Skiing

Skiing has a bewildering variety of terminology to describe its variations. Terms overlaps and are often just another name for the same thing.

Skiing is one of the oldest sports. The first recorded instance of skiing was on Stone Age rock drawings done about 4000 years ago. Back then skiing was simply utility. About a thousand years ago, a poem called Eddas credited Viking king Harald Hadrade (1046-1066) with the accomplishment of skiing fast. In the 1700s, in the Telemark area of Norway, the Telemark and Christiani (Christie) turns were invented. In the 1800s, the first organized events were created that included cross-country races and jumping competitions.

In the 1930s, ski lifts making alpine skiing popular. Nordic skis and the telemark turn were insufficient to take on steeper terrain.

In the 1980s, ski skating started up as a way to ski faster on cross-country trails.

http://www.skiinghistory.org/
http://www.skiinghistory.org/historicdates.html Timeline of skiing (alpine mostly)

Nordic skiing, also known as cross-country skiing include all forms of skiing that use a free heel.

Snow Skating (aka skating)
Skating | Diagonal Skating (diagonal V-skating, single-pole skating, herringbone skating, animal skating) | Two Skating (asymmetrical V-skating, V-1, two skate double-pole, padling, single time) | Half Skating (track skating, marathon skating, Koch skating, single-leg skating, one-leg skating, Finnstep, Finnish step, Siitonen step) | Free Skating (tuck skating, downhill skating, speed skating) | Kombi Skating | One Skating (one-skate double-pole, symmetrical V-skating, V-2 skating) | Offset skating (uphill two-skating, open field skating, offset V-skating, V-1 off-timing)

Backcountry Skiing
Ski mountaineering | Ski touring (Europe is same as ski mountaineering) | Steep-slope skiing | Bushwalking on skis

Slackcountry skiing (out of bounds downhill skiing)
Alpine Touring (combination of walking comfort & downhill control, Dynafit Tour Lite Tech)
Telemarking (gotten heavier -- boots and skiis, better downhill control) Tele in terrain park
Backcountry Lite (three pin)

Photocopy article from Trax in library.

Recreational Skiing
Citizen Racing (large, 10-80 km, mass start)

Competitive Skiing
Ski Racing (Langlauf) | Nordic combined (15 km + 7 m jump) | Skiathlon (skiathlom)

Unusual Forms
Ski-Bike http://www.ski-bike.org | Power Kite skiing
Ski Bob (sit down) | Ballet skiing (artistic) http://www.incard.com/department_article.asp?articleid=779
aka figure skiing, trick skiing, acrobat skiing

Summer Skiing
Road skiing | Off-road skiing
Cross training |
Sand Skiing (Beach Skiing | Hill Sand Skiing | Beach Skiing with Power Kite)
http://skiing.about.com/library/weekly/bl-sand-skiing.htm
http://www.sandskiing.com/

http://www.anglerock.co.za/Surfing.htm (Picture here)
http://www.jsonline.com/alive/column/feb02/17556.asp Good description

http://www.skytavern.com/levels.htm Levels of skiing and snowboarding
http://www.efit.com/basics/snow_sports_index.html (For snowboarding and snowshoes as well)

http://www.alia.org.au/~ivan/ski.manual/glossary/
http://www.alia.org.au/~ivan/ski.manual/home.html Skiing manual and glossary

Related Sports
Snowboarding | Nordic Skating | Ski blades | Skiboards http://skiboards.com/

Sandboarding

http://www.glyde.com.au/glyde.html Scooter & ski scooter

http://www.nordicskater.com/ http://www.nordicskater.com/YourSports/index.html Nordic skating (up to 50 miles on ice)

Skiing on ununusal surfaces: ie sulfur

http://www.ramblers.ab.ca/members/forms/skiequipment.pdf Primer on skiing equipment

Ski & Snowshoe compatible www.salomonsports.com

http://www.ski-equipment-guide.com/ Guide to skiing equipment