Paper short abstract:

Within sport, unexpected movement can realize something transformative. I propose a taxonomy of transformative movement as: 1) progressive, 2) transcendent, or 3) transgressive. I then use the slapskate as a case to explore movement at the intersection of technology, danger and power.

Paper long abstract:

Movement is highly prescribed within sport. And yet, the history of athletics is punctuated by moments in which unexpected movement realizes something transformative. This is fodder for sport journalists' "greatest of" or "most important" lists. But it is also the stuff of classic anthropological analysis: it reveals the power and danger inherent in disrupting boundaries. I propose a taxonomy of transformative movement as: 1) progressive, 2) transcendent, or 3) transgressive. For instance, Bannister's four-minute mile was progressive movement: it did not shatter the very idea of what running is; nonetheless his achievement challenged notions of the body's material limits. But now consider the claim that footballer, Pelé, is the only player "who surpassed the boundaries of logic". Or that watching Federer play tennis is "a religious experience." These quotes suggest a sporting body that incarnates profundity or even holy mystery. Finally, there is transgressive movement within sport. Transgressive movement threatens representations and violates boundaries; it is movement that employs dangerous forms. In the 1996/1997 racing season, the international speed skating world was rocked by three Dutch women donning novel skates. The American team called these slapskates "machines" that jeopardized the tradition and purity of their sport. Two decades later, however, no long-track speed skater is without a hinged skate. How can this be accounted for? I examine the history of the slapskate in order to explore transformative movement at the intersection of technology, danger and power.