SKIING

WHAT IS SKIING?

Skiing is either sportive or recreational activity using skis for sliding over snow. Skis are used with special boots connected to them with a binding. There are two different types of skiing: downhill skiing and cross country skiing. Skiing, recreation, sport, and mode of transportation that involves moving over snow by the use of a pair of long, flat runners called skis, attached or bound to shoes or boots. Competitive skiing is divided into Alpine, Nordic, and freestyle events. Competitions are also held in events such as speed skiing and snowboarding. It is also commonly known as downhill skiing, although that also incorporates different styles. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings; ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and telemark. Alpine skiing is popular wherever the combination of snow, mountain slopes, and a sufficient tourist infrastructure can be built up, including parts of Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, the South American Andes, and East Asia. Skiing also has long been employed for military purposes. Norwegian men on skis reconnoitred before the Battle of Oslo (1200). Ski troops were also used in Sweden in 1452, and from the 15th to the 17th century, skis were used in warfare in Finland, Norway, Russia, Poland, and Sweden. Capt. Jens Emmahusen wrote the first skiing manual for Norwegians in 1733. Since 1767 there have been military ski competitions with monetary prizes. These competitions may have been the forerunner of biathlons, which combine skiing and target shooting. Military skiing continued into the 20th century where snow conditions and terrain favored their use for scouts and for a type of mounted infantry with a first-strike advantage against small objectives. In particular, ski troops fought in both World War I and World War II. Many veterans, especially of World War II, were very active in promoting the sport of skiing after returning to civilian life.

HISTORY

Skiing for transport, hunting, and war. Skiing has a history of almost five millennia. Although modern skiing has evolved from beginnings in Scandinavia, it may have been practiced more than 100 centuries ago in what is now China, according to an interpretation of ancient paintings. However, this continues to be debated. The word "ski" is one of a handful of words that Norway has exported to the international community. It comes from the Old Norse word "skíð" which means "split piece of wood or firewood". Skiing was a prehistoric activity; the oldest known skis date to between 8000 and 7000 BCE and were discovered in Russia. Early skis have been found in many areas of northern Europe: a 4,000-year-old rock carving depicting skis was found near the Arctic Circle in Norway, and hundreds of ski fragments that are 1,000 to 3,500 years old have been found in bogs in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Some of the first skis were short and broad, resembling snowshoes more than modern skis.

Skiing certainly was not confined to Europe, though, as the first written references to skiing are from the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) and describe skiing in northern China. The majority of people who ski every year are recreational skiers. If you like to get out, ride the lifts and make a few turns at the local resort or on vacation a few times a year, you are a recreational skier. The whole idea when it comes to your skis is finding boards that make the experience more fun so that you can enjoy those precious days on the hill. You are in luck, recreational skier. New innovations in ski shapes and technology mean that it is far easier to ski than ever before. Many peoples who lived in climates with snow for many months of the year developed some form of skiing. The Sami (Lapps) believed themselves to be the inventors of skiing, and their use of skis for hunting was renowned from Roman times. In addition, the Vikings used skis from the 9th to the 11th century. Skis are still occasionally used for travel in rural areas of Russia and the Scandinavian countries. 토토