on how to improve one's skating, and create |
| attacked another skater. He used a crow bar to hit | | | | and maintain a friendly feeling among the skaters. In |
| her on the knee. The damage was so horrible; she | | | | 1870, Mr. Jackson Haines was the first figure skater to |
| could not skate for a few years, let alone complete | | | | combine dance moves, specifically ballet moves, with |
| the competition. At the time, the assailant was not | | | | skating. This routine was set to music. Because of this |
| linked to the other skater because he fled and was | | | | marriage of dance moves and music, Mr. Haines is |
| not caught by police until a few days later. | | | | credited with being the father of modern figure skating. |
| Sadly, the rivalry was put to rest that day by a | | | | The International Skating Union (ISU) was formed in |
| decision that would haunt all parties involved to this | | | | 1892 to create and regulate the rules and judging of |
| day. The third skater was not injured in the attack, but | | | | skating. The 1908 Olympics saw the debut of figure |
| she went on to secure her place in the Winter | | | | skating and it has evolved to the modern day version |
| Olympics of that era for the United States team. | | | | of today. |
| These three skaters were Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy | | | | This year, the Olympics will feature many figure |
| Kerrigan, and Tonya Harding. Although Harding insisted | | | | skaters, both individual and team skaters. There will be |
| that she was innocent in the attack on Kerrigan, she | | | | the traditional skaters who will incorporate dance |
| was banned for life from the skating world and has | | | | moves, jumps, spins, and flips into their routines, and |
| rarely been seen since. Kerrigan had a long road to | | | | then there will be the ice dancing teams, which will not |
| recovery after her knee was damaged. Yamaguchi | | | | have their skates leave the ice. The fact that figure |
| went on to do well in the Olympics and still remains a | | | | skating has branched out so effortlessly and so |
| prominent figure skater today. | | | | beautifully to ice dancing leaves the sport open to new |
| Figure skating was not always this brutal or | | | | interpretations of the sport and perhaps in a few |
| competitive. It began in the middle of the 17th century | | | | decades, a new branch of this sport will emerge to be |
| with a group of Scottish skaters who began their own | | | | added into the history books. |
| skating club, which was the first of its kind. Not much is | | | | |