 The idea of a hinging skate was described and patented in 1894 by Karl Hannes, from Raitenhaslach, Burghausen.It was re-invented by Gerrit Jan van Ingen Schenau, who started work on a hinged speed skate in 1979, created his first prototype in 1980 and finished his PhD thesis on the subject in 1981 on the premise that a skater would benefit from the extended movement with the skate on the ice, allowing the calf muscles to longer partake in the skate movement.The construction of the hinge was refined further in collaboration with Viking.