HISTORICAL FACTS AND INFORMATION ABOUT SKIING

The modern form of skiing has grown to the point where it is practiced both recreationally and competitively in nearly every mountainous region in the world. From the Himalayas to the Rockies, skiing has grown to be one of the widest ranging sports in the world. But, like many sports, skiing has its roots based in humble beginnings. It is a sport born out of the necessity for the world’s ancient snowbound people to traverse their surroundings quickly and efficiently.

The first signs of the existence of skiing are taken from Scandinavian rock carvings dated to more than 4000 years ago. The word ski is derived from the old Norse word skio which translates to “stick of wood.” The first skis evolved from early snowshoes which allowed the wearer to move across the surface of snow drifts without sinking into the deep snow. But these snowshoes were not the sleek aluminum and fiber-glass models that we find in sporting goods stores today, they were large and cumbersome, requiring a great amount of skill and effort to walk in them properly. By modeling thin wooden planks into a fashion that resembled sleigh runners, the ancient Norse found they would not only be kept safely on top of the snow, but that they were able to move much faster and with less effort over the deep snow drifts.

For the vast majority of the history of skiing, the activity largely resembled modern cross country skiing. Until the 19^th century skiing was practiced as a means to traverse snowy terrain quickly without the need for cumbersome snowshoes or expensive sleds. In 1850 however, Norwegian skier Sondre Norheim developed a stronger ski binding that allowed skiers to travel at very fast speeds without the risk of being thrown off of their skis. This invention and the development of shorter curved skis allowed Norheim to capture the title at the first ever Norwegian downhill skiing competition. After several years and more fine-tuning had been made to Norheim’s original design, downhill skiing developed to the point where it became a highly respected and widely practiced sport across the world.

After decades of popularity as a recreational activity, downhill skiing finally received its due respect in 1928 when it was included as an event in the second Winter Olympics in Switzerland. This distinction as an Olympic sport allowed competitive skiing to advance at a dizzying pace. As the sport continued to grow in size and influence, the need for skiing at the academic level was recognized, and ski teams began to pop up in schools across the United States. Today there are hundreds of high school ski teams throughout the country and all of these high school teams have led to the fairly recent introduction of downhill skiing as an officially recognized NCAA sport. Today, 40 US colleges offer the NCAA sport of skiing. Since 1954, the University of Denver has been the most successful college skiing program, winning 21 of the 56 NCAA skiing championships. The NCAA allows 6.3 scholarships for men and 7 scholarships for women in every ski program.

With so few scholarships available for skiers at the NCAA level, it can be extremely difficult to find scholarship opportunities in such a competitive market. But with the help of an experienced sports recruiting company such as athleticscholarships.net, we will introduce you personally to NCAA skiing coaches and market you in such a way that you will not be overlooked by coaches. More than 85% of our clients have received scholarship offers to play sports at the college level, with our help, that 85% could include you.