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A blanket of white surrounds the men. From atop the high ridge, they spot a lone deer in the distance. The snow inhibits its progression. The men do not need to worry it escaping. Their families will eat well tonight. Using a new invention that they call skis, they quickly overtake the deer. They are able to stay on top of the snow. They quickly slay the deer, and then begin their long trek back to their families. Climbing back over the ridge was no problem, as their skis did not slide backwards, no matter how steep it got. These men did not need to worry about providing food for their families. They could easily cover great distances using long thin wooden planks that became known as skis. Those ancient skis were not like the skis we know. They were much longer and wider, meant for staying on top of the snow. They only used one pole instead of two, the one pole meant for pushing themselves along. They did not use the skis for fun or play. They used the skis for work and transportation. Skis were a great display of ancient ingenuity and inventiveness. Because of those ancient people’s need to move through the snow, skis were created in either Scandinavia or the Atlai region and became an important tool to survive in their winters.
Archeologists have found lots of evidence that skis were used very early on in the history of the world. They are not sure where exactly skis were first created but they have two possible areas where skis might have been originally created. See figure 1. From 1897 until today about 250 pieces of skis and some poles have been dug up, mostly in bogs, in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. They range in age from about 6000 BC to 600 AD. The Chinese are claiming that pictographs [of sk...
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... months. The creation of ancient skis must have been a long and hard process, many people probably died in the cold winters before the skis were created. We have much to thank them for.
Works Cited
"Background." FIS. International Ski Federation, 2005-2007. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.
Jenkins, Mark. "First Skiers." First Skiers. National Geograpic, Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.
"History Of Skiing." History Of Skiing. Snow Ski Discounters, 2005-2009. Web. 19 Dec. 2013.
Dawson, Louis. "Chronology." - The Backcountry Skiing Blog. WildSnow, 7 Sept. 2010. Web. 19 Dec. 2013.
Rider, Freedom. "The Progression of an Obsession: Ski History 4,000 B.C. - 1930 | UNITED STATES, CALIFORNIA | 02/20/2009, by Freedom Rider." Skiing The Backcountry.com. N.p., 20 Feb. 2009. Web. 19 Dec. 2013
"Skiing History." / The Ski Museum / Home Holmenkollen. Holmenkollen Oslo, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.
Cross-country skiing is as much of a competitive sport, as it is a back country one. Cross-country skiing is enjoyed by people of all ages, and can be relatively inexpensive. There is no need for lift tickets and with a little maintenance equipment can last for decades. As a result of its broad audience, many people don't realize that physics plays a large role in cross-country skiing. This web page was designed to briefly describe some of the concepts behind the physics of skiing, and give a basic understanding of both the sport and the science.
5) Ramond, M. Observations on the Glaciers. From website by Miall, David. Romantic Travellers. Course Home Page. January 2005-May 2005. Dept. of English, University of Alberta. March 26, 2005. http://www.ualberta.ca/~dmiall/Travel/Glaciers.htm
At 6pm on a Saturday evening, Sally and her parents were on their way to go skiing for their 20th time. The whole family was extremely excited and looking forward to this, especially since the place was somewhere they’d never been to before. As they were in the car, Sally was daydreaming about what the place would look like, and wondered if her worst fear would be there: ski lifts. Everything about this scared her. The car is out in the open, has no roof, and the ride could malfunction at any time. Since this unanswered question was on her mind now, she decided to ask her parents to see if they knew. “I’m just wondering, do either of you know if there are going to be ski lifts at the place?” Both of her parents paused in confusion but didn’t
Skiing is one of the things to do during the winter, here in Canada. It is also cheap and easy to start, since there are ski-tracks almost everywhere and it is possible to find used skis for less then $50. Skis are pretty simple in design. Originally they were designed just as the snow shoes, though today they are much more advanced. (Wikipedia) Skis can be used just after you bought them, without doing anything to them. However, if you want your skis to perform to their best, simple maintenance needs to be performed. One of the best and easiest way to do so is to apply wax. One can be confused at first by the variety of waxes available on the market. To see that, just check ski section in local Beaver Sports store. In reality, just one or couple waxes needed to get started. I'm going to explain how to wax your skis for the diagonal stride technique and what exactly waxing does to the skis.
Interestingly enough, snowboarding was invented by Sherman Poppen in North Muskegon, Michigan, back in 1965. Nowadays, snowboarding is considered one of the most popular winter sports among teenagers. On the other hand, there are many people that don’t have the slightest idea how to ride a snowboard straight down a hill. There are four steps to learn the basic skills of snowboarding.
He had been dreaming of skateboarding down the snowy mountain when he bolted two wood skis together side-by-side. At that time, they called it snurfing. The snurfboard started out looking like a fat ski with a rope tied to the nose of the board to help the rider keep their balance. The rope was more for looks as it didn’t help at all. Crashes were inevitable and they happened often.
I approach the rugged mountain, shielding my body from the nasty frost nipping at my exposed skin. The sun ever so lightly peeks over the horizon as I strap on my skis, lightly dusted with a thin layer of fresh snow. Although my body shivers unceasingly, I feel comforted by the surges of adrenaline pumping through my body. I skate briskly toward the ski lift to secure my place as the first person in line. On the slippery leather seats of the lift my mind races, contemplating the many combinations of runs I can chain together before I reach the bottom of the hill. I arrive at the peak of the mountain and begin building up speed. Floating on the soft snow, weaving through the trees and soaring over rocks, I feel as if I am flying. The rush of adrenaline excites me. I feed on it. I thrive on it. I am ski; I live for speed; I am an evolving technique and I hold a firm edge.
"Fédération Internationale De Gymnastique : History of Trampoline Gymnastics." Fédération Internationale De Gymnastique : History of Trampoline Gymnastics. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
Two years after this accident, Joseph built the first proper snowmobile for the sale. He also created a company called Auto-Neige Bombardier. In 1959, he created snowmobile called Ski Doo, which is very familiar design as snowmobiles that we see now. His company has grown into a huge company and produced different types of snowmobiles for different uses. He died at February 18, 1964.
With its overpriced lodge food, expensive hotels, and increased commercialization, skiing is a notoriously elitist sport, a luxurious activity that can be enjoyed only by a wealthy few. However, the normalcy ideology of human ability, which draws a division between normal people and disabled people and therefore is integral in maintaining the social caste system in daily life, further restricts how many can interact with the sport. By examining the skiing community, one can understand how this ideology functions: there are normal skiers and disabled skiers, who range from poor skiers to people who cannot ski for a variety of reasons. Further complicating this caste system are the professional skiers, the ones who appear to have superhuman skiing abilities. Interactions between and perceptions of these distinct social classes are responsible for both overt and implicit
Pieter and I were determined to become proficient water skiers, while Rhea had knee issues that limited her participation. The Gibson Girl only had a forty horsepower motor, which wasn’t sufficient power for faster skiing or for doing tricks like skiing barefoot. I remember using the Comfort for some of our skiing before Dad traded the outboard for a sixteen-foot Gar Wood Junior, which had an inboard motor and more power. Pieter and I spent hours practicing the basics of getting up efficiently, skiing across the wake and then jumping the wake. It wasn’t long before we developed a passion for mastering slalom skiing. I wanted to ski all the time during that period.
Skiing has been a huge part of my life. Ever since I was young, I would always venture out to the mountains and go skiing. What makes skiing a lot of fun is the environment you get to be a part of. Every hill you go up to, there's always new surroundings you get to interact with. Aside from the environment, one of the primary reasons I love skiing is because I ski race. I am able to compete against others for the fastest time by completing a course. So, when I was in middle school, I signed up for the ski team. Once a week, I was able to practice my skills and improve my time by competing. It became a part of my lifestyle. It taught me that improving myself will lead to success.
"Inside Alpine Skiing." Inside Alpine Skiing | History | NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.
Thin air encompasses me as I commence the final day of skiing at Vail, Colorado. Seven days of skiing elapse rather painlessly; I fall occasionally but an evening in the Jacuzzi soothes my minor aches. Closing time approaches on the final day of our trip as I prepare myself for the final run of the vacation. Fresh off the ski lift, I coast toward the junction of trails on the unoccupied expert face of the mountain. After a moment of thought, I confidently select a narrow trail so steep that only the entrance can be seen from my viewpoint.
Challenge plays an essential role in defining a sport; it provides the individual with the feeling of achievement in success. Skiing poses challenge even in its simplest foundations. Skiing on a poor quality hill, with icy snow and poor upkeep can sometimes create more challenge than a well-groomed slope. Skiing in the backcountry away from lifts and other people in freshly fallen snow provides an opportunity for the best of skiers to test t...