From its emergence in ancient times to a series of recent accidents, this is what happens
when ice skating goes wrong
Today's video was requested by Ray Evan Henley.
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Ice skating is gliding across the surface of the ice by means of self-propulsion with
the use of metal-bladed skates.
Movement is enabled by a combination of friction and velocity.
The fact that surface ice is made up of molecules less tightly bound than the ice mass below
is what allows skates to glide over it.
Some evidence suggests ice skating originated in the south of Finland more than 4,000 years
ago.
During that time it was most likely a means of conserving energy during winter journeys.
Ice skates were further developed in the Middle Age and their basic design has largely stayed
the same since then.
Ice skating spread and, while many still enjoyed it as a pastime, it also slowly grew into
various sports.
Today, it’s practiced all-over the world and there are a number of risks associated
with it.
Although rare, severe injuries and even deaths have occurred.
Number 5 Olga Prokuronova In 2006, Olga Prokuronova and partner Karel
Stefl were skating at the European Championships, in Lyon.
At some point Stefl lost his balance during a lasso lift.
This type of lift meant that Stefl had to raise his partner overhead in a hand to hand
press where both skaters were facing the same direction.
As Stefl lost his balance, the momentum generated by the lift launched Prokuronova head-first
into the ice.
She landed hard on the side of her face and her neck snapped sharply as her body tumbled
forward.
The 16-year-old remained on the ice for several seconds before her partner helped her to her
feet.
She recovered from the injury but it was subsequently reported that Prokuronova declined to resume
her partnership with Stefl.
Before we move on, it’s time for our quiz question.
Where did the bladed ice skate design emerge?
Was it: a.
Norway b.
Sweden c. Netherlands
d.
Denmark Let us know what you think in the comments
section below and stay tuned to find out the right answer!
Ice skating can be done for recreation, exercise or travel and it’s also practiced in the
form of various sports such as ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, ice cross downhill
and others.
It can be practiced both outdoors and indoors in specialized arenas, parks or tracks but
also on naturally-frozen bodies of water such as lakes, rivers or ponds.
Ice skating-related activities are generally most common in countries with prolonged winter
periods such as Canada, Russia, the northern US and the Scandinavian countries.
Number 4 Jessica Dube In February 2007, Jessica Dube and partner
Bryce Davison were participating in the free skate segment of the Four Continents Championship,
in Colorado.
They were both rotating in a side-by-side camel spin, a move in which one leg is extended
horizontally.
On the third spin, they drifted too close together and Davison skate connected to Dube’s
face.
She fell to the ice instantly and clutched her face as blood pooled on the ice.
She was rushed to the hospital where she had surgery to fix the deep laceration on her
nose and cheek.
Dube required 83 stitches but there was no permanent damage.
The pair were treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and returned to compete together
several months later.
Injuries are common in ice skating, regardless of the activity associated with it.
Figure skaters execute flips and turns at high speeds, which may result in sprained
or broken joints as well as serious head trauma.
There have been instances of short track speed skaters becoming paralyzed after they collided
with the boarding.
The combination of speed and the hard surface can produce fatal head or neck injuries.
The skates themselves are sharp and may cause serious cuts to the face and neck, particularly
in pair skating or ice-hockey.
Skating on a frozen body of water runs the risk of falling through the surface of the
ice where death can come from shock, drowning or hypothermia.
Number 3 Elaine Warwick In 2009, Elaine Warwick was skating at a public
rink in the town of Lockerbie, in south-western Scotland.
In what was described as a “freak accident” the 23-year-old fell and hit her head on the
ice.
Trained first aid staff attempted to resuscitate her as police and emergency services were
called to the rink.
Tragically, Elaine was pronounced dead at the scene.
There were over 60 people at the ice rink and none of them reported anything suspicious
about what happened.
It seems that head trauma from the fall was the root cause of Warwick’s death.
Number 2 Clint Malarchuk Former goaltender Clint Malarchuk had one
of the most graphic injuries in the history of ice hockey.
In 1989, Malarchuk’s Buffalo Sabres played at home against the St. Louis Blues.
At one point during the game, Steve Tuttle, of the Blues, and Uwe Krupp, Malarchuk’s
teammate, crashed into the goal.
In the collision, Tuttle’s skate blade hit the front of Malarchuk’s neck, severing
his carotid artery.
Blood started gushing out of the goaltender’s neck.
The injury was so brutal that, upon seeing it, eleven attending supporters fainted, two
had heart attacks and three players vomited on the ice.
Malarchuk believed he was going to die and only wanted to get off the ice so that his
mother, who was watching the game on TV, wouldn’t see him.
His life was saved by the Sabres’ athletic trainer, who was a former Army combat medic.
He pinched off the blood vessels and didn’t let go until doctors stabilized the wound.
Malarchuk survived after losing more than 3 pints of blood.
The six-inch wound on the goaltender’s neck required about 300 stitches.
Amazingly, he was back on the ice only ten days later.
The risks of ice skating on a professional level are well-understood by those involved.
Staying safe is thus a combination of physical fitness, proper technique and equipment as
well as extensive training.
For those that practice skating on naturally-frozen bodies of water the most dangerous aspect
is falling through the ice.
Survival at that point depends on your ability to stay calm and follow a few key steps.
Do this quickly as you have roughly 15 minutes before your muscles lose function.
Even though the cold water will knock your air out, don’t thrash around and try to
stabilize your breathing.
Stay above the water.
Lose any heavy gear but keep your clothes on as they will create air pockets and help
you stay afloat.
The direction you came in is the easiest way out, as the ice is most likely stronger there.
Get your arms onto the solid surface and use anything sharp as an anchoring point.
Kick your legs parallel to the ice and roll or shimmy onto the solid surface.
Keep your body flat and don’t stand up, as it will concentrate your weight and crack
the ice.
Once you’re out, your next priorities are getting warm and, if needed, getting medical
attention.
So, where did the modern ice skate emerge?
The right answer was c, the Netherlands.
Up until the 13th or 14th century, skates didn’t have blades which cut into the ice
and simply went on top of it.
Then the Dutch added steel blades with sharpened edges, which aided movement.
By doing so they offered the world a design that has fundamentally remained unchanged
throughout the years.
Number 1 Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin are pair
skating royalty, having earned a number of gold medals together, including one at the
2006 Olympic Games.
The darkest moment for the pair came two years prior, at the 2004 Skate America, in Pittsburgh.
Marinin was executing a move called an axel lasso lift, in which he lifted Totmianina
above his head.
He suddenly lost his balance and his partner was slammed head-first into the ice.
The accident looked horrifying but Totmianina eventually recovered and returned to the ice
within days.
She didn’t remember the accident nor did she blame her partner and was unafraid to
perform.
Marinin, on the other hand, had to consult a sport psychologist before he could lift
her again.
Thanks for watching!
Would you rather fall through the ice with nothing but a knife in your hand or ice-skate
down a tall frozen slope without any protective gear?