Multi Genre Research

Project: Ice in a New Light

By Sarah Smith
MGRP Ice Personal Essay
Ice in a New Light: Historical Times Context and Personal Essay
Ice, the quintessential romantic landscape for young lovers, in fact, my very existence hinged on the ice rink and the
pioneers of ice sports who transformed the ice from a harsh, unpredictable terrain, to the platform for one of the most
beautiful as well as one of the most brutal sports known to humankind. That last bit sounded a bit dramatic, but first let me
prove my point. I want to explore the history behind the two ice sports before diving into how this broader history fits into my
own personal existence.
The historical background of ice sports goes as far back as the 13th and 14th centuries in the lakes of Scotland and the
canals of the Netherlands (History of Ice Skating). In 1572, the first iron skates were manufactured, so skaters no longer
would have to use skates with wooden blades fashioned out of animal bones (History of Ice Skating). Once iron skates
became the new technological advancement, ice skating moved from being purely a mode of transportation, to a full-fledged
recreational sport in 1742. Figure skating then moved to the Olympic platform where competitors had to complete a
compulsory figures category that required skaters to make 3 figures drawn from 41 possible patterns. The second category
of Olympic and competitive figure skating was free skate, one short and one long program, which is still in existence today.
However, compulsory figures category was done away with in 1990.
In contrast to the history of ice skating, hockeys history started around the 16th century, and didnt really begin as an
organized sport until the late 19th century in Montreal, Canada. The rules of hockey were officially created in 1877 and were
known as the Montreal Rules (The People History). The ultimate prize in hockey is the Stanley cup which was first
introduced by Governor General of Canada, Lord Fredrick Arthur Stanley. Unlike ice skating, hockey is a team sport that
typically consists of 6 players from each team on the ice. The objective of the game is to send a rubber puck into your
opponents net, hockey is generally considered one of the most brutal games next to football, rugby and mixed martial arts.
In fact, The Top Tens website ranked ice hockey as number one out of 10 most violent sports (The Top Ten).
MGRP Personal Ice Essay CONT.
Although both hockey and ice skating have developed significantly over time ice skating is generally considered a girls
sport and hockey is considered a mans sport. For example, a male figure skaters sexuality is commonly called into
question and no matter their sexual orientation, male figure skaters are often seen as effeminate and, by corollary, presumed
to be gay simply because of their chosen sport (Adams, 2007). The same type of stigmatization goes for female hockey
players. I myself considered following in my fathers footsteps and taking up hockey to which my dad strongly opposed,
claiming that the sport was too rough and he didnt want me becoming too masculine. My parents are real-life figures of this
gender divide in ice sports. My mom went on to figure skate professionally while my dad played hockey in college.
This brings me to my previous point about the ice being the quintessential landscape for young lovers. Indeed, this was the
case for my parents (although they werent too young at the time). If early innovators of the game of hockey and ice skating
hadnt existed, Im convinced I too wouldnt be here today. The ice brought my parents together in a unique way that is pretty
phenomenal. Despite the popularity and history of skating originating in the wintery North, both my parents became
infatuated with their respective wintery sports in the southern and western climates. A native Californian, my mother began
figure skating in Anaheim at the age of eight. She competed until the age of seventeen and then eventually went on to tour
with the Ice Capades for seven years. My father, on the other hand, took an interest in hockey while in St. Louis Missouri which
was pretty uncommon back in the sixties. Many southern states lacked ice rinks and didnt popularize hockey into the
mainstream at that time like sports such as football were popularized. My dad had to end up moving to Minnesota over the
summers and go to training camps there in order to receive the proper training and education in hockey. My mom was able to
prosper in her sport in California because figure skating gained more notoriety there and California was big enough to house
some elite rinks.
I personally enjoy having the opportunity to learn about a chunk of history through the eyes of my mom and dad. Both of my
parents experienced ice sports in a specific place and time where nowadays their sports have changed so much its hard to
believe obsolete aspects of their sports every existed. For example, my mom skated during the time that figures were still
existent within the sport, but now there is no such thing as figures in figure skating, just freestyle skating. My mom even
recalled when they made a big rule change while she was competing so that even if athletes didnt place within the top 8 of
figures, they could still showcase their freestyle program.
Interview Transcript for My Mom,
Rozann Smith
Rozann Smith Interview Transcript.docx
 Interview Transcript for my Dad,
Mark Smith
Interview Questions and Transcript for MGRP.docx
Special Event Invitation
Magazine Feature: Ice Capades
Link to full feature:
..\..\Documents\MGRP Magazine Human Interest St
ory.docx

I decided to do a magazine feature utilizing my

mothers personal history while she was apart of
the Ice Capades. I focus on the chorus line in
general, but then get specific with one chorus girl
in particular, my mother, who has given me more
knowledge of the Ice Capades then I could
fathom. This magazine feature is basically
promoting Ice Capades as a whole, but in a way
that feels personal. My favorite part was being
able to include a genuine quote from my mother
within this feature.
Personal Letter to My Parents
Link to full text of letter:
..\..\Documents\MGRP Personal Letter.docx
 Works Cited
Adams, M. L. (2007). The manly history of a girls' sport:
Gender, class and the development of nineteenth-century
figure skating. The International Journal of the History of
Sport, 24(7), 872-893. doi:10.1080/09523360701311752
Greiff, J. (n.d.). Ice Skating. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-cont
ent/ice-skating/
The People History -- Steve Pearson. (n.d.). Ice Hockey
Origins, Growth and Changes in the Game. Retrieved April
20, 2017, from
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/icehockeyhistory.html