How Skiing Was Invented

Ever wonder how skiing was invented? Many years ago the skis consisted of just a thick piece of wood to travel over the snow. Many different cultures have been using skiing over the years from the Scandinavians to the Swedish army.

Skis and skiing were even used regularly by the Scandinavians throughout the Middle Ages. By the eighteenth century, the Swedish army was training their soldiers to ski. It was not till 1850 that the ski was changed significantly, changing to a bow shape that arched toward the center. This was invented by wood carvers in Telemark, Norway and they called it the cambered ski. The bow in the ski helped to distribute the skier’s weight evenly throughout the whole ski.

Over the next several decades skiing would continue to evolve and grow in popularity. Soon skiing competitions began to pop up all over Europe. Soon thereafter ski manufacturers began to produce skis in larger numbers than ever before.

Over the years there have been many different changes to the original skis. From materials to the reasons that people use skis. People have used skis to help travel over the snow, but today skiing it is not as much as a necessity as it is a form of fun.

The evolution of skiing will continue for years to come as changes are continually made to the sport of skiing and to the design of skis for different uses. As a result, skiing will continue to create more history as long as people continue to enjoy the sport.