Skiing

Mammoth Mountain

Skiing is the sport of gliding over snow. Invented by Scandinavians, today it is practiced by millions of skiers around the globe. Snowboarding is a type of skiing that has become very popular over the last decade. One of the most popular regions for skiing is California. The ski forecast for California this weekend is supposed to be quite good as a large northwestern storm approaches the mountains. While the snow is not expected to be quite as good as a major winter storm, decent accumulation is expected, and snow levels should be near 7,000 feet.

History

Skiing evolved gradually from snowshoeing and originally was a practical way of getting from one place to another in the cold winter. Early forms of skiing resembled today's Nordic, or cross-country, style. Sondre Norheim is often called the "father of modern skiing". In the 19th century, Norheim invented bindings that enabled the skier to do turns while skiing down hills. This form of skiing was called Slalom (sla låm, Norwegian dialect expression for a difficult track) by Norheim and his contemporaries. The invention of firmer bindings to anchor the skier's feet to the ski, likely by Austrian Mathias Zdarsky, enabled the skier to turn more effectively and led to the development of Alpine, or Downhill, skiing. Shortly thereafter, in the early 20th century, Austrian Hannes Schneider pioneered the idea of rotating the body to help steer the skis. Soon this Arlberg technique, named for his home region, spread around the world and helped make skiing a popular recreational activity.

Photo gallery

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  A ski resort in Germany

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  Fresh powder in Colorado

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  Skiiers enjoying the alps in France

Aficionados

• See Talk:Skiing for discussions/comments regarding this article.
• See Skiing/Aficionados for those who have listed Skiing as an interest.
• See Talk:Skiing/Aficionados for discussions regarding this interest.

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