When did Skiing begin?

Skiing may appear to be a modern sport, but actually it is one of the oldest forms of travel known to man. The word “ski” comes from the Icelandic word “scidn” which means snow shoe or piece of wood. Some ancient carvings have been found which show people on skis corresponding to Stone Age. Before appearance in Christianity, the ancient Lapps were called Skrid- Finnen or “sliders” in Scandinavia.

They even had a goddess of ski, and their winter god was shown on a pair of skis with curved toes. The first skis of which there is any record were long curved frames, often made of the bones of animals and held to the foot by thongs. Skiing developed as a sport in Norway, in the province of Telemark. The town of Morgedal in Telemark in actually called “cradle of skiing”. Because this region would be snowbound for long periods of time, it was necessary to use skis to get about.

There is a record of having skiing competitions in Norway in 1767. The father of modern skiing called Sondre Norheim, was a native Morgedal, Norway. He came to the United States at the age 59 and, until death in 1897; he did further skiing in that country. In 1868, there was a big skiing competition held in the city of Christania. Sondre Norheim had also participated. He skied down the slope, without a stick, feet close together.

As he took off from the jump, he soared through the air like a bird and landed with a slight give at the knees. A moment later he came to a standstill with a turn. The crowd was amazed, and a new era was launched in the game of skiing.