British Ice Skating


British Ice Skating is the national governing body of ice skating within the United Kingdom. Formed in 1879, it is responsible for overseeing all disciplines of ice skating: figure skating ; synchronised skating; and speed skating.

History

On Saturday 1 February 1879 a number of prominent men of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire met in the Guildhall, Cambridge, to set up the National Skating Association with the aim of regulating the sport of fen skating. A Cambridge journalist, James Drake Digby, had thought that the Fen speed skaters were worthy of national recognition and he was also concerned that betting was leading to malpractice. He thought that skating needed a national organisation to control it, like the Jockey Club. The founding committee included several landowners, a vicar, a fellow of Trinity College, a magistrate, two members of parliament, the mayor of Cambridge, the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, the president of the University of Cambridge Skating Club, and Neville Goodman, a graduate of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Even though the National Skating Association was formed to regulate speed skating, figure skaters began joining the organization within a year of its founding.
The newly formed National Skating Association held their first one-and-a-half-mile British professional championship at Thorney in December 1879. There was a field of 32, including former champions Turkey Smart and Tom Watkinson. Fish Smart beat Knocker Carter in the final. His reward was a badge, a sash and a cash prize, given as an annual salary in instalments to encourage the champion to "keep himself temperate". The NSA also established an amateur championship, which was held for the first time at Welsh Harp, London, in January 1880, and won by Frederick Norman, a farmer's son from Willingham. The professionals were labourers who skated for cash prizes; the amateurs were gentlemen who skated for trophies.
In 1892 the NSA aided in the foundation of the International Skating Union. The NSA hosted the first international ice skating competition in Britain in Birmingham in 1899 and has hosted all events in the UK since in various locations.
In 1894 the National Skating Association decided to move their headquarters from Cambridge to London, from where they concentrated on figure skaters and rinkmen. Their new base, the National Skating Palace, is now better known as the London Palladium.
Until 1990, when an independent society was formed, the NSA was also the UK's governing body of roller skating. As a consequence of the segmentation, the NSA became NISA, the headquarters of which are now based in Nottingham.
In November 2018, the National Ice Skating Association began rebranding as British Ice Skating.

Assessment

Complying to the purpose of the organisation, the BIS levels are used by instructors to grade learners of ice skating in the UK. There are various levels of student grades, as well as instructor grades.

Skate UK

These levels are generally taught in group classes, and are assessed by the instructors of these classes. The levels are as follows:
  • Level 1
  1. Sit down and stand up
  2. March forwards across the ice
  3. Forward two-foot glide
  4. Skate and dip
  5. Turn around on the spot
  • Level 2
  1. Backwards marching across the ice
  2. Forward swizzles
  3. Forward two-foot glide on a curve
  4. Two-foot turn on the spot
  5. Snowplough or T-stop
  • Level 3
  1. Forward stroking
  2. Moving two-foot turn
  3. Backwards swizzles
  4. Back two-foot glide
  5. Forward one-foot glide
  • Level 4
  1. Forward outside edges on a circle
  2. Forward inside edges on a circle
  3. Basic forward slalom
  4. Backwards stroking
  5. Forward continuous chasses around a circle
  1. Backward outside edges on a circle
  2. Backward inside edges on a circle
  3. Backward continuous chasses around a circle
  4. Forward crossovers
  5. Forward outside three turns from standstill
  • Level 6
  1. Forward inside three turn from standstill
  2. Backward outside edges step to forward outside edge on a circle
  3. Backward crossovers
  4. Backward two-foot slalom
  5. Two-foot spin
  • Level 7
  1. Forward inside open mohawk
  2. Backward crossovers to landing position glide
  3. Continuous forward outside edges along a straight line
  4. Continuous forward inside edges along a straight line
  5. Basic forward cross rolls
  • Level 8
  1. Continuous outside three turns around a circle ; left and right
  2. Continuous inside three turns around a circle ; left and right
  3. Step sequence: three turns, mohawk, cross rolls, twizzles, toe steps etc.
  4. Forward inside single twizzle
  5. One foot spin

    Skate UK Star Levels (formerly known as Passport)

These levels may be attempted once the Skate UK levels have been passed. Skate UK Star levels may be taken in any or all of singles skating, ice dance, speed skating or synchronised skating, although you must complete a level in a given discipline before moving onto the next level in that discipline. These levels as also assessed by the instructor, but will be expected to be of a higher standard than the same moves in the Skate UK system. The levels are as follows:

Singles Skating

  • Bronze
  1. Forwards and backwards crossovers in a figure of 8
  2. Forward outside spiral on a curve
  3. Spin on one foot optional entry and exit
  4. Waltz jump from 4-5 back crossovers
  5. Bunny hop into drag
  • Silver
  1. Single salchow
  2. Spin on one foot entry from backwards crossovers, stepping into a forward outside edge, with a landing position exit
  3. Backward spiral on a curve
  4. Backwards crossovers around a circle into an extended landing position for the count of 3
  5. Teapot on either foot
  • Gold
  1. Backwards outside one-foot spin
  2. Single toe loop
  3. Spiral sequence: forward outside spiral, forward outside three turn, two backwards crossovers, back inside spiral clockwise and counter-clockwise
  4. A simple step sequence: must have three turns, mohawks, chasses, crossrolls, toe steps; these can be done on any edge, forwards or backwards
  5. Combination of skating movements: to include turns, jumps and spins in a short routine; with or without music

    Ice Dance

  • Bronze
  1. Forward open chasses/crossed chasses continuously on a circle left and right
  2. Left forward outside mohawk, cross in front onto left back inside and step forwards to right forward inside left and right
  3. Forward progressive runs
  4. Two consecutive left forward outside 3 turns followed by a sustained outside edge with the free leg extended for a count of 3
  5. Forward spiral inside and outside edges
  • Silver
  1. Forward progressive runs in a figure of 8
  2. Backward open chasses in a serpentine sequence
  3. Backward progressive runs in a figure of 8
  4. A 7-step dance sequence as follows: right forward inside open mohawk, right back outside run, right back outside cross in front left back inside, step forwards to right forward inside edge and repeat twice
  5. Forward inside single twizzles, left and right
  • Gold
  1. Forward run, forward slip chasses in a figure of 8
  2. Basic backwards crossrolls
  3. Solo Novice Foxtrot with music
  4. Forward inside double twizzles
  5. A 9-step dance sequence as follows; left forward outside progressive run, left forward outside closed chasses, left forward outside progressive run, left forward outside open mohawk, step behind to a left back inside edge and repeat twice.

    Synchronized Skating

  • Bronze
  1. Forward block in shoulder hold using alternating left and right chasses
  2. Forward line in shoulder hold using alternating left and right chasses and swings
  3. Forward circle in hand hold, facing inward using continuous chasses.
  4. Forward pin wheel in shoulder hold, using consecutive chasses. 2, 3 or 4 spokes may be performed, depending on the number of skaters.
  • Silver
  1. Block in shoulder hold. Push Left, push right, left cross edge, right cross edge, LFO 3 turn, right back cross edge, left back cross edge
  2. Line in shoulder hold. Push Left, push right, left cross edge, right cross edge, LFO 3 turn, right back cross edge, left back cross edge
  3. Circle in elbow hold, facing in and performed in both directions. At least 2 consecutive sequences of; forward chasse, forward cross, FO 3 turn, backward chasse, backward cross, step to forward inside edge to repeat
  4. Forward intersection using alternating forward chasses. At least 3 pass throughs. Drag position may be introduced for variety.
  • Gold
  1. Forward line in shoulder hold turning to back line into elbow hold. Step may be a combination of chasses, progressive runs, and back cross overs. This movement to be performed using full length of the rink.
  2. Block introducing a change of axis. Commence in shoulder hold down long axis. Push Left, push right, left cross edge, right cross edge, LFO 3 turn, right back cross edge, left back cross edge. Change to elbow hold, backward right chasse, right cross, right chasse, right cross, step to right forward inside edge to repeat.
  3. Change of configuration wheel, from 2 spokes to 4 spokes. A combination of forward chasses and crossovers and a 3 turn to backward chasses and crossovers. At least one change of hold must be performed.
  4. Forward intersection with a one revolution turn at the point of intersection. At least 3 pass throughs to be performed.

    Pairs Skating

  • Bronze
  1. Forward stroking side by side focus and emphasis on unison.
  2. Forward stroking in hand to hand hold
  3. Basic upright spin side by side any entry and exit
  4. Bunny hop side by side
  5. Forward spiral in a straight line side by side.
  • Silver
  1. Forward stroking in Kilian Hold focus and emphasis on timing and unison.
  2. Forwards cross overs around a circle in hand to hand hold
  3. Side by side Waltz jumps from 3 backward crossovers
  4. Two-foot spiralling curve in Kilian hold.
  5. Forward spiral in a straight line in Kilian hold
  • Gold
  1. Forwards crossovers in a figure of 8 in hand to hand hold.
  2. Backward crossovers around a circle in hand to hand hold
  3. Side by side Single Salchow from 3 backward crossovers
  4. Simple Pairs spin in Kilian hold, any entry and exit.
  5. Spirals: One skater forward spiral/ one skater backward spiral hand to hand hold