About skiing
Snow skiing was not always the same as we know it now. From time immemorial somewhere far in the North, people invented skiing to assist them in their everyday life needs, such as hunting, for military purpose and for transportation. The first mention about skis was found in Norway and Sweden, and the first primitive ski was found in Sweden, which backs to around 3000 B.C.
Pre-historic people even couldn’t imagine that skiing will acquire worldwide scale and many different types of it would be developed. Let’s discuss some of them.
Alpine skiing. In this type of skiing both the toe and the heel are attached at boots. The skis are long. Alpine skiing evolved from cross-country skiing and is practiced where is good combination of long snow slopes and developed infrastructure.
Nordic skiing. It is the oldest category of skiing and the most popular, because it doesn’t require any special ski area. It is also known by the name “cross-country skiing”. Nordic skiing requires attaching of the bindings only at the toes of the skier’s boots.
Nordic jumping. This is type of competition where skiers slide special ramp and then flying as far as they can before they land on. Why it is called Nordic, because skis are attached as in Nordic skiing. And usually it is done without ski-poles.
Telemark skiing. It is considered Nordic discipline because the skis used for telemarking have binding that connects only at the toes to the boots.
Randonnee skiing. It has other names such as “off-piste” or “ski mountaineering”. It is type of “wild skiing” where skiers slide in unmarked areas, often among trees. Binding usually is like in Telemark skiing. And for traveling uphill such skiers use stripes, skins and other equipment.
Ski joring. It is interesting type of skiing where animals are used for pulling the skier. This style is also called Euro-style mushing. Usually horses or dogs are used for this, sometimes even snowmashines.
There are also other types of skiing such as Military skiing, Back Country skiing, kite skiing and freestyle.