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76-579: Built at Potsdamer Straße 172, principally as an indoor ice rink for ice hockey and skating events, the Sportpalast was a sensation at the time of its opening in November 1910, and was at the time the largest such enclosed skating facility in the world. In later years, the Sportpalast also hosted non-winter sporting events such as six-day bicycle races and professional boxing matches in which well-known German boxer Max Schmeling fought. The Sportpalast

152-420: A Scottish word meaning 'course', was used as the name of a place where curling was played. As curling is played on ice, the name has been retained for the construction of ice areas for other sports and uses. Early attempts in the construction of artificial ice rinks were first made in the 'rink mania' of 1841–44. The technology for the maintenance of natural ice did not exist, therefore these early rinks used

228-458: A cold climate, indoors or outdoors, although both types are of frozen water. A more proper technical term is 'mechanically frozen' ice. An example of this type of rink is the outdoor rink at Rockefeller Center in New York . Modern rinks have a specific procedure for preparing the surface. With the pipes cold, a thin layer of water is sprayed on the sand or concrete to seal and level it (or in

304-406: A flat sliding puck, a ball, and a rubber ring. Synchronized skating is a unique artistic team sport derived from figure skating . Figure skating, ice cross downhill , speed skating , and barrel jumping (a discipline of speed skating) are among the sporting disciplines for individuals. Research suggests that the earliest ice skating happened in southern Finland more than 4,000 years ago. This

380-414: A frozen body of water is falling through the ice into the freezing water underneath. Death can result from shock , hypothermia , or drowning . It is often difficult or impossible for the skater to climb out of the water, due to the weight of their ice skates and thick winter clothing, and the ice repeatedly breaking as they struggle to get back onto the surface. Also, if the skater becomes disoriented under

456-457: A little to the improvement of this elegant amusement. From this description and others, it is apparent that the form of skating practiced by club members was indeed an early form of figure skating rather than speed skating . For admission to the club, candidates had to pass a skating test where they performed a complete circle on either foot (e.g., a figure eight ), and then jumped over first one hat, then two and three, placed over each other on

532-458: A properly built space. This consists of a bed of sand or occasionally a slab of concrete , through (or on top of) which pipes run. The pipes carry a chilled fluid (usually either a salt brine or water with antifreeze , or in the case of smaller rinks, refrigerant ) which can lower the temperature of the slab so that water placed atop will freeze. This method is known as 'artificial ice' to differentiate from ice rinks made by simply freezing water in

608-533: A recreation, a means of transport and spectator sport in The Fens in England for people from all walks of life. Racing was the preserve of workers, most of them agricultural labourers. It is not known when the first skating matches were held, but by the early nineteenth century racing was well established and the results of matches were reported in the press. Skating as a sport developed on the lakes of Scotland and

684-422: A series of ice skating trips. Albert continued to skate after their marriage and on falling through the ice was once rescued by Victoria and a lady in waiting from a stretch of water in the grounds of Buckingham Palace . Early attempts at the construction of artificial ice rinks were made during the "rink mania" of 1841–44. As the technology for the maintenance of natural ice did not exist, these early rinks used

760-434: A solid polymer material designed for skating using normal metal-bladed ice skates. High density polyethelene (HDPE) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) are the only materials that offer reasonable skating characteristics, with UHMW synthetic rinks offering the most ice-like skating but also being the most expensive. A typical synthetic rink will consist of many panels of thin surface material assembled on top of

836-417: A solution of glycerine with ether , nitrogen peroxide and water . The pipes were covered by water and the solution was pumped through, freezing the water into ice . Gamgee discovered the process while attempting to develop a method to freeze meat for import from Australia and New Zealand , and patented it as early as 1870. Gamgee operated the rink on a membership-only basis and attempted to attract

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912-423: A sturdy, level and smooth sub-floor (anything from concrete to wood or even dirt or grass) to create a large skating area. Periodically after the ice has been used, it is resurfaced using a machine called an ice resurfacer (sometimes colloquially referred to as a Zamboni – referring to a major manufacturer of such machinery). For curling, the surface is 'pebbled' by allowing loose drops of cold water to fall onto

988-459: A substitute consisting of a mixture of hog's lard and various salts. An item in the 8 May 1844 issue of Littell's 'Living Age' headed the ' Glaciarium ' reported that "This establishment, which has been removed to Grafton Street East' Tottenham Court Road , was opened on Monday afternoon. The area of artificial ice is extremely convenient for such as may be desirous of engaging in the graceful and manly pastime of skating." Skating became popular as

1064-561: A substitute consisting of a mixture of hog's lard and various salts. An item in the May 8, 1844 issue of Eliakim Littell 's Living Age headed "The Glaciarium" reported that "This establishment, which has been removed to Grafton street East' Tottenham Court Road , was opened on Monday afternoon. The area of artificial ice is extremely convenient for such as may be desirous of engaging in the graceful and manly pastime of skating". By 1844, these venues fell out of fashion as customers grew tired of

1140-502: A variety of winter sports which generally require an enclosed area, but are also used by skaters who need ice tracks and trails for distance skating and speed skating . Man-made ice surfaces include ice rinks , ice hockey rinks , bandy fields , ice tracks required for the sport of ice cross downhill , and arenas . Various formal sports involving ice skating have emerged since the 19th century. Ice hockey , bandy , rinkball , and ringette are team sports played with, respectively,

1216-768: A wealthy clientele, experienced in open-air ice skating during winters in the Alps . He installed an orchestra gallery, which could also be used by spectators, and decorated the walls with views of the Swiss Alps . The rink initially proved a success, and Gamgee opened two further rinks later in the year: at Rusholme in Manchester and the "Floating Glaciarium" at Charing Cross in London, this last significantly larger at 35.1 by 7.6 metres (115 by 25 ft). The Southport Glaciarium opened in 1879, using Gamgee's method. In

1292-419: Is a frozen body of water or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports . Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ice skating during the 1800s marked a rise in the deliberate construction of ice rinks in numerous areas of the world. The word "rink" is a word of Scottish origin meaning "course", used to describe

1368-529: Is critical. The popularity of the sport of hockey in Canada has led its icemakers to be particularly sought after. One such team of professionals was responsible for placing a loonie coin under center ice at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah ; as both Canadian teams (men's and women's) won their respective hockey gold medals, the coin was christened "lucky" and is now in the possession of

1444-428: Is known today was Jackson Haines , an American. He was the first skater to incorporate ballet and dance movements into his skating, as opposed to focusing on tracing patterns on the ice. Haines also invented the sit spin and developed a shorter, curved blade for figure skating that allowed for easier turns. He was also the first to wear blades that were permanently attached to the boot. The International Skating Union

1520-611: Is located on the campus of Northeastern University . This American rink is the original home of the National Hockey League (NHL) Boston Bruins . The Bruins are the only remaining NHL team who are members of the NHL's Original Six with their original home arena still in existence. The Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval is an outdoor ice rink in Roseville, Minnesota , that is large enough to allow ice skaters to play

1596-440: Is typically played on a tarmac tennis court that has been flooded with water and allowed to freeze. The sports of broomball, curling, ice stock sport, spongee, Moscow broomball, and the game of crokicurl, do not use ice skates of any kind. While technically not an ice rink, ice tracks and trails , such as those used in the sport of speed skating and recreational or pleasure skating are sometimes referred to as "ice rinks". Rink ,

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1672-561: The Edinburgh Skating Club , formed in the 1740s; some claim the club was established as early as 1642. An early contemporary reference to the club appeared in the second edition (1783) of the Encyclopædia Britannica : The metropolis of Scotland has produced more instances of elegant skaters than perhaps any country whatever: and the institution of a skating club about 40 years ago has contributed not

1748-486: The Hockey Hall of Fame after having been retrieved from beneath the ice. In bandy , the size of the playing field is 90–110 m (300–360 ft) x 45–65 m (148–213 ft). For internationals, the size must not be smaller than 100 m × 60 m (330 ft × 200 ft). The variety rink bandy is played on ice hockey rinks . The size of figure skating rinks can be quite variable, but

1824-640: The House of Stuart were, among others, royal and upper-class fans of ice skating. The next skating club to be established was in London and was not founded until 1830. Members wore a silver skate hanging from their buttonhole and met on The Serpentine, Hyde Park on 27 December 1830. By the mid-19th century, ice skating was a popular pastime among the British upper and middle classes. Queen Victoria became acquainted with her future husband, Prince Albert , through

1900-511: The International Skating Union prefers Olympic-sized rinks for figure skating competitions, particularly for major events. These are 60 by 30 m (197 by 98 ft). The ISU specifies that competition rinks must not be larger than this and not smaller than 56 by 26 m (184 by 85 ft). Although there is a great deal of variation in the dimensions of actual ice rinks, there are basically two rink sizes in use at

1976-487: The Nazi Party gained power in 1933 and outlawed the other German political parties, the Sportpalast continued to be a popular venue for party rallies and important speeches by party leaders, including Adolf Hitler and Goebbels. Because of the size and propaganda potential of the Sportpalast, Goebbels is said to have labeled the hall as Unsere große politische Tribüne — "our big political grandstand". In 1937 it

2052-608: The Qing dynasty . Ancient ice skates made of animal bones, were found at the bronze age Gaotai Ruins in north west China , and are estimated to be likely 3,500 years old. Archeologists say these ancient skates are "clear evidence for communication between China and Europe " in the Bronze Age era , as they are very similar to bone skates unearthed in Europe. In England "the London boys" had improvised butcher's bones as skates since

2128-409: The viscous frictional heating, a macroscopic layer of melt ice is in-between the ice and the skate. With this they fully explained the low friction with nothing else but macroscopic physics, whereby the frictional heat generated between skate and ice melts a layer of ice. This is a self-stabilizing mechanism of skating. If by fluctuation the friction gets high, the layer grows in thickness and lowers

2204-612: The winter in climates where the surface freezes thickly enough to support human weight. Rinks can also be made in cold climates by enclosing a level area of ground, filling it with water, and letting it freeze. Snow may be packed to use as a containment material. An example of this type of "rink", which is a body of water converted into a skating trail during winter, is the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Ontario . In any climate, an arena ice surface can be installed in

2280-613: The 'smelly' ice substitute. It wasn't until thirty years later that refrigeration technology developed to the point where natural ice could finally be feasibly used in the rink. The world's first mechanically frozen ice rink was the Glaciarium , opened by John Gamgee , a British veterinarian and inventor, in a tent in a small building just off the Kings Road in Chelsea, London , on 7 January 1876. Gamgee had become fascinated by

2356-589: The 12th century. Skating on metal skates seems to have arrived in England at the same time as the garden canal , with the English Restoration in 1660, after the king and court returned from an exile largely spent in the Netherlands. In London the ornamental "canal" in St James's Park was the main centre until the 19th century. Both Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn , the two leading diarists of

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2432-503: The Park, when, though the ice was broken, he would go slide upon his skates, which I did not like; but he slides very well." In 1711 Jonathan Swift still thinks the sport might be unfamiliar to his "Stella" , writing to her: "Delicate walking weather; and the Canal and Rosamund's Pond full of the rabble and with skates, if you know what that is ." The first organised skating club was

2508-477: The Sportpalast during the building's final decades. By the 1970s, the operation of the hall was no longer profitable. The Sportpalast closed in 1973 and was torn down and replaced by a high-rise apartment complex, dubbed the " Sozialpalast  [ de ] " – "the social housing palace". 52°29′41″N 13°21′33″E  /  52.49472°N 13.35917°E  / 52.49472; 13.35917 Ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink )

2584-853: The United States opened in 1894, the North Avenue Ice Palace in Baltimore, Maryland , and the Ice Palace in New York City . The St. Nicholas Rink , ( a.k.a. "St. Nicholas Arena"), was an indoor ice rink in New York City which existed from 1896 until its demolition in the 1980s. It was one of the earliest American indoor ice rinks made of mechanically frozen ice in North America and gave ice skaters

2660-539: The canals of the Netherlands . In the 13th and 14th centuries wood was substituted for bone in skate blades, and in 1572 the first iron skates were manufactured. When the waters froze, skating matches were held in towns and villages all over the Fens. In these local matches men (or sometimes women or children) would compete for prizes of money, clothing, or food. The winners of local matches were invited to take part in

2736-416: The case of concrete, to keep it from being marked). This thin layer is painted white or pale blue for better contrast; markings necessary for hockey or curling are also placed, along with logos or other decorations. Another thin layer of water is sprayed on top of this. The ice is built up to a thickness of 19 to 38 mm ( 3 ⁄ 4 to 1 + 1 ⁄ 2  in). Synthetic rinks are constructed from

2812-526: The day, saw it on the "new canal" there on 1 December 1662, the first time Pepys had ever seen it ("a very pretty art"). Then it was "performed before their Majesties and others, by diverse gentlemen and others, with scheets after the manner of the Hollanders". Two weeks later, on 15 December 1662, Pepys accompanied the Duke of York, later King James II , on a skating outing: "To the Duke, and followed him in

2888-796: The early 1950s, the banker Heinz Henschel attempted to revive the Sportpalast, which he had played in as a member of the Berliner Schlittschuhclub . With the division of the city between East and West in the Cold War , the Sportpalast was in West Berlin. Although it was no longer the city's preeminent meeting hall, the Sportpalast in the postwar years hosted varied sorts of events, including rock concerts. Artists such as Bill Haley , Louis Armstrong , Mahalia Jackson , The Beach Boys , Jimi Hendrix , Pink Floyd , Deep Purple , The Nice , and The Mothers of Invention performed at

2964-757: The first national ice skating body in the world. The founding committee consisted of several landowners, a vicar, a fellow of Trinity College , a magistrate, two members of parliament, the mayor of Cambridge , the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridge, journalist James Drake Digby, the president of Cambridge University Skating Club, and Neville Goodman, a graduate of Peterhouse, Cambridge (and son of Potto Brown 's milling partner, Joseph Goodman). The newly formed Association held their first one-and-a-half-mile British professional championship at Thorney in December 1879. The first instructional book concerning ice skating

3040-480: The friction, and if it gets low, the layer decreases in thickness and increases the friction. The friction generated in the sheared layer of water between skate and ice grows as √V with V the velocity of the skater, such that for low velocities the friction is also low. Whatever the origin of the water layer, skating is more destructive than simply gliding. A skater leaves a visible trail behind on virgin ice and skating rinks have to be regularly resurfaced to improve

3116-560: The game is played), causing the water body to freeze and then stay frozen. There are also synthetic ice rinks where skating surfaces are made out of plastics. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include: ice hockey, sledge hockey ( a.k.a. "Para ice hockey", or "sled hockey"), spongee ( a.k.a. sponge hockey), bandy , rink bandy , rinkball , ringette , broomball (both indoor and outdoor versions), Moscow broomball , speed skating , figure skating , ice stock sport , curling, and crokicurl . However, Moscow broomball

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3192-400: The grand or championship matches, in which skaters from across the Fens would compete for cash prizes in front of crowds of thousands. The championship matches took the form of a Welsh main or "last man standing" contest ( single-elimination tournament ). The competitors, 16 or sometimes 32, were paired off in heats and the winner of each heat went through to the next round. A course of 660 yards

3268-638: The highest levels of ice hockey . Historically, earlier ice rinks were smaller than today. Official National Hockey League rinks are 26 m × 61 m (85 ft × 200 ft). The dimensions originate from the size of the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal, Quebec , Canada. Official Olympic and International ice hockey rinks have dimensions of 30 m × 60 m (98.4 ft × 197 ft). Sledge hockey ( a.k.a. "Para ice hockey", or "sled hockey"), uses

3344-571: The ice and freeze into rounded peaks. Between events, especially if the arena is being used without need for the ice surface, it is either covered with a heavily insulated floor or melted by allowing the fluid in the pipes below the ice to warm. A highly specialized form of rink is used for speed skating ; this is a large oval (or ring ) much like an athletic track. Because of their limited use, speed skating ovals are far less common than hockey or curling rinks. Those skilled at preparing arena ice are often in demand for major events where ice quality

3420-433: The ice and the blade. This explanation, called " pressure melting ", originated in the 19th century. (See Regelation .) Pressure melting could not account for skating on ice temperatures lower than −3.5 °C, whereas skaters often skate on lower-temperature ice. In the 20th century, an alternative explanation, called " friction melting", proposed by Lozowski, Szilder, Le Berre, Pomeau , and others showed that because of

3496-401: The ice surface used in the sport of curling , but was kept in use once the winter team sport of ice hockey became established. There are two types of ice rinks in prevalent use today: natural ice rinks , where freezing occurs from cold ambient temperatures, and artificial ice rinks (or mechanically frozen), where a coolant produces cold temperatures underneath the water body(on which

3572-524: The ice. On the Continent , participation in ice skating was limited to members of the upper classes. Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire enjoyed ice skating so much, he had a large ice carnival constructed in his court in order to popularise the sport. King Louis XVI of France brought ice skating to Paris during his reign. Madame de Pompadour , Napoleon I , Napoleon III , and

3648-419: The ice. At about −157 °C (−250 °F) the slippery layer is one molecule thick; as the temperature increases the slippery layer becomes thicker. It had long been believed that ice is slippery because the pressure of an object in contact with it causes a thin layer to melt. The hypothesis was that the blade of an ice skate, exerting pressure on the ice, melts a thin layer, providing lubrication between

3724-619: The lanes surround the exterior of an ice rink. The sport requires the use of a special type of racing skate, the speed skating ice skate . Ice skating Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates . People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting . Ice skating may be performed on naturally frozen bodies of water, such as ponds, lakes, canals, and rivers, and on human-made ice surfaces both indoors and outdoors. Natural ice surfaces used by skaters can accommodate

3800-517: The largest artificial outdoor refrigerated sheet of ice in North America. It is a world-class facility that is primarily used for ice sports such as ice skating, ice hockey, speed skating, and bandy. The oval hosts several national and international competitions throughout the year, including the USA Cup in bandy. The first building in Canada to be electrified was the Victoria Skating Rink which opened in 1862 in Montreal , Quebec, Canada. The rink

3876-630: The marshlands of The Fens , skating was developed early as a pastime during winter where there were plenty of natural ice surfaces. This is the origin of the Fen skating and is said to be the birthplace of bandy . The Great Britain Bandy Association has its home in the area. In Germany, the first ice skating rink opened in 1882 in Frankfurt during a patent exhibition. It covered 520 m (5,600 sq ft) and operated for two months;

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3952-401: The measurements of an ice hockey rink , though may be slightly larger due to the sport having originated in Europe where the bandy field influenced the size and development of smaller ice rinks. Tracks and trails are occasionally referred to as ice rinks in spite of their differences. Ice skating tracks and ice skating trails are used for recreational exercise and sporting activities during

4028-438: The only winter activities or sports whereby ice skaters use tracks and lanes designed to include bends rather than using a simple straightway. Some ice rinks are constructed in a manner allowing for a speed skating rink to be created around its outside perimeter. Speed skating tracks or "rinks" can either be created naturally or artificially and are made either outdoors or inside indoor facilities. Tracks may be created by having

4104-500: The opportunity to enjoy an extended skating season. The rink was used for pleasure skating, ice hockey , and ice skating , and was an important rink involved in the development of the sports of ice hockey and boxing in the United States . The oldest indoor artificial ice rink still in use in the United States is Boston, Massachusetts 's, Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena) which was built between 1909 and 1910. The rink

4180-436: The refrigeration system was designed by Jahre Linde, and was probably the first skating rink where ammonia was used as a refrigerant. Ten years later, a larger rink was permanently installed on the same site. Ice skating quickly became a favorite pastime and craze in several American cities around the mid 1800s spawning a construction period of several ice rinks. Two early indoor ice rinks made of mechanically frozen ice in

4256-409: The refrigeration technology he encountered during a study trip to America to look at Texas fever in cattle. In March of that same year it moved to a permanent venue at 379 Kings Road, where a rink measuring 12.2 by 7.3 metres (40 by 24 ft) was established. The rink was based on a concrete surface, with layers of earth, cow hair and timber planks. Atop these were laid oval copper pipes carrying

4332-499: The rink dimensions defined by a standard Canadian ice hockey rink . The sport of spongee , a.k.a. "sponge hockey", does not use ice skates. A skateless outdoor winter variant of ice hockey, spongee has its own rules codes and is played strictly within the Canadian city of Winnipeg as a cult sport. The sport generally uses the rink dimensions defined by a standard Canadian ice hockey rink . Rinkball rinks today typically use

4408-790: The same rink dimensions used by ice hockey rinks . Ringette utilizes most of the standard ice hockey markings used by Hockey Canada , but the ringette rink uses additional free-pass dots in each of the attacking zones and centre zone areas as well as a larger goal crease area. Two additional free-play lines (one in each attacking zone) are also required. A ringette rink is an ice rink designed for ice hockey which has been modified to enable ringette to be played. Though some ice surfaces are designed strictly for ringette, these ice rinks with exclusive lines and markings for ringette are usually created only at venues hosting major ringette competitions and events . Most ringette rinks are found in Canada and Finland . Playing area, size, lines and markings for

4484-513: The same since then, although differing greatly in the details, particularly in the method of binding and the shape and construction of the steel blades. In the Netherlands , ice skating was considered proper for all classes of people, as shown in many pictures from Dutch Golden Age painters . Ice skating was also practiced in China during the Song dynasty , and became popular among the ruling family of

4560-618: The skate steady. There were holes in the footstock for leather straps to fasten it to the foot. The metal blades were slightly higher at the back than the front. In the 1890s, fen skaters started to race in Norwegian style skates. On Saturday 1 February 1879, a number of professional ice skaters from Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire met in the Guildhall, Cambridge, to set up the National Skating Association ,

4636-416: The skater. While serious injury is rare, a number of short track speed skaters have been paralysed after a heavy fall when they collided with the boarding. A fall can be fatal if a helmet is not worn to protect against severe head injury . Accidents are rare but there is a risk of injury from collisions, particularly during hockey games or in pair skating . A significant danger when skating outdoors on

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4712-402: The skating conditions. It means that the deformation caused by the skate is plastic rather than elastic. The skate ploughs through the ice in particular due to the sharp edges. Thus another component has to be added to the friction: the "ploughing friction". The calculated frictions are of the same order as the measured frictions in real skating in a rink. The ploughing friction decreases with

4788-607: The sport of bandy . Its perimeter is used as an oval speed skating track. The facility was constructed between June and December 1993. It is the only regulation-sized bandy field in North America and serves as the home of USA Bandy and its national bandy teams. The $ 3.9 million renovation project planned for the Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval was set to be completed before the opening of the rink's 29th season on November 18, 2022. The oval measures at 400 meters long and 200 meters wide, which makes it

4864-458: The standard Canadian ringette rink are similar to the average ice hockey rink in Canada with certain modifications. Early in its history, ringette was played mostly on rinks constructed for ice hockey, broomball , figure skating , and recreational skating, and was mostly played on outdoor rinks since few indoor ice rinks were available at the time. The organized format of broomball uses

4940-409: The velocity V , since the pressure in the water layer increases with V and lifts the skate ( aquaplaning ). As a result the sum of the water-layer friction and the ploughing friction only increases slightly with V , making skating at high speeds (>90 km/h) possible. A person's ability to ice skate depends on the roughness of the ice, the design of the ice skate, and the skill and experience of

5016-511: The winter season including distance ice skating. Ice trails are created by natural bodies of water such as rivers, which freeze during winter, though some trails are created by removing snow to create skating lanes on large frozen lakes for ice skaters. Ice trails are usually used for pleasure skating, though the sport and recreational activity of Tour skating can involve ice skaters passing over ice trails and open areas created by frozen lakes. To date, speed skating and ice cross downhill are

5092-518: Was Goebbels's Total War speech on February 18, 1943 – two weeks after the disastrous German defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad . In his fanatical appeal to " totaler Krieg " before a select Nazi audience, Goebbels sought to rally the German people to heightened support for the war, which had begun to turn against Germany and was producing ever-growing casualty lists. At war's end in 1945, the Sportpalast

5168-702: Was also used as a meeting hall for a variety of events, including political rallies and the Bockbierfest (Bock beer festival) with Bavarian bands, dancing, and roasted meat. During the tumultuous years of the Weimar Republic in the '20s and early '30s, the Sportpalast was used for the mass meetings of the major German political parties; within its walls, speakers from the Social Democrats , Communists and National Socialists outlined their programs and strategies to capacity crowds. Even after

5244-435: Was created using natural ice . At the start of the twentieth century it had been described as "one of the finest covered rinks in the world" and was used during winter for pleasure skating, ice hockey, and skating sports. In summer months, the building was used for various other events. Many ice rinks consist of, or are found on, open bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, canals, and sometimes rivers; these can be used only in

5320-409: Was done to save energy during winter journeys. True skating emerged when a steel blade with sharpened edges was used. Skates now cut into the ice instead of gliding on top of it. The Dutch added edges to ice skates in the 13th or 14th century. These ice skates were made of steel, with sharpened edges on the bottom to aid movement. The fundamental construction of modern ice skates has stayed largely

5396-689: Was founded in 1892 as the first international ice skating organisation in Scheveningen , in the Netherlands. The Union created the first codified set of figure skating rules and governed international competition in speed and figure skating. The first Championship, known as the Championship of the Internationale Eislauf-Vereinigung, was held in Saint Petersburg in 1896. The event had four competitors and

5472-435: Was in badly damaged condition with its roof destroyed. The building did not reopen for public ice sports until 1951, but those events were not popular because the rink was open to the elements and thus too cold for spectators to enjoy. A new roof was constructed later, with the building reopening in 1953. Among the notables who performed at the Sportpalast in its postwar years was the world-famous figure skater Sonja Henie . In

5548-408: Was measured out on the ice, and a barrel with a flag on it placed at either end. For a one-and-a-half-mile race the skaters completed two rounds of the course, with three barrel turns. In the Fens, skates were called pattens , fen runners, or Whittlesey runners. The footstock was made of beechwood . A screw at the back was screwed into the heel of the boot, and three small spikes at the front kept

5624-483: Was published in London in 1772. The book titled The Art of Figure Skating , written by a British artillery lieutenant, Robert Jones, describes basic figure skating forms such as circles and figure eights. The book was written solely for men, as women did not normally ice skate in the late 18th century. It was with the publication of this manual that ice skating split into its two main disciplines, speed skating and figure skating. The founder of modern figure skating as it

5700-463: Was the site of an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler by an unknown person in an SS uniform. The Sportpalast was the site of Hitler's Winterhilfe address of September 4, 1940, in which he announced a shift to bombing of British cities rather than only military targets, heralding the beginning of the London Blitz . But the most significant of many Nazi speeches and rallies at the Sportpalast

5776-402: Was won by Gilbert Fuchs . A skate can glide over ice because there is a layer of ice molecules on the surface that are not as tightly bound as the molecules of the mass of ice beneath. These molecules are in a semiliquid state, providing lubrication. The molecules in this "quasi-fluid" or "water-like" layer are less mobile than liquid water, but are much more mobile than the molecules deeper in

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