Facebook Throw Back Thursday; Meaningful Skating Memories

I enjoy Facebook’s Throw Back Thursday for various reasons. Sometimes longtime friends post pictures from bygone days, I post childhood photos of myself and my children, and the really interesting pictures are those of objects that most kids of today probably have no clue what they are.

Some of the interesting “old timer” items: typewriter, pencil sharpener, television rabbit ears, etc.

Figure skating has changed through the years just like everything else.  Techniques change and instruction has changed drastically.  A visit several years ago to one of my home rinks made me realize how teaching skating has changed.  For beginning skaters’ who may have a difficult time standing on skates most rinks have an apparatus made of PVC pipe much like walkers for elderly people. They scoot rather easily along the ice while providing ease to stand up for those who are not adept yet.  When I took my first steps on the ice I walked along the railing until I felt comfortable and then ventured out further and further until I was skating on my own. I fell a few times but as they say “you must fall a few times, get back up and go on”.

Recently I came across a picture on Tai Babilonia’s Facebook page (shown below) of a routine 78’ record. Way back when I was a young skater most if not all rinks had an area where a record player sat along the ice rink railing or off in a small room close to the ice surface. Hours and hours were spent listening as is still the case music joinders’ from classical to show tunes to current hits. Once the coach/student decided what music they were doing, a routine record was recorded. These records were played over and over and over again. Most competitive skater’s had several copies made so one was for competition and one for just in case the needle stuck. My competitive career did not start until cassette tapes so I never had a 78’. With the evolution of music now it is all about music played from your phone, ear buds, CD’s and digital rink systems.

Photo by Tai Babilonia

While going through my closet recently I came across my scribe. What is it you ask? Well along with the massive changes in skating one big one happened starting in figures in 1968. In competitive skating it accounted for 50% of scoring. Then again changes were made in the 70's and 80's to now compulsory figures or no longer included in ranking competitions. The only hold out group that still continues to enjoy the mastery of figures is adults who can still compete in competitions recreational with the ISI (Ice Skating Institute). The scribe device was a great tool to help you master the two or three circles used in figure skating. The size of the circle was based on your height and the scribe could be used before or after your initial tracings. Some skaters would resort to using it first to make the circles to trace, most instructors preferred that you trace the circles yourself first and use the scribe to trace over and see if you were accurate in the sizing. Most of the time my figures looked more egg-shaped (which was not good).  Compulsory figures used to be the separator of the men from the boys so to speak. Today with the scoring system it's about who can do the bigger quad. 

My scribe will go back in its comfy place in the closet along with my skates in their bag. Oh that has changed too. I had to hoof the bag on my shoulder, now they use roller bags. What won't they think of next?