About

The Missouri Speedskating Association provides both competitive and recreational speedskating for 100+ Missouri skaters. There are three speedskating clubs in MO: two in the St. Louis area and one in Jefferson City. Missouri speedskaters have represented the US at every Winter Olympic Games since 1968 – a tradition we are proud of and strive to continue.

The Missouri Skating Association was organized by Joseph Forshaw in 1927.

Their first Olympian was Louis “Sonny” Rupprecht, who was a member of the 1948 Winter Olympic Team in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Beginning in 1968, there was a Missouri speedskater on every Winter Olympic Team. Missouri Medalists include Nikki Ziegelmeyer in 1992 and 1994, J.P. Kepka in 2006 and Katherine Reutter in 2010.

The Missouri Speedskating Association has sponsored several speedskating meets throughout the years. The longest running competition is the “Silver Skates” which started in 1926 on the Grand Basin in front of the Art Museum in Forest Park. Since then the Silver Skates has been held at various rinks including The Winter Garden Skate Rink on DeBaliviere Ave. (originally built for the 1904 Worlds Fair but torn down in 1966), The Arena on Oakland Ave., Steinberg Rink in Forest Park, Greensfelder Rink in Queeny Park, and the South County Recreation Complex Ice Rink.

In the 1960’s and 70’s the “Doyle, Crowe and Chapin Racing Series” provided competitions for speedskaters on Thursday evenings at Steinberg Rink in Forest Park.

Various speedskating clubs have formed in Missouri over the years.

The University City Speed Skating Club was active from 1974 to 1980.

The Clayton Speed Skating Club (active through the late 1990s) was located at the Shaw Park Rink in Clayton, MO.

The Gateway Speed Skating Club (1963-present) practiced at various facilities over the years but eventually settled at the ice rink in Kirkwood, MO.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Speed Skating Club, better known as the “Metros” (1969-present) originally met at the Winter Garden Skate Rink. Now they rotate practices between Queeny Park, The Mills, Webster and Chesterfield ice rinks.

The Jefferson City Speed Skating Club (1971-present) serves the central Missouri/Ozark area.