You may think that skiing is a modern sport, but it is actually one of the oldest forms of travel known to man! The word itself comes from the Icelandic word scidh, which means snowshoe or piece of wood.

Some historians claim that skiing goes back to the Stone Age, and they have found ancient carvings which show people on skis. Long before Christianity appeared, the ancient Lapps were known in Scandinavia as Skrid-Finnen, or “sliders.” 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 began as a sport in Norway, in the province of Telemark. In fact, the town of Morgedal in this Norwegian province, is known as the “cradle of skiing.” Because this region would be snowbound for long periods at a time, it was necessary to use skis to get about. In winter when the natives went hunting or trapping in the mountains, or to neighboring villages to market or to visit, they had to depend on skis.

And if you think skiing meets are a modern development, it may surprise you to know that in Norway they were having skiing competitions for prizes way back in 1767! The father of modern skiing was a man called Sondre Norheim, who was a native of Morgedal, Norway. He was a pioneer not only in the slalom and jumping, but also in making skis. He came to the United States at the age of 59 and, until his death in 1897, he did much to further the sport of skiing in this country.

The year 1868 is an important one in the history of skiing. That year a big skiing competition was held in the city of Christiania. Sondre Norheim was invited to compete. He skimmed 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 at this performance, and a new age was launched in the sport of skiing.

In the United States by the way, skis were the accepted way to travel in winter in the mining camps as far back as 100 years ago!