Discover The History Of Figure Skating!

Learn all about the fascinating world of figure skating history with Skate Guard Blog. Explore a treasure trove of articles on the history of figure skating, highlighting Olympic Medallists, World and National Champions and dazzling competitions, shows and tours. Written by former skater and judge Ryan Stevens, Skate Guard Blog also offers intriguing insights into the evolution of the sport over the decades. Delve into Stevens' five books for even more riveting stories and information about the history of everyone's favourite winter Olympic sport.

Books

If you love figure skating and want to learn more about the world's most exciting winter sport, I sincerely hope that you will consider adding these fascinating new books to your shelves!


Sequins, Scandals and Salchows: Figure Skating in the 1980s is an extraordinary history of a decade when figure skating was the talk of the town and its stars were household names.

This one-of-a-kind book expands far beyond iconic moments like Torvill and Dean's Bolero and The Battle of The Brians, exploring intriguing connections between figure skating and real-world events that shaped the decade, including The AIDS Pandemic, The Cold War and The Fall of The Berlin Wall. 

Brimming with fascinating facts and eye-opening insights, the book chronologically highlights the competitions, shows and skaters that made figure skating everyone's favourite winter sport.

A must-have collector's edition for any knowledgeable fan of the sport who came of age in the 80s - or wishes they did.

Available where books are sold in print and eBook editions. Learn more!

Cover image for "Jackson Haines: The Skating King", a book about Jackson Haines, The Father of Figure Skating

The legend of The Skating King has been one of the most enduring stories in figure skating history. 

Jackson Haines left America during the height of the Civil War and toured extensively through Europe. He translated ballet to the ice. He performed for Czars and Emperors. He inspired the formation of many of the world's oldest skating clubs. He changed the world's most exciting winter sport forever and our fascination in him has never waned.

In this meticulously researched biography, figure skating historian Ryan Stevens chronicles Jackson's story from his humble beginnings in New York to his premature death in Finland in 1875 - both on and off the ice. Through extensive study of 19th century archives and unpublished material housed at the K.H. Renlunds Museum and World Figure Skating Museum, Stevens proves that fact can be far more intriguing than fiction.

Available where books are sold in print and eBook editions. Order your copy today!*

Cover image for "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" by Ryan Stevens, foreword by World Figure Skating Champion Donald Jackson

If you love figure skating, you will not be able to put this book down.

Much has been written about figure skating jumps over the years, but most of it has focused on technique. Precious little has been written from a historical perspective.

From the author of the Amazon Best Seller "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating" comes a fascinating book that is jam-packed with stories about the origins and international evolution of figure skating jumps over the course of more than a century.

"Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" includes:

- Essays on the waltz jump, toe-loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz, Axel, pairs throws, twists and side-by-side jumps. There is even a chapter devoted to the history of the backflip!
- Charts detailing a wide variety of technical firsts under the International Skating Union's IJS system.
- Dozens of compelling, little-known facts about the people who have been responsible for some of the biggest technical achievements in the world's most exciting winter sport. 

Available where books are sold in print and eBook editions. Order your copy today!*

Cover image for "A Bibliography of Figure Skating" by Ryan Stevens

From the author of the Amazon Best Seller "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating" comes the quintessential guide to reading about the world's most exciting sport.

"A Bibliography of Figure Skating" is a fascinating reference book highlighting over a century of figure skating literature, including biographies, historical books and periodicals in over a dozen languages.

Read about the first Bibliography of Skating, penned during the Victorian era by Frederick William Foster. Learn helpful tips and tricks to help you track down rare books and magazines, many of which are now out of print. Expand your knowledge of Olympic figure skating stars past and present and begin crafting your own ultimate figure skating library. 

Available where books are sold in print and eBook editions. Order your copy today!*


How much do you know about Canada's most exciting winter sport?

The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating is a comprehensive book crammed with fascinating facts and figures, many of which you simply can't find online.

This compelling reference book includes:

- Biographies of hundreds of skaters, coaches, choreographers, judges and builders... including many incredible people you have never even heard of.
- Detailed records of Canadian figure skating competitions dating back to the 19th century, including complete results of the Canadian Championships from the early 20th century to the present day.
- Intriguing facts and figures about the governance and growth of Canada's most exciting winter sport.

If you love Canadian figure skating, you will be fascinated by the information in this book!

Available where books are sold in print and eBook editions. Order your copy today!

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*Please note: There is currently a 4-5 week processing delay with all hard cover orders due to a manufacturing facility issue. Should you wish to receive a print copy of any of my books in a timely fashion, I highly encourage you to order a paperback copy at this time.