Alfred Næss

the playwright

Karl Alfred Ingvald Næss (26 April 1877 – 6 July 1955) was a Norwegian speed skater. He set the men's world record for 500 meter speed skating on 5 February 1893 at 49.4 seconds in Hamar, Norway. He then broke his own world record 21 days later on 26 February 1893 at 48.0 seconds, then lowered it to 47.0 seconds on 24 February 1894 at Hamar.

He was born on 26 April 1877 to Anne Jette Jensen (1847–?) of Kragerø or Skåtøy; and Kristian Andersen Næss (1848–?) of Grue, Norway. He was baptized as "Karl Alfred Ingvald Næss" on 27 May 1877 in the Garnison Menighet, in Oslo, Norway, but he always used the name "Alfred Næss". His father, Christian, was an army sergeant. Alfred had two siblings: Carl Albert Næss (1874–? ); and Alvilde Marie Magdalene Næss (1875–1933) who married Thorvald Martin Tandberg (1874–1970). Næss grew up in Vika. On 6 February 1897 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he competed against Canadian Jack McCulloch in the 1,500 meter race, McCulloch and Næss tied, invoking a run off. McCulloch won the run off by two fifths of a second. Also on 6 February 1897 Næss equaled the world record of 46.8 seconds set by Wilhelm Mauseth on 3 February 1895 in Trondheim, Norway, but on 7 February 1897 the record was broken by Peder Østlund with a time of 46.6. Næss won the Norwegian Allround Championships in Oslo in 1898, with gold medals in the 500 meter and the 1,500 meter, and a silver medal in the 5,000 meter. He set world records on three occasions in the 500 meter at Akersvika on Lake Mjøsa in Hamar, Norway. His best time was 47.0 in the European championships in 1894. Næss was in three European championships and three world championships, and he won the 500 meter race in two European championships and two world championships. He went on the vaudeville circuit doing ice skate tricks on ice he would create in the theaters. In 1913 Næss returned to the United States. He married Agnes Mjolstad on 18 September 1919 in Manhattan, New York City and in 1920 he was living in a rented room in Manhattan. He died on 6 July 1955 in Austria and was buried in Austria.

Næss was the maternal uncle of Carl Frederick Tandberg, the bass musician. His partner in paired skating was Freda Maier Westorgaard of Frankenberg (c. 1890 – 1976) who died in Strasshof an der Nordbahn, Austria, in 1976.

Distance Time Date LocationTournament500 meters46.8 seconds6 February 1897 MontrealWorld Allround Championships1,500 meters 2 minutes, 35.0 seconds 5,000 meters 9 minutes, 29.8 seconds 10,000 meters 19 minutes, 17.0 seconds

Between 1893 and 1894 he lowered his record in the 500 meter skate from 50.0 seconds to 46.8 seconds, setting three world records:

Date Event Seconds Location Comments 29 January 1893 500 meters 50.0 Trondheim 5 February 1893 500 meters 49.4 Hamar World record 19 February 1893 500 meters 48.0 Oslo 26 February 1893 500 meters 48.0 Hamar World record 24 February 1894 500 meters 47.0 Hamar World record 16 January 1895 500 meters 47.0 Davos 12 January 1896 500 meters 46.8 Hamar Personal best 5 February 1897 500 meters 46.8 Montreal Personal best