Although there is very little information about the start of figure skating, it is believed to have started as early as 10,000 B.C. in The Netherlands. The blades during this time were skeletal bone. Scandinavia is considered the motherland of figure skating because the sport was popularized there around A.D. 1000
		Many countries in the late 1500's and 1600's did not allow women to skate. Charles II of England visited Holland and learned about canal skating. When Charles came back, Great Britain had its worst winter ever! Skating became popular there in 1662 and has continued to be a huge influence in other countries. In the middle of the 1600's, North America started skating. British officers performed ice skating allowing it to spread quickly throughout the entire continent
	By 1742, the first skating club was formed in Scotland. By this time, the British took pride in tracing figures on the ice with different skates. Skates in the late 1700's were now blades attached to wooden soles on boots. Designed by the British, these skates were curved runners that extended beyond the heel, which enabled a skater to carve figures.Club skates were formed a long extended blade with round front blades and a round heel. Turning became more elegant with club skates. When Queen Victoria was around skaters were very stiff in posture, and arms were at their sides. Skaters performed precise figures on the ice which became known as compulsory moves.

 

 

	Figure skating began hundreds of years ago in Northern Europe. They skated on frozen lakes, rivers, and canals. In the 1600's the sport became even more popular because the king of England tried skating. The British discovered the jumps and fancy moves on skates, but the French added more spins and moves into the art. It didn't take long before figure skating became popular in the winter months.
		Figure skating got it's name from the designs that the ice skates made on the ice. In early competitions that's how the skaters were judged. After a while skaters added more graceful movements to their tracings and eventually they started adding music and dance moves.
	Competitions eventually had two events, a series of figures and freestyle now there is no figures performed. People skate for the same reasons they did hundreds of years ago, because everything about ice skating is fun! Adults take up figure skating because its exercise for the body and mind.