TWO BOOKS ON SKATING.* OF the two interesting and valuable
works by which the literature of skating has been recently enriched, the " Bad- minton Library " volume claims prior notice, on the score of its wider scope and greater literary pretensions. The lay reader, unless he be young, athletic, and ambitious, will make no more of the treatise of Messrs. Monier-Williams, Pidgeon, and Dryden, than an amateur who sings by ear will make of the full score of one of Beethoven's symphonies. But in the " Badminton Library " book, the veriest duffer will find plenty of excellent reading well within his comprehension. Mr. J. M. Heathcote discourses in a pleasant anecdotical style of the origin and development of skating. For the etymology of the word "skate," he has gone, appropriately enough, to Professor Skeat, whose own name is orthographically identical with the form used in Pepys's diary. Bone runners, probably used on the ice, have been found which date back to the Roman occupation, but the use of metal blades was almost certainly borrowed from the Dutch. The sport is now truly cosmopolitan ; it has found its way to Kasbgar, and by the aid of Professor John Gamgee's patent, seasons and climate can be defied wherever enthusiasts are pre- pared to incur the cost. Mr. Heathcote pays a due tribute to the extraordinary ingenuity of the Plimpton roller-skate, on which all the turns, changes, and figures possible on ice, can be executed on asphalte, wood, or marble. The present writer succeeded in going backwards at the first attempt on ice from his experience on a rink, and Mr. Witham relates the case of a friend who, some two hours after he had stood on ice for the first time in his life, was able to execute "threes,"
double-threes," " Q's," and " grape-vines," all of which he had learned on rollers. Mr. Heathcote, in addition to his historical introduction, contributes an excellent chapter of suggestions to beginners as to the choice of skates and the method of using them ; reflections on the nature and quality of ice; and hints as to immersion and rescue. He also dis- courses in a later part of the book on skating as a recreation, and on the history of speed-skating, from the days of the heroes who lived before " Turkey" Smart—the Agamemnon of racing—down to the year 1879, when "Fish" Smart was in his prime, and the National Skating Association was inaugurated, under whose auspices, as he puts it, " chaos has been reduced to order, the atmosphere of the racing-track has been purified, and duties akin to those of the Jockey Club with regard to • the turf, or the M.C.C. with regard to cricket, have been relegated to a responsible Committee." In this good work the N.S.A. received the most valuable aid from the late Baron de Salle, of Amsterdam, a keen and honourable sportsman, who not only displayed the greatest tact, ability, and integrity in his management of the Dutch racing-track, but was largely * (L) The Badminton Library: Skating. By J. M. Heathoote, C. G. Tebbatt. and T. Maxwell Witham. London : Longmans, Green, and Co.—(2.) Figure- Skating, Simple and Combined. By M. S. Monier-Williams, W. B. Pidgeon, and Arthur Dryden. London : Horace Cox, the Field 001ce. instrumental in encouraging a spirit of friendly rivalry between the Associations of Holland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Russia, America, and England. At this point the history is taken up by Mr. C. G. Tebbutt, a famous amateur racing skater, whose chapters on "Holland," " Modern Racing," " Training," and " Style," are perhaps the most generally attractive in the whole book. They are profusely illustrated with admirable drawings, and a series of instantaneous photographs of Mr. J. F. Donoghue and Mr. Tebbutt. The latter, taken on the Amsterdam rink, are, as Mr. Tebbutt rightly says, the most valuable contribution yet made to the facts needed to construct a true theory of skating. They are further supplemented by diagrams carefully drawn from the actual stroke-marks cut by representatives of the Dutch, English, and modern racing styles.
Great as has been the development of speed-skating in the last twenty-five years, it is as nothing in comparison with the as- tonishing advance .that has taken place in the art of figure-ska- ting. The evolutions performed by the original members of the Skating Club amounted to about half-a-dozen. At the present day, the number of " Q's " alone which can be skated to a centre amounts to the appalling number of 128, exclusive of the many more which occur in what are known as the Boomerang figures ! Expert skaters of the first rank have some 250 figures in their repertory, and Mr. Monier-Williams mentions the case of a lady- skater who knows by heart the eight sets of alternating calls given at th8 end of his book. Looking upon this mighty growth from the parent stock of the "once back," Mr. Witham might well say, "Quorum pars magna fui," both as an inventor and as an instructor. The System of Figure-Skating which he wrote with Mr. Vandervell some fifteen years ago, still remains the best practical introduction to the craft in existence. A great number of the finest skaters of the day were formed upon this book, and many more have been actually trained by Mr. Witham. The famous bracket-turn was discovered by him while skating on rollers, and afterwards applied to ice, where it is introduced into the combined figures per- formed by all the best skaters. As to the rocking turn —the most notable addition of the past twenty years to the technique of the figure-skater—it is hard to say who invented it. The name was originally given to what is now known as the counter-rocking turn, discovered some twenty-five years ago by Mr. Vandervell. In some ways it is a pity the nomenclature was altered. " Counter " is a convenient, but not specially appropriate name. If the terminology had not been irrevocably fixed, skaters might have called "rockers," " dockers "—as the rotation is made clockwise—and kept the term " rocker " for the counter- clockwise turn. Figure-skating, according to English ideas, being mainly a matter of correct carriage, Mr. Witham gives minute and explicit instructions as to the proper attitude for all the edges, changes, and turns, and recommends all aspirants to rehearse these postures at home. An enthusiast will not stop here. We have seen a man suddenly assume the attitude for a Mohawk while waiting at a crossing, and dreams often cheat the beginner into the fond belief that he has mastered "that confounded rocker.' " We have noticed a few mistakes in the diagrams,—e.g., on pp. 89-90 (where the position of the feet is wrongly indicated) and 182; and on p. 161 ad fin , the figure " once forward" is inaccurately described. But these are trifling blemishes in an otherwise admirable piece of work. Mr. Witham, we may remark, is personally a believer in the "Dowler," or concave-ground blade, which other authorities condemn.
The " Badminton Library " volume is both in size and character a book for the study. The work on Figure-Skating, Simple and Combined, put forth by Messrs. Monier-Williams, Pidgeon, and Dryden, is a practical guide for actual use on the ice. These three gentlemen have done more than any one else—Mr. Mother-Williams in particular—to introduce the difficult modern turns into combined skating, and though the first volume contains some excellent hints for beginners, the writers are more in their element when dealing with the transcendental developments of their craft. They do not prophesy smooth things to the ambitious aspirant. On the contrary, they are careful to inform him that he " will always find fresh work before him, since many of our short English winters will pass before he has mastered the contents of this book." They might have added that, unless he has great patience, unlimited leisure, and con- siderable athletic aptitude, he may hardly hope to fulfil his ardent aspirations, unless he can afford to spend his winter holidays in the Engadine. The joint-authors of this treatise state in their preface that it was on Wimbledon Lake that they learnt most of what they now lay before the public. But in the second volume, we learn that nearly all the figures there given were transcribed from the floor of the real ice- rink at Southport, which is now no longer in existence. We mention this merely to show that great proficiency in the art of figure-skating can only be acquired where natural aptitude is combined with unusual opportunities. And then it is not enough to have ice : the co-operation of three other skaters is practically indispensable, since the especial charm of these figures resides in their concerted execution. Between figures performed by one skater and by four or six, there is all the difference that exists between a simple melody and the harmony of a stringed quartet. There is, in fact, something eminently esoteric about the art of the figure-skater ; and this accounts, perhaps, for a certain attitude of condescension with which he looks upon his inferiors upon the ice. We have known men who were good figure-skaters, and who yet did not despise hockey on skates ; but they were almost lusus nature. The typical figure-skating virtuoso has a lofty disdain for any motions which are incompatible with the calm repose and finish which, in the words of the intro- duction, " are characteristic of the best men." He is a serious man, with a good deal of the martinet about him. Even in these latter and distinct days, he often skates in a tall hat. He seldom smiles : the thoughts that are inspired by the successful execution of, say, "Forward bracket, back inside three," lie too deep for smiles.
The work of Messrs. Monier-Williams, Pidgeon, and Dryden may not be as diverting as other works which deal with pastime ; but it is a solid, practical, and complete hand- book. As to skates, they strongly advocate permanent fixtures, with edges ground to a right, or (for English ice) even a slightly obtuse angle, and condemn straps, acute- angled and "Dowser" blades. The latter still enjoy a con- siderable vogue amongst figure-skaters ; but our authorities condemn them for the following reason :—" Blades which are not parallel in their length, but are ground concave on either side, should be avoided, as they travel with perfect freedom only upon a curve having the same radius as that to which the skates are ground, and must therefore retard the skater on all other curves ; they moreover increase his difficulty in making some of his turns without scraping." In his excel- lent beginners' chapter, Mr. Pidgeon stoops from his tran- scendental level, and gives the young idea a great deal of excellent advice. He taboos all artificial aids from the outset : insists that the inside edge should be practised before the outside, and lays the greatest stress on correct carriage. " It can never be too soon realised," writes Mr. Pidgeon, " that it is impossible ever to skate well unless the figure be held erect, even to leaning backwards, the shoulders be turned sideways to the direction of movement, the employed knee be kept stiff, and the unemployed leg be really unemployed and close to its fellow ; and finally, that the real hold on an edge depends entirely on correct attitude, and not in any way on the push- off or subsequent contortions of the unemployed leg." Mr. Pidgeon's chapter works steadily through edges and turns in their order of difficulty, the directions and " wrinkles " for executing the rocking, counter, and bracket turns being ex- ceedingly lucid and helpful. As becomes a purist, Mr. Pidgeon cannot away with any of the small figures known in the craft by the generic name of " kickers,"—to wit, " cross- cuts," " loops," " Maltese crosses," " toespins," and the like. He admits their difficulty, but declares that, with our present knowledge, they are apparently impossible to skate with the grace and repose which the English school deems indispensable. Mr. Mother-Williams, who is principally responsible for the nomenclature and code of rules now adopted by all the leading English clubs, writes on combined figure-skating with a comprehensive grasp of his subject which leaves nothing to be desired, and Mr. Dryden, besides a chapter on " Form," contributes an admirable supplement on united or hand-in-hand figures, and on the treatment of ice. From the table compiled from the records of the Wimbledon Skating Club, we learn that an annual average of eighteen days has been enjoyed by skaters during the past thirteen years,—an average which Mr. Dryden describes as "far above their reasonable expectations, though probably falling short of their unreasonable hopes." An appendix contains informa- tion as to the principal skating clubs, explanations of terms and rules authorised by the recent conference of skating clubs, and the instructions for restoring the apparently drowned adopted by the Royal Humane Society. The second volume contains a list of 275 combined figures arranged in groups, and 168 diagrams of these figures. Some notion of the care and trouble expended on this part of the work may be gathered from the following fact. Of these figures, 130 were skated a few years back a great many times over on the ice of the South- port Glaciarium, not only by the authors, but by several other experts. " Each figure was then most carefully measured upon the ice itself by Mr. Stanley F. Monier-Williams, and the drawings afterwards plotted out accurately to scale. The diagrams were not drawn from the marks left on the ice by one skater only, but in every case a mean average result of all the skaters was taken for measurement." It only remains to be added that the two volumes, bound in limp leather, can be carried easily in the pocket, and are illustrated by some excellent drawings from life by Mr. Ronald Gray, as well as by reproductions of instantaneous photographs by Mr. Cun- ningham, of Cambridge.
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