Multi Genre Research Project: Ice in a New Light By Sarah Smith - PowerPoint Presentation

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, hockey’s history started around the 16th century, and didn’t 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 Ten’s 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 “girl’s sport” and hockey is considered a “man’s sport.” For example, a male figure skater’s 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 father’s footsteps and taking up hockey to which my dad strongly opposed, claiming that the sport was too rough and he didn’t 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 weren’t too young at the time). If early innovators of the game of hockey and ice skating hadn’t existed, I’m convinced I too wouldn’t 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 didn’t 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 it’s 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 didn’t 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 Story.docx I decided to do a magazine feature utilizing my mother’s 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:10.1080/09523360701311752Greiff , J. ( n.d. ). Ice Skating. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/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