Kenneth A. Skinner (1861 – 25 July 1932) was a champion roller speed skater in the late nineteenth century.

Life

Skinner was born in 1861 in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

and came to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

at the age of 17. He married actress Adelaide Cushman in 1888. He died at

Pondville State Hospital Pondville State Hospital was a hospital in Norfolk, Massachusetts. The facility opened in 1927 as a state-operated hospital to treat cancer patients and do research on the prevention and cure of cancer. It was located in buildings of the former N ...

in Massachusetts in 1932.

Career

Skinner was considered the American champion speed skater in 1884, although this was before the sport was standardized by any governing body so definitive championships are hard to determine. According to fellow skater Bright Star, Skinner was the inventor of

ball bearing A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races. The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this ...

wheeled skates. Skinner sometimes competed on skates against opponents on

bicycles A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. ...

. Skinner lost these races, but not by much. Bicycles of the time were primitive. According to the ''

New York Clipper The ''New York Clipper'', also known as ''The Clipper'', was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924. It covered many topics, including circuses, dance, music, the Outdoor recreation, outdoors, sports, and ...

'', Skinner "throws forward his chest in a most remarkable manner" while skating.

Races won

Source: Roller skating made easy, 1884

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skinner, Kenneth Roller skating in the United States 1932 deaths Sportspeople from Boston Skating people from Nova Scotia