The history of skiing

The best part about skiing during the winter is going down black diamond trails, according to a freshman student at Norwich University.

"My favorite part is the adrenaline rush of a black diamond," said Quinn Duffy, 17, a civil engineering major from Colchester, Conn.

Other students agree that they enjoy the rush of going fast down the slopes, but many years ago skiing as a sport didn't even exist.

Ski resorts didn't become popular until the mid 1900s, and competitive skiing didn't come about until the early 1900s.

The oldest known existence of skis was discovered roughly 5,000 years ago, in cave drawings that depict men on skis.

The drawings were found in Rodoy, Norway, in 1933.  The drawings depict men on ski-like footwear, carrying a stick, so researchers assume that the skis were used while hunting.

Because of the mountain where early people lived in, skis were shown to be a great benefit to hunters.

The first actual skis were found in Skelleftea, Sweden. By carbon dating them, scientists found them to be from 3200 B.C.

The early skis were made from large animal bones and the foot straps were made from leather and animal hides.

The ski poles evolved from walking sticks that snowshoers used.  They were adapted for use while on skis.

The Norwegians were the people to coin the word "ski," which in Old Norse translates to "stick of wood."  Most modern day languages also use the noun as a verb.

Later on, skis were used in war. Warriors would use the skis to outrun their opponents. Over time, interest in using skis in war diminished, and therefore interest in skiing also died out.

The Norwegian military brought back interest in skiing in the 18^th century when they began training regimens on ski mountains. They also came up with the invention of the heel strap to go along with the toe strap, which led to more use in downhill skiing.

In Sweden in 1767, the first ski competition occurred between different companies in the military. The public enjoyed the competition so much that they decided to start competitions of their own.

In 1850, modern skiing was developed.  In Norway, Sondre Norheim invented the first stiff bindings out of birch roots. The new stiff bindings provided better control over the skis, so now skiers could turn more.

The first Slalom race was held in 1921 in Switzerland.  Three years later, Nordic skiing became part of the Winter Olympic Games, Alpine skiing later joining in 1936.

During the early years of World War II, troops in Finland used ski patrols against the Russians and troops in the U.S. used ski patrols against the Germans in 1945.

After the war, the media had an effect on the skiing industry. With races having television coverage, they became more popular, leading to over 400 ski resorts opened in the U.S. in 1960.

Locally, skiing became big in the state of Vermont in the early 1900s. Nordic jumps were created throughout the state at colleges such as Middlebury and St. Johnsbury, which led to college competitions.

In 1934 the first ski lift was built in Woodstock, Vermont. It was powered by a Model-T Ford engine. Before that, people would hike up the mountains and because of that would not make many runs each day.

The first lift was a rope that people grabbed onto, which was tiring for the skier's arms. In the 1930s, the J-bar lift was developed, making it easier for skiers to go up the mountain, and it is still used today.

Today, there are over 20 ski areas in Vermont, with Killington, Sugarbush and Okemo being the big three.

Although those three resorts are the biggest, they may not be the best. 

"I like to ski at Smuggler's Notch," said Nevin Leary, 18, a freshman architecture major from Winooski, Vt. He said that he has skied at other places, but prefers the smaller resort.

Leary said that he has only been skiing for a little over five years now, but he loves the thrill of going down the mountain. "The way your legs feel after," Leary said. "It's wonderful."

On the other hand, Ryan Kittle, 19, a sophomore architecture major from Bowdoin Center, Maine, said that he has been skiing since he was taught in his backyard when he was young.

"I was taught how to ski when I was 4," Kittle said. "So I just kind of stuck with it."

Kittle said that he likes to ski at Sugarbush. "It's close and has the most terrain options available nearby."

Skiing has had many developments over the years, including changing the sizes of skis to vary the speed and turning. "I like the mini skis," said Tyler Denutte, 18, a freshman criminal justice major from Manchester, N.H. "You just go around and do stupid stuff, it's fun."

Dawson Allen, 19, a studies in war and peace major from New Canaan, Conn., said he likes to ski in Colorado instead of Vermont. "I go for both fun and exercise," Allen said.

But the basics of skiing are what keeps everyone coming back from more. "I just like going on the snow and going fast,"  Denutte said.