Cross Country Skis, Jacket, and Clothing
Skiing
is unlike any other sensation and it is pursued by millions of people
throughout the world. Compared with other sports skiing requires much
more equipment such as ski boots, ski jackets and ski clothing. This
is mainly due to the extreme environment and nature of the sport. It
is very easy to achieve high speeds and even easier to crash in the
epic garage sale of equipment and clothing.
The word ‘ski’ actually comes from the Nordic word for
a ‘stick of wood’ and for thousands of years that is all
it was. Another interesting fact about the word ski is that it is written
and pronounced the same way in almost every language and is also used
as a verb. The oldest skis were found in Russia and have been dated
to over 8,000 years ago. The design of the ski hints at a long practice
of building skis and riding on them, a skill that many modern men and
women are still unable to perform.
It wasn’t until the late 1800s that a ‘safe’ binding
was invented which allowed for people to ski without risking their lives
as much. This invention is credited to Sondre Norheim who also developed
a shorter, more flexible ski that could easily be turned in soft conditions.
It is more likely that he didn’t invent anything, he merely popularized
an already existing form of travel as a form of recreation. Skiing has
been used by the Norwegian military for over five hundred years. There
also isn’t much written about Norheim until the 1930s, after his
death, when he was used to promote the winter Olympics. Nevertheless
he is still an inspiration for many European skiers.
Getting to an area that was suitable to ski proved to be the most difficult
part for this sport. Lots of snow is needed and it is much easier and
more fun to go downhill than uphill. The first ski resorts shuttled
passengers up to the top of ridges and mountains on trains and on ore
cars used for mining. The first ski lifts were actually modified aerial
ore transporters but instead of valuable rock being transported downhill
inside, people with skis were delivered to the top of mountains.
Technological innovations to ski gear have continually made skiing
more enjoyable, easier to learn, and easier to access. There are roads
and busses to every major ski resort and many are close to airports
which greatly influence tourism. It has evolved into a multi-billion
dollar industry that stimulates many other seemingly unrelated industries
including real estate.
Skiing today is enjoyed in areas where there isn’t even snow.
They look like giant warehouses turned at an angle and they are located
in the desert and other locations that boast year round temperatures
well above freezing. Inside they have lifts, different runs and even
jumps and half pipes. Skis can go forwards and backwards and everyday
a new trick is invented and mastered. People are even riding on various
terrain features that would never be found on a mountain such as rails,
boxes and stairs designed just for jibbing.
Even with
snowboards taking the popularity vote for snow sports,
all true athletes know that skiing will always be the funnest way to
fly down a mountain.