Ice skating in the United Kingdom has a very long and distinguished history; early records detail the world's first skating club in Edinburgh In 1742 and in London from King William IV's time (1830). However the beginning of ice skating may have been some 4000 years ago when men from Northern Europe took to sliding about on pieces of wood or bone, in order to cross the frozen wastes hunting food or seeking habitation. The National Ice Skating Association of UK (NISA) is one of the oldest governing bodies in the UK being founded as the National Skating Association of Great Britain (NSA) in February 1879. Until the early part of 1990 the NSA was responsible for both roller and ice skating however in 1992 the two disciplines decided to go their separate ways and NISA came into existence. HRH Queen Elizabeth II continues to this day as patron of NISA.

Nottingham is the home of the British Short Track Speed Team who are currently preparing for the 2002 Winter Olympics to be held in Salt Lake City. The national Ice Centre completed with the help of over £24 million in lottery funds is also the home of NISA who moved to the centre in May 2001 after 106 years in London.

Ice Skating can be divided into two distinct disciplines, Figure Skating (which includes, figure, dance and synchronized) and speed skating with short track being the most popular in the UK.

British Figure Skating has achieved a total of 10 Olympic medals, six of which were gold. Who can forget the success of Jayne Torville, Christopher Dean, Robin Cousins and John Curry. NISA recently unveiled a commemorative statue to John Curry specifically to ensure people do not forget his successful career and we were pleased to welcome Torville and Dean and Cousins to the special occasion.

Beauty, grace, power and athleticism all need to be combined to be successful at one of the most dazzling sports in the Olympic Winter Games - Figure Skating. No other sport requires so many diverse talents; talents which take years and years of intense work and dedication to develop.

However, if you prefer the shear speed, power and muscular strength that short-track speed skating provides then this is the sport for you. Just imagine travelling at speeds in excess of 42 kilometres per hour over distances of up to 1500 metres, all on ice. Just imagine the physical fitness levels and stamina required to achieve success. Over the past 25 years Great Britain has achieved 22 individual world medals, this is in addition to the 2 Gold and 1 Bronze Olympic medals.

Skate UK is our new introduction to skating - a programme run in conjunction with Sportsmatch and our commercial sponsors KIT@

Skate UK will be NISA's flagship learn-to-skate programme for skaters of all ages and backgrounds that coaches' fundamental movements and basic skills. The programme is set up in ten stages and the SKATE UK programme emphasizes fun, with continuous movement and is coached in a group lesson format; Skate UK is coached by qualified NISA coaches and can be assisted by trained Programme Assistants. Awards and incentives are used to motivate skaters to achieve and develop their skills as well as to keep interest high! SKATE UK is a feeder programme to all other NISA programmes.

Skate UK is the new National Learn to Skate Programme for all those wishing to learn how to ice skate. The programme is open to all, offering the best quality coaching at your local ice rink.

Forwards and backwards skating, stopping, turns; even jumps and spins can be learned in easy progressions through the 10 Levels of Skate UK. A long way, I think you will agree, from the tests in 1742 that required skaters to skate a complete circle on each first and then jump over first on hat, then two hats and finally three hats.

Coaching is in cost effective group classes. There is no age limit, skaters as young as two can participate with classes for adults too.

Each Level of Skate UK offers attractive certificates and badges as well as sweatshirts and other items of clothing.
Learning to skate will be fun and easy and before long you could be participating in competitions and tests!

Once skaters have completed Level 10 of the SKATE UK Programme, they will move to the SKATE UK "STAR" programme in a respective discipline; single skating, ice dancing, speed skating, synchronized skating, power skating. SKATE UK "STAR" consists of three levels in each discipline, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The programme serves as a bridge from SKATE UK to the NISA Test System and introduces many figure skating skills that are included in the Novice Level Tests. Skaters who complete the Skate UK "STAR" Gold test are well on their way to taking their first NISA test.

If you would like to learn how to skate, then Skate UK is for you and who knows if you enjoy it, you could go on to skate competitively and become a world champion or tour the world as a member of an Ice Dance Company performing shows from Disney on Ice to more formal productions.

Ice-skating is a sport for all and one in which you can participate no matter what your level of skill.

There will be a number of free spaces available on the Skate UK programme during the next twelve months for details contact your local ice rink.



Details on your local ice rink can be obtained from:

The National Ice Skating Association 
National Ice Centre
Lower Parliament Street
Nottingham NG1 1LA 
Telephone: 0115 853 3100

Getting Started
When you first start ice-skating your first priority is to be warm and comfortable. Wear a tracksuit or even a ski-suit on the ice and always wear gloves for safety. Hire skates from your local ice rink at first and then if you decide that skating is for you, buy your own from a specialised skating shop.

First Steps
Once your boots are correctly laced and you are wearing warm clothes you are ready to take your fist steps on the ice. Before you do so, you may wish to practice walking on the floor in your boots. This helps you to get used to balancing on the blades and standing correctly over your skates before you move onto the slippery ice.

Taking it Further
Once you have discovered the joys of ice-skating, you may wish to explore some of the many other aspects of the sport. You could for example try ice hockey, curling or speed skating. Alternatively you may consider a career in figure skating as a coach or show skater.

Visit our web site: www.nisa-uk.org