Skis
Preserved skis found in a Swedish bog go back 4,500 years, and cave paintings show a prehistory of skis going back 5,000 years. The Böksta runestone, found on a farm outside Böksta, Sweden, depicts a man on skis. The stone carving is thought to be from the 11th century.
Bindings
Early skiers used leather straps to attach to the rudimentary wood planks called "skios" in Old Norse culture thousands of years ago.
Poles
Poles are thought to have originated from a spear or a bow with a basket added at one end. Double poles were used to reach a higher speed on skis. Evidence of ski poles go back to early Norse culture from carvings found.
The Altay Influence
Recently discovered, the Altay people of ancient China used boots, skis and poles to track elk through deep snow. The bindings were a series of four holes drilled through the plank with rawhide laces making a "X" that the boot fit under. Thought to be around the same age as the ski discovered in the Swedish bog, Altay ski equipment goes back around 4,500 years.
Modern Equipment and Credit
While certainly not the originator of skiing, credit is given to Sondre Norheim, a Norwegian, as the father of modern skiing and equipment. As a result of his twisted plant bindings of 1850 being so tight, new turning and skiing techniques, known as "telemarking," developed.
Article Written By Eric Cedric
A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Cedric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.
