The crunch of the snow. The cold, crisp air. The feeling of flying down a mountain. Skiing is a fun and adventurous sport, but have you ever wondered how skiing became the popular pastime it is now? Today, it is a serious Olympic sport, but who first decided that it was a good idea to strap on a pair of skis and hurl themselves down a hill?

An Ancient Tradition

Not surprisingly, some historians believe that skiing dates back to around the Ice Age! The Ice Age spanned millions of years, during which a lot of the Earth was covered in snow and ice. Archaeologists have uncovered cave paintings in Central Asia that date back thousands of years and show men using skis. This ancient activity was not done as a sport, however, but as a way of traveling and hunting. 

According to some historians, skiing was born in the Altai Mountains of Central Asia. Even today, the Altai people make skis in the ancient tradition– carving them from wood by hand and covering them with fur.

Other historians say we should look to Scandinavia and the Sámi people to uncover the origins of skiing. The Sámi are the Indigenous people of Sápmi—a region that spans parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Ancient rock carvings in Norway and Russia suggest that people have been skiing there for thousands of years. In medieval Scandinavia, the Sámi used skiing to travel across the land, hunt, and herd reindeer. They even created special skis just for this. The Sámi crafted a long, wooden ski to help them slide, and a short ski (sometimes covered in animal fur) for grip. 

 

Illustration of Sámi hunters on skis in the 16th-century. Image from Olaus Magnus, Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus (1555). Public Domain.

Soldiers on Skis

Skiing started as a simple way to get from one place to another. When war broke out in Europe during the winter, this mode of transportation became even more important. During the Great Northern War (1700–1721), the Norwegian army trained and developed ski troops that could easily travel through the tricky, snowy ground. Other armies found this hard, and so the Norwegians were able to gain the upper hand. Ski warfare also helped Finland when the Soviet Union invaded in 1939, as they were able to hold the large army back until 1940. Inspired by the Finns, the US Army developed its own ski troops to battle the Nazis in World War II. 

 

Finnish ski troops during the Winter War (1939-1940) with the Soviet Union. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

 

The First Ski Competition

For a long time, skiing was considered just a part of everyday life; it wasn’t until the eighteenth century that skiing became a sport. In the 1760s, the Norwegian army held a contest where soldiers had to ski across the flat snow and down slopes, whilst avoiding forests and shooting at targets! Ultimately, the Norwegians created the very first skiing competition and essentially created the first biathlon.

A biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and shooting. It’s an event in the Olympics today.

It was also Norway that helped popularize ski jumping, with Olaf Rye jumping nearly 10 metres in the air in 1809!

By the 1800s, skiing became very popular, especially in Scandinavian countries. The design of the ski developed as well, going from flat to a more bow-shaped ski, which helped stop the skis from sinking into the snow. This is a design we still use today. 

 

"En norsk Skieløber” ("A Norwegian skier) by Johannes Senn, published 1811.
Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Skiing Goes Global

The 1900s saw the birth of skiing as a popular sport—not just in Scandinavia but around the globe. It even featured in the first Winter Olympic Games, held in France in 1924. Two Norwegians won gold and silver, and an American won bronze in the ski jumping event.

People from China, New Zealand, and Argentina also began skiing in the 1930s, and athletes competed in downhill skiing during the 1936 Olympics. 

 

Japanese competitors at the 1936 Winter Olympics. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

The 1969 James Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, featured a thrilling ski chase. This film helped make skiing the well-loved sport it is now.

In the following years, innovations in boots and skis allowed people to twist and turn down the mountains faster than ever before. The very first snow park was built in California’s Bear Valley in 1989. This outdoor park featured high jumps for skiers and snowboarders to perform daring stunts. 

Today, there are thousands of ski resorts around the world—stretching across Europe, Asia, and North America. 

Skiing has clearly changed a lot from the Ice Age! From the Olympics to luxurious ski chalets, skiing is now seen as a serious sport or an exciting activity to do on vacation. And, in the snowier parts of the globe, it is still a scenic way to travel across the country. 

Want to learn more about the history of Scandinavia or the Olympics? Check out our kids' magazine! Kids can explore the people and places that made history through engaging stories, beautiful illustrations, and fun activities.

Cover image: Children skiing in 1935. Image from Digital Museum.