Ski Equipment History: Tracing the Beginnings of a Popular Sport

For many, they can't wait until winter comes and brings with it all the snow that could fall. These ski fanatics enjoy a sport that has been in existence for thousands of years. Of course, when skiing began it wasn't really about how fast you could get down a hill, it was more about traveling from one place to the next in a snow packed environment.

Some of the oldest skis that have been found date back 4500 years ago. These skis along with cave pictures found in Sweden show that people were very inventive in finding ways to move about in less than ideal situations. The skis that were found were short and wide, enabling a person to maintain their balance while they traveled.

During the 1700's the people of Telemark Norway are thought to have really begun the process to popularize the sport of skiing. They began finding techniques that could control the speed of the skier, like turning. They also began jumping, although this was probably going on long before, but they began to perfect the style of jumping.

During the 1900's Europeans discovered that playing in the snow could be fun and began catching onto the wave created by the people of Norway. The 1924 Olympics showcased skiing and the sport has never looked back.

Ski Equipment History: Companies That Make Ski Equipment

Sensing that this was indeed a sport with potential, many companies began looking at making ski equipment and these are the base of the ski equipment history. Ski equipment history can show that many people infatuated with this new sport were making their own skis and made them from wood. Ski equipment history lets us see that companies like Rossignol, Gomme Ltd, Head and Kofler are companies that began trying to find ways to make ski equipment.

Many companies including Gomme Ltd decided not to pursue the idea of manufacturing skis, while other companies pushed forward to become well known in the industry. Names like Elan and Atomic are also well known within ski equipment history. Many companies went through several prototypes while trying to manufacture skis.

Ski equipment history show that skis began as wood and has evolved into being manufactured with advanced technology to create the fastest and best skis possible. Many companies use nano-technolgy to create these sophisticated skis.

The history of skiing is interesting as it shows how creative people are in making a practical used device into a sport that is loved by many.