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The first evidence of skiing is from around 6300 BC to 5000 BC and skis made of hard wood dating from this age were found near Lake Sindor, in Russia. Other skis have also found in other locations made from the bones of large animas, with leather straps to bind the person's feet to the ski. It is thought skiing evolved from snow shoeing as a mode of transport in northern Europe and Asia. The earliest skis were the pre-runners of modern day cross country skis and were for traversing across flat slopes. A word sounding similar to 'ski' was used in Finland as far back as 6000 BC and cave drawings dating back 4000 years have been found in Norway showing skiers. Many old skis have been found in Norway dating back to around 3340 BC to 2940 BC.The 'Salla' ski was found in Finland and was 180 centimetres long and 15 centimetres wide and was thought to date from 3300 BC. Bog finds in Russia and rock paintings in Scandinavia show that skiing was definite a part of life in and around 3000 BC. The first ski with a curved edge was found in Finland and dates from 770 BC while the Liperi ski, found in eastern Finland, has a flat sole with a rounded boot space and dates from 450 BC. Around 1500 years ago people started using skis lined with badger skin with bindings to attach the skis to their boots and in the Battle of Oslo (1200 AD), the Norwegians used skiing as a way of spying on their Swedish enemies. In 1747 Norway formed its first army Ski Company. It was the Norwegian Sondre Norheim who developed the basis of skiing that we use today. In the 1850's he experimented with creating stiff bindings using wet birch roots to tie his boots to his skis, thus allowing him far more control and then in 1870 he invented shorter, curved skis with more flexibility to allow turning. Mathuas Zdarskey then used this idea to develop even stiff bindings and allow the technique of pushing one ski at an angle to turn into the fall line and control speed on a descent. Hannes Schneider then went on to develop different stopping techniques, many of which we still use today. Free skiing developed in the 1800's but it did not become a recreational activity until 1868 when the mountains became more accessible to skiers by train and electric funiculars were invented around 10 years later to take skiers up the mountain. It was not until the early 1900's that skiing became popular and the first ski lift was invented in 1908. The development of the Telemark ski in the 19th century revolutionised skiing as it enabled much easier turning and the first ski package holidays were offered in 1903 to Switzerland. The first slalom race was held in Switzerland in 1921 and the first winter olympics in Chamonix, France not long after. In 1930 New York hosted the first big air competition and in World War II, Finland troops used ski patrols to resist the Russian invaders and in 1945 the Americans fought the Germans in the Italian mountains on skis. The first aluminium skis were invented in France in 1934 and in 1935 the first bindings to also grip the heel were used. By 1960 fibreglass skis were being successfully marketed and in 1964 all plastic boots were being used. Through out the 1950's and 1960's skiing was a sport enjoyed by the affluent classes but as ski resorts grew and more package holidays were offered it became a sport available to more. For more information on skiing in France and for airport transfers to Courchevel please visit TheSkiBug
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