ouis Rubenstein was a celebrated competitor in track and field, cycling, bowling, canoeing, automobile, and rowing meets. While he was one of Canada's finest all-round athletes, what he really excelled at was figure skating. He was city champion at 17, champion of Canada at 23, and the first recognized world champion in the sport. In those days, figure skaters actually traced printed figures on the ice-an event of precision and grace. Rubenstein performed the movements with such style that an Ottawa newspaper dubbed him "King of the Ice."

In 1890, when word reached Montréal of a world skating championship-to be held in St. Petersburg-the community quickly raised money to send Rubenstein. He left for Russia confident of his ability, but, being Jewish, was wary of the reception he would receive in czarist Russia. Shortly after his arrival, police officials gave Rubenstein 24 hours to leave the country. It was only with the help of the British ambassador that he was finally able to compete without being deported or imprisoned.

Rubenstein triumphed. Despite this threatening "welcome," and despite the fact that the competition included the "acrobatics" that he so disdained, his performance was superb. Spectators were in awe as he retraced a pattern on the ice four times without even blurring the original outline. He was so superior to the other skaters that even the prejudiced judges could not deny him the world title.

On his return to Canada, he was besieged by reporters from New York and Montréal. He soon found out that he could not even skate recreationally without attracting a crowd. Although Rubenstein was a modest man, he confided that when overseas, he took a certain pride in stating that he was a Canadian.

Rubenstein continued to skate for some years, but he also played an instrumental role in making bicycle racing a success in Canada, led several sporting associations, and dabbled in politics-a selfless worker for the good of his community.

riginally, skating had nothing to do with sport - a solid pair of skates would be found on any experienced explorer, fur-trader, hunter, or settler who ventured off on a winter excursion. The equipment was incredibly cumbersome and hard to fit into. But significant changes were made to skates in the early 1860s which made them more accessible, and skating as a sport was born.

The first indoor skating rinks were constructed sheds built on top of natural sheets of ice, with the first rink in the world built in Montréal, establishing the prestigious Montréal Skating Club. Skating took off from there. It was a significant part of the social scene; there were elaborate events with masquerades and dances on the ice, with bands playing at the rinks on a weekly basis.

It is not known for certain how figure skating - "dancing on ice" - first got started, but the man who popularized the sport in North America was New York ballet master Jackson Haines. In his routines, a skater had to trace out designs printed on the ice. The skill was in knowing how to move your body so that your skates flawlessly followed the lines. This basic premise figures into the compulsory figures and judging techniques that we still use today.

By 1875, skating in Canada had subdivided into different disciplines, but audiences were most enthusiastic about the flowing style of skating to music, or "figure skating." Even within this subdivision there were many different cultural styles: Continental, International, and English. North American style took elements from all the other styles and combined them to create a new style. With this last integrated style, Canada became a leading contender in the international arena. Canada also began pioneering the integration of skating and theatrics; involving costuming, lighting, choreography, dramatics, and comedy in the skater's performance.

A leading figure in this movement was Barbara Ann Scott. Canada fell in love with her as soon as she won the 1947 World Championships. At 16, She was the youngest continental ice champion in history. She combined the compulsory figures with "free" skating, which would not actually be officially recognized on its own merit in the competitions until more than twenty years later.

When free skating was finally embraced in the 70s, it was given prominence over all the individual schools; the focus in figure skating shifted to individualism and expressionism. A leading figure in this period was Toller Cranston, a creative and controversial skater known for his unique free skating style. Although he was never a world champion, he opened up men's skating to a whole new range of motion, which evolved in the artistry of future champions like Brian Orser.

Speed skating evolved around the same time as figure skating, but the medals were usually reserved for the Dutch or Scandinavian countries. In 1980, however, Gaetan Boucher set a world record for the 1000 metre event, and won two gold medals and a bronze in the Olympics a few years later.

The popularity of skating is in part based on the existing popularity of other winter sports in Canada, particularly curling. Local skating rinks were initially built by the curling clubs.

Curling is not originally a Canadian sport; it immigrated from Scotland. It is not difficult to understand why it gained such popularity. Curling is captivatingly simple: players slide stones over an ice surface toward the centre of a target. But despite this simplicity, there are infinite varieties in strategies and tactics. Based on this combination of simplicity and skill, Canada embraced curling as a significant recreational pastime and social event.

Although the sport was imported, it thrived in Canada; when a Canadian-born curler, William Reynolds, won the Denham Medal in 1843, a Toronto newspaper claimed "Curling may now be considered in this Province a Canadian rather than a Scottish game."

Curling seemed to catch on most in the Prairies provinces, in part owing to the wintry climate. But there was also a significant Scottish settlement in the Prairies, with many members of the community more than willing to indulge in and promote their native traditions.