Academic literature on the topic 'Skis and skiing – Vermont – History'

We explore here the evolution of skiing locomotion in the last few thousand years by investigating how humans adapted to move effectively in lands where a cover of snow, for several months every year, prevented them from travelling as on dry ground. Following historical research, we identified the sets of skis corresponding to the ‘milestones’ of skiing evolution in terms of ingenuity and technology, built replicas of them and measured the metabolic energy associated to their use in a climate-controlled ski tunnel. Six sets of skis were tested, covering a span from 542 AD to date. Our results show that: (i) the history of skiing is associated with a progressive decrease in the metabolic cost of transport, (ii) it is possible today to travel at twice the speed of ancient times using the same amount of metabolic power and (iii) the cost of transport is speed-independent for each ski model, as during running. By combining this finding with the relationship between time of exhaustion and the sustainable fraction of metabolic power, a prediction of the maximum skiing speed according to the distance travelled is provided for all past epochs, including two legendary historical journeys (1206 and 1520 AD) on snow. Our research shows that the performances in races originating from them (Birkebeiner and Vasaloppet) and those of other modern competitions (skating versus classical techniques) are well predicted by the evolution of skiing economy. Mechanical determinants of the measured progression in economy are also discussed in the paper.

In 1932, author and outdoorsman Carl Luther diagnosed the pathologies of modern life and prescribed their ideal cure, writing:Because our work in the daily routine and in the cities, in factories, and in offices has become prosaic, atomizing, and devoid of adventure—because we live faster and must demonstrate greater resistance—because we do not wish to age, but rather wish to remain young, fresh, and slender—because we are anxious and know that only new thrills and new visions can rejuvenate us . . . Spring, summer, and fall, the former seasons of relaxation, no longer suffice for us . . . We have also discovered the winter, the most alien to us of all manifestations of nature, thus for us nature in its most modern and most youthful form . . . The ski entered into the world . . . to allow men to flee excessive snow and cold. Today, however, skiing is also flight, but flight from the metropolis [in search of] all remote winter environments . . . Fortune is with the skis, because they overcome the awkwardness of nature-estranged urbanites and have so evaded natural [limits upon] speed, that in them man and speed become consubstantial.

The Carpathian Skiing Society in LvivVery few people interested in the history of Polish skiing realise that it began in the second half of the 19th century in Galicia. It was first in the Eastern Carpathians that skis began to be used by foresters wanting to move more easily in their work and slightly later by tourists in their highland treks. In the late 19th century skiers appeared in Lviv, where in the early 20th century the sport began to be promoted by the Popular Entertainment Society. This was also where various institutions dealing with skiing were established, institutions like the Skiing Section of the Czarni Sports Club and, above all, the Carpathian Skiing Society founded in early 1907, the first Polish association seeking to popularise skiing as its main objective. The society’s founders included Kazimierz Panek, Maksymilian Dudryk, Zygmunt Klemensiewicz, Roman Kordys and Eugeniusz Romer, i.e. well-known mountaineers, tourists or even skiers. In addition to popularising skiing, e.g. by conducting training courses and publishing various manuals, the Society soon brought about a construction of a hostel in Sławsko. The resort became a favourite among Lviv skiers because of the excellent skiing conditions and good railway connection to Lviv. Burned during the war in May 1915, it was quickly rebuilt after the war and faithfully served tourists throughout the interwar period. On the day of its reopening, 11 March 1923, the Polish Skiing Association organised the 4th Polish Skiing Championship in Sławsko. By establishing its regional branches, the Carpathian Skiing Society promoted tourism in the Carpathians, initially in Galicia, and then throughout the Carpathian region in the Second Polish Republic. Kraków was the seat of a branch of the Society, which gave rise to another association, another important contributor to the development of Polish skiing — the Tatra Skiing Society. In 1919 the two organisations, together with three others, founded the Polish Skiing Association. Initially, the Society was active both in sport and tourism; later, given the easier access to Alps-type mountains with better snow conditions the Tatras for skiers from Zakopane, skiers from the region achieved much better results than their Lviv counterparts. The most important sporting achievements that should be noted include the successes of Janina Loteczkowa, who for several years in the second half of the 1920s had no equals in Europe. The Society was represented at the St. Moritz Olympics by Franciszek Kawa. In addition, the Society was instrumental in the construction of a professional ski jumping hill in Lviv. The 1930s were marked by a clear turn towards tourism, resulting in the construction and opening, in 1936, of a mountain hostel on Maryszewska. It is worth stressing, therefore, that such a relatively small organisation its membership never exceeded 400 in one year could do so much for the development of skiing in Poland.

This chapter briefly details the history of skiing. It begins with skiing's ancient roots and how it was used in everyday life. From skiing's origins in the Baikal and Altai mountain regions, the chapter traces its spread through the nomadic peoples of Northern Asia. From there, skiing traveled east across the Bering Straits into North America and to the west into Sweden and Norway. In present-day Finland, using skis was common earlier than anywhere else in Europe. The ancient epic Kalevala makes clear that the Finns knew how to prepare and use skis early on and that the preparation and use of skis were known to the Finns long ago. Indeed, skiing has passed so deeply into Finland's concept of nationalism that it is an accepted truism that a Finn could catch any type of animal on skis.