Sports have to start somewhere. Everything in this world has a starting point. As humans, we are often not precise when it comes to determining the exact starting point of almost anything but the things that were extensively documented in recent history.
Skiing, as a way of moving and transportation, has a very long history, dating back thousands of years. As a sport, it is quite more recent, especially if we look at the sport compared to modern skiing. Here is a brief history overview of skiing, from myth to the sport that we know and love today.
Skiing – It Used to Be For Transport, Only
There have been recent findings which place skiing in Russia around 6000 BCE. There are also findings which point to the Xinjiang region in China, and are about 5000 years old. It is considered that skiing came from Scandinavian countries and that it was they who made it into the sport that we know and love.
That is true, however, some records point to the use of skis in other regions of the world. Given the dating, it is quite possible that skiing was predominately used in Scandinavian countries as a main method of transportation.
Skiing in Transportation
As we know it, skiing was used in Scandinavian countries as one of the easiest ways of transportation, especially during winter periods. Even during the 950s, tax collectors were said to have been using skis. Skis are said to have been used in the Norwegian military from the 10th century and onwards, with records extending to 1747.
Even later on, in 1799, explorers from Europe were amazed when they saw mail being delivered in Norway on skis, noting that the cheap and efficient method of transportation should eventually make it into Europe.
The Birth of Skiing as a Sport
The 1800s were great for skiing. Skiing really came to be during these times, with skis becoming more known in the rest of the world. However, with all things ski-related, we look to Norway to find the first ski jumper, Olaf Rye, a military officer who did the first recorded ski jumps in 1809.
Fast forward 34 years and we have the first ever skiing competition, which was also a betting competition, in Tromsø, Norway, in 1843. 1861 was a very interesting year for skiing, worldwide. It was the year when the first ski clubs were established, in Norway, Australia and America. The first skiing recreational tour was held in 1849. As the years went by, more disciplines were invented and solidified and skiing became more widespread.
Skiing has a blurry history if we look at the origins of skiing itself, however, when it comes to modern skiing, we have a pretty good idea of how it went down.
