Two Planks and a Passion : The Dramatic History of Skiing

Roland Huntford's brilliant history begins 20,000 years ago in the last ice age on the icy tundra of an unformed earth. Man is a travelling animal, and on these icy slopes skiing began as a means of survival. That it has developed into the leisure and sporting pursuit of choice by so much of the globe bears testament to its elemental appeal. In polar exploration, it has changed the course of history. Elsewhere, in war and peace, it has done so too. The origins of skiing are bound up in with the emergence of modern man and the world we live in today. Roland Huntford's History Of The Ski Begins 20,000 Years Ago In The Last Ice Age On The Icy Tundra Of An Unformed Earth. Man Is A Travelling Animal, And On These Icy Slopes Siding Began As A Means Of Survival. This Is The Story Of How Siding Evolved Into A Modern Recreation From A Prehistoric Struggle For Survival, Huntford Puts The History Of Skiing Into Its Social And Political Contexts, Illustrating Its Spread Across The Globe And Importance In All Facets Of Life. It Is The First Comprehensive History Of Skiing To Make Use Of Original Old Norse And Russian Sources, As Well As Using Ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese And Arabic Works. Huntford Draws On His Vast Knowledge Of Scandinavian History And Politics As Well As His Unique Insight Into Polar Exploration To Produce The Definitive History Of The Ski.--jacket. Skiing Necesse Est -- Ski Tracks In The Milky Way -- The Earliest Written Sources -- Old Norse Sagas And The Finnish National Epic, Kalevala -- The First Printed Sources -- Norway : The Cradle Of Skiing As A Sport -- The Influence Of Rousseau -- The Ski In Foreign Literature -- Evolution Of Skiing As A Sport -- The Men Of Telemark -- Development Of Technique And Equipment -- The First Nordic Marathon -- The Conquest Of The Mountain World -- Fridtjof Nansen And The First Crossing Of Greenland -- The Nordic Olympia -- The Waited Telemark Ski -- The Rise Of Ski Touring And The Misadventures Of Roald Amundsen -- As Important As The Plays Of Ibsen -- The Spread Of Skiing On The Continent -- Norwegians Bring Skiing To Austria-hungary And Montenegro -- Skiing Comes To Switzerland -- Davos : The Cradle Of The Ski Resort -- The English Skiing At Davos -- Matthias Zdarsky -- St Moritz -- Skiing In France -- Polar Exploration -- The Inventions That Founded Modern Skiing -- The New World -- The Study Of Snow Structure -- The First Winter Olympics At Chamonix -- Mass Winter Tourism -- The International Recognition Of Downhill Skiing -- Skiing Mechanized And Politicized -- Military Skiing -- Skiing Since 1945. Roland Huntford. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [401]-428) And Index. Contents......Page 8 Maps and Illustrations......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 13 Note......Page 16 1 Skiing Necesse Est......Page 20 2 Ski Tracks in the Milky Way......Page 22 3 The Earliest Written Sources......Page 34 4 Old Norse Sagas and the Finnish National Epic: Kalevala......Page 42 5 The First Printed Sources......Page 52 6 Norway – The Cradle of Skiing as a Sport......Page 64 7 The Influence of Rousseau......Page 72 8 The Ski in Foreign Literature......Page 80 9 Evolution of Skiing as a Sport......Page 84 10 The Men of Telemark......Page 98 11 Development of Technique and Equipment......Page 114 12 The First Nordic Marathon......Page 124 13 The Conquest of the Mountain World......Page 136 14 Fridtjof Nansen and the first crossing of Greenland......Page 146 15 The Nordic Olympia......Page 160 16 The Waisted Telemark Ski......Page 168 17 The Rise of Ski Touring and the Misadventures of Roald Amundsen......Page 174 18 As Important as the Plays of Ibsen......Page 186 19 The Spread of Skiing on the Continent......Page 196 20 Norwegians bring Skiing to Austria-Hungary and Montenegro......Page 206 21 Skiing Comes to Switzerland......Page 220 22 Davos: The cradle of the Ski Resort......Page 230 23 The English Skiing at Davos......Page 240 24 Mathias Zdarsky......Page 250 25 St Moritz......Page 260 26 Skiing in France......Page 268 27 Polar Exploration......Page 284 28 The Inventions that Founded Modern Skiing......Page 302 29 The New World......Page 316 30 The Study of Snow Structure......Page 326 31 The First Winter Olympics at Chamonix......Page 338 32 Mass Winter Tourism......Page 350 33 The International Recognition of Downhill Skiing......Page 358 34 Skiing Mechanized and Politicized......Page 366 35 Military Skiing......Page 376 36 Skiing Since 1945......Page 394 Notes......Page 410 Bibliography......Page 420 B......Page 448 D......Page 449 H......Page 450 N......Page 451 S......Page 452 T......Page 454 Z......Page 455 Predating the wheel, the ski has played an important role in our history. This is brilliantly brought to life in this engaging book. Roland Huntford's history begins 20,000 years ago in the last ice age on the icy tundra of an unformed earth. Man is a travelling animal, and on these icy slopes skiing began as a means of survival.That it has developed into the leisure and sporting pursuit of choice by so much of the globe bears testament to its elemental appeal. In polar exploration, it has changed the course of history. Elsewhere, in war and peace, it has done so too.The origins of skiing are bound up in with the emergence of modern man and the world we live in today.