Invention of skis. The history of the appearance of skis. For skating style of movement

Since time immemorial, northern peoples have used skis not only as a means of transportation, but also as one of their means of subsistence. On the Zalavruga rock (Karelia), near the mouth of the Vyg River, there is an image of Neolithic skiers, and in the Pskov region a ski was found that is about 4000 years old. Quite primitive skis were used by ancient Siberian tribes, the Chinese, and the indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic regions of America. In the Nikon Chronicle of 1444 there is a miniature telling about the battles of Russian armies with the Tatars. There is mention of such armies in chronicles dating back to the 16th century. From the records of the Swedish Archbishop Otto Magnus, we know how skiing was done three centuries ago. At the beginning of the 16th century, skis from Scandinavia came to Europe. At the same time, the Polish commander Stefan Batory created teams of skiers in his army.

In the 18th century, Scandinavians used skis of various lengths: the short one, the right one, was used for pushing, and the long one, the left one, was used for gliding. About one hundred and sixty years ago, the Norwegians held the first skiing competition, in which the future head of government won. In 1856, Norwegian Jon Thorsteinson skied three meters long over the Sierra Nevada mountains while carrying American mail. For this he was nicknamed "Snowy Thompson." Skis sometimes had a bend both in front and behind. The sliding surface of the skis was lined with fur so that they would not slide backwards on the slopes. To push off, as before, they used one stick. During the descent, for balance and braking, they sat astride a stick.

The polar explorer Nansen crossed Greenland on oak skis at the end of the 19th century, which served to popularize skiing.

Early 20th century Russian skiers They organized competitions at a distance of one hundred meters. In 1911, a 724 km long route was laid between Moscow and the northern capital. The winner completed it in 294 hours and 22 minutes. Marathon courses up to two hundred kilometers long were popular in Sweden. Women went out to the track in long skirts and large hats. In 1896, at the Winter Olympics, athletes competed in white trousers and black boots.

For a long time, skis were made from one piece of wood. Birch was the best material. Then they began to make glued skis from several layers. A edging made of hard wood was made along the bottom edges.

Since 1974 they began to produce plastic skis. They quickly supplanted wooden skis. Plastic skis had less weight, greater strength and excellent speed qualities. Plastic skis hold grease well and have good grip on snow. With the advent of plastic skis, changes in running technique occurred. In the manufacture of ski poles, fiberglass reinforced with carbon fibers is also used. Due to their lightness and high strength, they began to be called “carbon feathers”.

Ski competitions are extremely popular in the world. World Cups are held in ski racing and biathlon, alpine skiing. Various ski disciplines are included in the Winter Olympics program.

Huge expanses of snow led to the early appearance of skis. In distant historical times, getting food, moving from one settlement to another in winter through deep snow was unthinkable without special devices for the legs, increasing the area of ​​support, allowing you to easily and freely, like a moose on its spreading hooves, overcome snowdrifts in fields, forests, and mountains . Thus arose the forced need to create skis - one of the most amazing inventions of primitive man.

The exact date, place, name of the inventor of the device on legs for fighting snow has not been established. The first devices that people used to move more easily through deep snow were undoubtedly snowshoes or walking skis.

These oval, then rocket-shaped primitive devices changed significantly during use and gradually, through the so-called ski-shoe, took the form sliding skis, which made it possible to significantly increase the speed of movement.

The history of skiing goes back several thousand years, as confirmed by rock paintings in caves in Norway made about 7,000 years ago. It all started from the moment when a man discovered that by tying two pieces of wood of a special shape to his feet, he could move faster through snow-covered fields and forests while hunting. Many centuries later, approximately in the middle of the 16th century, skis began to be used by the armies of the Scandinavian countries, and a little later the military were put on skis in Russia.

The appearance of skis in ancient Rus' before the beginning of our era is evidenced by studies of rock carvings off the shores of Lake Onega and the White Sea. On the rocks located near the village of Zalavruga near the Fortieth Bay of the White Sea, where the Black Porop is located on the Vyg River, primitive man left carved inscriptions and drawings that have survived to this day. Among the many rock carvings discovered by the expeditions of A.M. Linevsky (1926) and V.I. Ravdonikas (1936), some have also been found that provide indisputable evidence of the invention of skis by primitive man of the Neolithic era many thousands of years BC. Moreover, even then they were sliding skis.

The composition of three people on skis is a unique monument of primitive art. The varying degrees of bending of the figures, as well as the varying degrees of rotation of their torsos, give the entire composition a special harmony and expressiveness. Very impressive with its elegance figures of fifteen skiers, twelve of whom have one stick in their hand, and a figure of a skier in tow. Archaeologists estimate the age of a rock painting of a skier with an ax found off the coast of the Arctic Ocean - he is jokingly called the first biathlete - at 12 thousand years.

Fossilized skis and their parts, which are thousands of years old, have been found in many parts of Russia, where people lived in snowy winter conditions. One of the finds (A.M. Miklyaev, 1982) was discovered on the territory of the Pskov region areas. According to experts, this ski is one of the oldest - made about 4,300 years ago.

The oldest example of modern sliding skis was discovered (1953) in ancient Novgorod in a layer of the first half of the 13th century. The length of the ski is 1 m 92 cm, the width is on average 8 cm, its front end is slightly raised, curved and pointed. The place for installing the foot is a little more massive, here the thickness of the ski reaches 3 cm. For threading the belt that attaches the ski to the skier’s shoes, there is a through horizontal hole with a diameter of 0.5 cm.

Mons Palm, secretary of the Swedish embassy in Moscow, was amazed by the skis used by our people. In 1617 he wrote: “The Russians made an invention... They have wooden the rims are approximately seven feet long and one span wide, but flat and smooth below. They tie them under their feet and run with them through the snow, never plunging into it, and with such speed that one can be surprised at it.” Unlike Russian ones, Österdal skis of the Scandinavian type had different lengths and were slow-moving. When moving on them, the Vikings slid only on the long left ski, and the short right one served for pushing off.

The first written information about the use of stepping skis is contained in the works of the ancient Greek historian Xenophon. Describing his campaign in Asia Minor in 401 BC, he reports that the Armenians used round wooden planks tied to their feet to walk on snow in the Caucasus Mountains, in our opinion - walking skis. The first written documents about the use of sliding skis date back to the 6th-7th centuries. AD Gothic monk Jordanes in 552, historians Jordan in the 6th century, Abel Deacon in 770, Verefrid at the end of the 7th century. given detailed description the use of skis in everyday life, as a means of communication, and in work, mainly in hunting.

Over the entire period of evolution of ski equipment, which is several thousand years, there have been very different versions of skis, boots and poles. The first devices for moving on snow, naturally, were more similar to modern snowshoes, but over time they transformed, became longer and narrower to increase speed, they could already glide on the snow and their appearance resembled the skis we are used to.

The first ski shoes did not have a rigid sole and were simply tied to the skis, since there were no special fastenings. This was the case until the 1930s. century, when welted boots appeared, which were actively used by skiers until the 70s.

Sticks also have an interesting history. It turns out that until the end of the 19th century, skiers used only one pole. This is due to the fact that skis were used mainly for hunting and in the army. The first sticks were wooden or bamboo, approximately the height of a person. Only in our time have poles become a high-tech product, made from lightweight aluminum or composite materials.

Later, skis began to be used, covered underneath with the skin of elk, deer or seal with a short pile located back, which made it possible to avoid slipping when climbing uphill. There is evidence that northern and eastern peoples glued skins to skis using glue made from the antlers, bones and blood of elk, deer or fish scales.

In order for the skier's weight to be evenly distributed along the entire length of the skis, they were given a smooth curvature, called the weight deflection. In order for the skis to keep their tracks better and maintain their direction, a depression is made in the sliding surface - gutter For greater strength and flexibility, skis began to be made from several layers of wood. different breeds: birch, ash, beech, hickory. So that the sliding surface does not wear out so quickly, does not become “round” and has better traction with snow, it began to be edged with especially strong wood, and over time - with metal edges.

The first documentary mentions of the use of sliding skis appeared in the 6th-7th centuries. The Gothic monk Jordanes in 552 in his book mentions the “sliding Finns”. Similar data are given in the same period by the Byzantine writer Procopius, Greek historians Jornados (VI century), Deacon (770) and other ancient authors. They described the skis and their used by northern peoples in everyday life and hunting. Skis and their use in everyday life, hunting and military affairs are described in the most detail in the book of Bishop Olaf Magnus (Olaf the Great), who was expelled from Sweden and fled to Norway. His book “History of the Northern Peoples,” published in Rome in 1555, not only gives a description, but also publishes engravings depicting skiers.

Among the northern peoples (Nenets, Ostyaks, Voguls, etc.), skis were widely used in everyday life and in hunting. “The Sami (Lapps), Nenets, Ostyaks beat wild deer, wolves and other similar animals more with clubs, because they can easily catch up with them on skis. Animals cannot run quickly through deep, collapsing snow and, after a tiring and long chase, they become victims of a person who glides easily on skis,” writes Magnus.

Russian pre-revolutionary historians repeatedly mentioned in their works that in addition to hunting, skis in Rus' were often used during holidays and winter folk entertainment, where strength, agility, and endurance were demonstrated in “race” running and in descents from slopes. Along with other entertainment and exercise ( fist fight, horse riding, various games and fun) skiing played an important role in physical development Russian people. Swedish diplomat Palm, who visited the 17th century. in Rus', testified to the widespread use of skiing in the Moscow state. He described in detail the skis used by the locals and the ability of the Russians to move quickly on them.

The oldest skis are in the Ski Museum in Oslo: their length is 110 cm, width 20 cm. Hunters had skis of approximately the same size for many centuries: such skis are still used by hunters and trappers of Greenland, Alaska, residents of the North, Siberia, and the Far East. East.

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century there appeared skiing- a type of leisure activity that involves skiing at speed or for pleasure. Skis appeared with other proportions, more suitable for speed running- 170-220 cm long and 5-8 cm wide. The same skis began to be used in the army. Around the same time, there appeared ski poles, significantly facilitating and accelerating skiing.

According to historians, the first ski competitions took place in 1844 in the Norwegian city of Tremsey. At the dawn of skiing, flat skis were not much different from mountain skis, and competitions often, in addition to running on the plain, included skiing from the slopes of the surrounding mountains and ski jumping.

The peoples who lived in the northern regions of the planet thought for a very long time about creating a means of transportation in deep snow. The endless expanses of snow made walking difficult and did not allow us to quickly cover distances between villages. And even when hunting, snowdrifts made it difficult to pursue game. Ancient people felt an urgent need for comfortable devices that would help them feel confident on snow.

The very first skis were primitive snowshoes. They were oval-shaped wooden frames covered with animal skin straps. Sometimes such devices were woven from flexible rods. It was impossible to glide on such skis, but it was relatively easy to step on them in deep snow. It is believed that the first snowshoes were used by Indians and Eskimos North America back in Paleolithic times. They were not widespread in Europe.

Rock paintings of skiers made about four thousand years ago have been discovered in caves in Norway. In the drawings you can see pieces of wood tied to people's legs. Archaeological finds made in Scandinavia suggest that sliding skis first appeared in this region. Ancient skis had different lengths - the right one was slightly shorter and was used for pushing off. Ancient craftsmen trimmed the sliding surface of skis with leather or animal fur.

From the history of skiing

Skis were also used in the everyday life of the peoples inhabiting the territory of modern Russia. This is evidenced by rock paintings discovered at the beginning of the last century on the shores of the White Sea and Lake Onega. Massive stone blocks preserved images of Paleolithic hunters and fishermen, sliding skis were attached to their feet. In the Pskov region, archaeologists have found fragments of ancient skis that are more than three thousand years old.

Skis very reminiscent of modern ones Sports Equipment, researchers discovered during excavations of ancient Novgorod. These devices were about two meters long; the front ends of the skis are slightly raised and slightly pointed. In the place where the skier's foot should be located, there is a thickening and a through hole through which, apparently, a leather belt was threaded.

The art of skiing was highly valued among the northern peoples. Evidence of this can be found in the epics of the Finns, Karelians, Nenets, and Ostyaks. When describing the exploits of heroes, folk storytellers often mention their ability to ski. There are also references to skier competitions, during which the most dexterous and fastest hunters were chosen. Skiing for ancient peoples had great importance, because such skills largely determined the success in hunting and the prosperity of the tribe.

The exact date, place, name of the inventor of the device on legs for fighting snow has not been established. The first devices that people used to move more easily through deep snow were undoubtedly snowshoes or walking skis. These oval, then rocket-shaped primitives! the devices changed significantly during use and gradually, through the so-called ski-shoe, took the form of sliding skis, which made it possible to significantly increase the speed of movement.

The history of skiing goes back several thousand years, as confirmed by rock paintings in caves in Norway made about 7,000 years ago. It all started from the moment when a man discovered that by tying two pieces of wood of a special shape to his feet, he could move faster through snow-covered fields and forests while hunting. Many centuries later, approximately in the middle of the 16th century, skis began to be used by the armies of the Scandinavian countries, and a little later the military were put on skis in Russia.

The composition of three people on skis is a unique monument of primitive art. The varying degrees of bending of the figures, as well as the varying degrees of rotation of their torsos, give the entire composition a special harmony and expressiveness. The figures of fifteen skiers, twelve of whom have one stick in their hand, and the figure of a skier in tow, are very impressive with their grace. Archaeologists estimate the age of a rock painting of a skier with an ax found off the coast of the Arctic Ocean—he is jokingly called the first biathlete—at 12 thousand years.

Fossilized skis and their parts, which are thousands of years old, have been found in many parts of Russia, where people lived in snowy winter conditions. One of the finds (A.M. Miklyaev, 1982) was discovered on the territory of the Pskov region. According to experts, this ski is one of the most ancient - made about 4,300 years ago.

The oldest example of modern-type sliding skis was discovered (1953) in ancient Novgorod in a layer of the first half of the 111th century. The length of the ski is 1 m 92 cm, the width is on average 8 cm, its front end is slightly raised, curved and pointed. The place for installing the foot is a little more massive, here the thickness of the ski reaches 3 cm. For threading the belt that attaches the ski to the skier’s shoes, there is a through horizontal hole with a diameter of 0.5 cm.

The first ski shoes did not have a rigid sole and were simply tied to the skis, since there were no special fastenings. This was the case until the 30s of the 20th century, when welt boots appeared, which were actively used by skiers until the 70s.

Sticks also have an interesting history. It turns out that until the end of the 19th century, skiers used only one pole. This is due to the fact that skis were used mainly for hunting and in the army. The first sticks were wooden or bamboo, approximately the height of a person. Only in our time have poles become a high-tech product, made from lightweight aluminum or composite materials.

In order for the skier's weight to be evenly distributed along the entire length of the skis, they were given a smooth curvature, called the weight deflection. In order for the skis to keep their tracks better and maintain direction, a depression was made in the sliding surface - a groove. For greater strength and flexibility, skis began to be made from several layers of wood of different species: birch, ash, beech, hickory. So that the sliding surface does not wear out so quickly, does not become “round” and has better traction with snow, it began to be edged with especially strong wood, and over time - with metal edges.

The first documentary mentions of the use of sliding skis appeared in the U1-UP centuries. The Gothic monk Jordanes in 552 in his book mentions the “sliding Finns”. Similar data are given in the same period by the Byzantine writer Procopius, Greek historians Jornados (VI century), Deacon (770) and other ancient authors. They described in detail skis and their use by northern peoples in everyday life and hunting. Skis and their use in everyday life, hunting and military affairs are described in the most detail in the book of Bishop Olaf Magnus (Olaf the Great), who was expelled from Sweden and fled to Norway. His book “History of the Northern Peoples,” published in Rome in 1555, not only gives a description, but also publishes engravings depicting skiers.

Russian pre-revolutionary historians repeatedly mentioned in their works that, in addition to hunting, skis in Rus' were often used during holidays and winter folk entertainment, where strength, agility, and endurance were demonstrated in “race” running and in descents from the slopes. Along with other entertainment and exercises (fist fighting, horse riding, various games and fun), skiing played an important role in the physical development of the Russian people. Swedish diplomat Palm, who visited the 17th century. in Rus', testified to the widespread use of skiing in the Moscow state. He described in detail the skis used by the locals and the ability of the Russians to move quickly on them.

The oldest skis are in the Ski Museum in Oslo: their length is 110 cm, width 20 cm. Hunters had skis of approximately the same size for many centuries: such skis are still used by hunters and trappers of Greenland, Alaska, residents of the North, Siberia, and the Far East. East.

According to historians, the first ski competitions took place in 1844 in the Norwegian city of Tremsey. At the dawn of skiing, flat skis were not much different from mountain skis, and competitions often, in addition to running on the plain, included skiing from the slopes of the surrounding mountains and ski jumping.

Such ski eventing retained its rights for a long time in different countries. In 1879, residents of the town of Telemarken organized the first “pure” alpine skiing competitions near the Norwegian capital on Mount Goosby. Known for their skiing skills, they challenged the skiers of Christiania (the name of the current capital of Norway, Oslo) to a competition.

The competition on the Holmenkoller Mountains attracted a huge number of spectators. According to eyewitnesses' descriptions, the skiers were racing at very steep slope, from which “it was almost impossible to descend.” The spectacle was so unusual and exciting that rumors about it spread throughout Europe. The best skiers capitals were put to shame. They “descended hunched over,” slowed down cautiously, throwing a stick from one side to the other, and did not jump from the springboards, but “fell in sacks.” But the athletes from Telemarken “drove proudly straightened up, demonstratively holding a stick instead of a stick.” right hand spruce branch,” they flew 25 meters from the springboard, and below, “raising fountains of snow, they made a spectacular turn without the help of a stick and stopped.”

The art of the followers of the new sport amazed the audience, a wave of imitation began, and the twist, called telemark, became a model for a long time and received the widest distribution. It was performed like this: the skier pushed strongly bent leg forward and used it as a steering wheel; the other, supporting leg rested its toe and knee on the ski; arms, like wings, were spread to the sides to maintain balance.

Needless to say, the reception was spectacular, but unreliable. At high speed, the skiers could not withstand the combat with centrifugal forces and fell. It was difficult to make such a turn on an uneven slope that required shock-absorbing movements. Over time, telemark was replaced by a plow, and then a turn on parallel skis, called “Christiania”. They say that the Norwegians invented “Christianity” by accident: to stop, ski jumpers leaned to the side in a deep squat, holding onto the snow with one hand, and turned their skis in the same direction. And yet, not the Norwegians, but the Austrians are considered the founders of modern alpine skiing.

The Austrian mountaineer and skier Matthias Zdarsky used a non-stop descent with turns in 1896; he invented the plow, and the thrust technique appeared. Tougher boots and stronger bindings were required to make turns in the plow. At the end of the last century he published the first textbook on ski equipment, where he summarized all the achievements available at that time, proposed a more progressive form of skis and bindings (although Zdarsky’s technique also relied on one stick), and outlined the basics of group training.

Since 1905, skiers' competitions for... the number of turns began to be held in the Alps. The maximum number of turns in a given segment was taken into account, as well as the number of turns per unit of time (these rules are somewhat reminiscent of current water skiing and figure skating competitions).
6 years later, in the winter of 1911, in the Swiss Alps near Montana, downhill competitions were held for the first time: 10 skiers simultaneously raced from the headwaters of the glacier along the virgin soil to the common finish.

It took almost 20 years for fans of the new sport to convince the International Ski Federation (FIS) to “recognize” skiing as an independent species. Slalom and downhill for men and women were included in the program of the World Ski Championships only in 1931, where the British excelled. However, soon representatives of the Alpine countries: Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy firmly become the leaders of the new sport. Only from time to time athletes from other countries “break into” their dense ranks.

The Norwegians were the first to show interest in skiing as a sport. In 1733 Hans Emahusen published instructions on ski training troops with a sporting bias. In 1767, competitions were held in all types of skiing (in modern terminology): biathlon, slalom, downhill and racing. The world's first exhibition various types ski and ski equipment was opened in Trondheim in 1862-1863. In 1877, the first ski sports society was organized in Norway, and soon they opened in Finland sport Club. Then ski clubs began to function in other countries in Europe, Asia and America. The popularity of ski holidays grew in Norway - the Holmenholen Games (1883), Finland - the Lahtin Games (1922), Sweden - the mass ski race "Vassalopet" (1922). At the end of the 19th century. Skiing competitions began to be held in all countries of the world.

Ski specialization varied from country to country. In Norway great development received cross-country racing, jumping and combined events. In Sweden there are cross-country races. In Finland and Russia there are races on flat terrain. In the United States, the development of skiing was facilitated by Scandinavian settlers. In Japan, skiing received an alpine skiing direction under the influence of Austrian coaches. In 1910, an international ski congress was held in Oslo with the participation of 10 countries. It created the International Ski Commission, reorganized into the International Ski Federation (1924).

In the second half of the 19th century. An organized sports movement began to develop in Russia. On December 29, 1895, the Grand opening The first organization in the country leading the development of skiing is the Moscow Ski Club. This official date is considered to be the birthday of skiing in our country. In addition to the Moscow Ski Club, the “Society of Ski Lovers” was created in 1901, and in 1910 the Sokolniki Ski Club was created. By analogy with the Moscow one, a ski club was created in 1897 " polar Star"in St. Petersburg. In those years, skiing in Moscow was cultivated in winter time in 11 more clubs, in St. Petersburg in 8 clubs in other sports.

In 1910, Moscow ski clubs united into the Moscow Ski League. The League carried out public leadership of skiing not only in Moscow, but also in other cities of Russia. During the ski season of 1909-1910. was held in Moscow record number There were eighteen competitions, in which 100 participants competed. On February 7, 1910, 12 skiers from Moscow and St. Petersburg competed for the country's first individual championship in the 30 km cross-country ski race. The title of the first skier in Russia was awarded to Pavel Bychkov. The country's first competition among women was held in 1921; Natalya Kuznetsova won at a distance of 3 km.

Before the outbreak of the First World War, 5 Russian championships were held. In 1918, skiing was included among the educational disciplines of the first curriculum higher physical education.

By the number of victories at the national championships 1910-1954. The highest rating is occupied by Zoya Bolotova, an eighteen-time champion. Among the men, Dmitry Vasiliev was the strongest - 16 victories, he is the first holder of the title “Honored Master of Sports”. In total for the period 1910-1995. 76 national championships were held at distances from 10 to 70 km for men, and from 3 to 50 km for women. Since 1963, the program of the national championship has included an ultra-marathon distance for men - 70 km. For women, since 1972 the longest distance has been 30 km, and since 1994 - 50 km. The record length 4-day men's race was held in 1938 - 232 km from Yaroslavl to Moscow. Dmitry Vasiliev won - his time was 18 hours 41 minutes 02 seconds.

The record of the first ski century for the number of victories at the national championships was set by Galina Kulakova - 39 gold medals. Sports achivments Galina Kulakova was awarded the Olympic Silver Order by the International Olympic Committee.

By submission Olympic Committee Russia's first international Coubertin Prize among our compatriots was awarded to Raisa Smetanina, the leader of the world elite skiers. A participant in five Olympics and eight world championships, Raisa Smetanina set another unique record of sports longevity - at her fifth Olympics she was crowned with a gold medal at the age of 40.

The Russians made an invention... They have wooden rims approximately seven feet long and one span wide, but the bottom is flat and smooth. They tie them under their feet and run with them through the snow, never plunging into it, and with such speed that one can be surprised at it.

Mons Palm, secretary of the Swedish embassy in Moscow, 1617.

The history of cross-country skiing goes back several thousand years, which is confirmed by rock paintings in caves in Norway, made around 7000 years ago . It all started from the moment when a man discovered that by tying two pieces of wood of a special shape to his feet, he could move faster through snow-covered fields and forests while hunting. Many centuries later, approximately in the middle 16th century , skis began to be used by the armies of the Scandinavian countries, and a little later the military were put on skis in Russia. The first similar competition was held in Norway in 1767 , however, there was no further development of cross-country skiing as a sport until the middle of the 19th century. In 1843 in Norway, and then in 1865 in Finland, official competitions in cross-country skiing. In 1862, the first result in history was recorded in Sweden - Lars Tuorda from Lapland won the two-part 220 km race in a time of 22 hours 22 minutes. In Russia, the first competition dates back only 1894 , when a quarter-mile ski race took place in St. Petersburg.

Nothing refreshes the will and refreshes the mind like skiing

The feat of the famous Norwegian traveler and Arctic explorer is objectively considered one of the most important events in the development of cross-country skiing in the 19th century.Fridtjof Nansen, who in 1889 was the first in the world to complete a more than five hundred-kilometer crossing of Greenland alone. Three years later, a book was published about this transition, translated into several languages, thanks to which people around the world learned a lot about skiing and developed a love for skiing. ski trips. It was from the end of the 19th century that sports societies and skiing clubs began to actively appear in all countries.

“Nothing strengthens the muscles and makes the body so strong and elastic, nothing gives reaction and speed, nothing refreshes the will and refreshes the mind like skiing” - these are the words of Fridtjof Nansen.

Over the entire period of evolution of ski equipment, which is several thousand years, there have been very different versions of skis, boots and poles. The first devices for moving on snow were more similar to modern snowshoes, but over time they transformed, became longer and narrower to increase speed, they could already glide on the snow and their appearance resembled the skis we are used to. From archaeological data it is known that already in XIII century In Russia, skis about 190 cm long and about 8 cm wide with curved ends were used, but at the beginning of the 20th century skis up to 3 m long were common.

The first ski shoes did not have a rigid sole and were simply tied to the skis, since there were no special fastenings. It was like this right up until until the 30s 20th century, when welted boots appeared and were actively used by skiers until the 70s.

Running poles also have an interesting history. It turns out that until the end of the 19th century, skiers used only one pole. This is due to the fact that skis were used mainly for hunting and in the army. The first sticks were wooden or bamboo, approximately the height of a person. Only in our time have poles become a high-tech product, made from lightweight aluminum or composite materials.

The rapid development of ski equipment began in the 70s of the 20th century. In 1971, a Norwegian company Rottefella has developed a well-known fastening standard NN75 (Nordic Norm 75 mm ) with three pins for welt boots. This standard immediately gained enormous popularity all over the world, and in our country, due to its low cost and ease of production, until recently it was the most widespread. Over the past few years, the situation has changed dramatically; NN75 mounts have greatly lost their positions and are used only by those who have not yet reached progress.

In 1974, a revolution occurred in the production of cross-country skis - the first plastic skis appeared. Soon the tracks began to be prepared by machine, they became wider and tougher, which in the early 80s led to the emergence of skating, whose founder is considered to be the famous Swedish skier Gunde Swan . At the same time, boots and bindings began to be actively improved. Welt boots were replaced by narrower “sock” ones, and the NN75 fastenings were replaced by Adidas “frogs”, then by the system SDS , but the reliability of these new developments left much to be desired. There was a division of boots into classic and skate. Finally, in the mid-80s, two truly functional, modern fastening standards appeared - SNS (Salomon Nordic System) and NNN (New Nordic Norm, Rottefella ). Boots and bindings form a system that ensures efficient transfer of energy from the skier to the ski.

In the 90s, ski production appeared CAP -technology, “sandwich” skis are a thing of the past. Now everything is modern cross-country skiing consist of a core covered with a “box” on top, the surface of which can have a 3-dimensional shape. The geometry of the skis has also changed - it is no longer parallel. To this day, manufacturing companies are constantly searching for the optimal ski profile, and calculations of the characteristics of new models are increasingly closer to aerospace and “formula” technologies.

At the end of the 90s, a new technological breakthrough occurred - a system of fastenings and boots appeared SNS Pilot – biaxial fastening of the boot, which significantly improved the skating technique. And in 2005, a new revolutionary development was announced - an integrated ski and binding system - NIS ( Nordic Integrated System, Rottefella), now you don’t need to drill your skis to install the bindings.

Modern skiing consists of 39 ski disciplines Olympic Games, 26 competitive skiing exercises awaiting “Olympic registration”, as well as more than 20 exercises being approved as a “sport”.

Athletics is rightly called the “queen of sports”, and the rapidly developing skiing is among the retinue of winter Olympic disciplines– the uncontested “king of sports”.