Those who don’t ski often wonder
what the attraction is: all that cold weather, tumbling over in wet snow,
hurtling at high speeds down mountains with obstacles such as trees, crevasses
and other people to circumnavigate.They are also deterred by the
bulky boots and all that heavy equipment to carry around. And then there’s the
thought of having to learn something from scratch and making a fool of
themselves.
However, they are totally missing the point.
Skiing and snowboarding
add a vital element of fun to winter, enabling adults to play in the snow. They
are both great for multi-generational family bonding and also provide outdoor
exercise and much-needed exposure to Vitamin D. All this during the season when
most other sports and activities are precluded by the weather.
And it’s not just
downhill skiing and snowboarding that’s available in ski areas. There are also
facilities for cross country skiing, ice skating and snowshoeing in most
resorts these days. All of these healthy outdoor pursuits provide an escape
from everyday life, fresh air which brings great clarity of mind and spirit, an
opportunity to mix with like-minded people from all over the world and a
holiday with a purpose: learning a new sport while grappling with the elements.
Snowsports don’t get
boring over time because every ski day is different, even at the same resort.
The temperature affects the snow conditions; wind changes the environment often
overnight; snowfall can transform smooth runs into soft pillows of snow that
require totally different powder-skiiing skills; and the sun can come out and
make everything appear easier and more laid-back. Sunny days are lyrically known
as “bluebird” days.
Most designated runs or
trails in resorts are groomed overnight by snowcats, removing debris kicked up
by skiers and snowboarders and manicuring the slopes for the next day. Many
resorts also have snow cannons to fill in any gaps. First thing in the morning
the freshly groomed runs have furrows along them from the cat tracks which look
like the lines of corduroy fabric. This is a really fun surface to ski on and
earlybirds are always out there first thing putting their tracks into it.
Other more advanced runs
in resorts are sometimes left un-groomed so that skiers can enjoy fresh powder
snow. If there hasn’t been a recent snowfall and a lot of skiers have skied the
same un-groomed run over several days, oval bumps of snow (known as moguls)
form, making skiing even more exciting. Mogul or bump skiing requires yet
another technique which, once mastered, can give years of pleasure and
challenge.
As well as the physical
benefits, skiing has a cachet and flamboyance unlike any other sport. Skiing
was a stylish pursuit from the outset, well before most sports were ever
associated with fashion and style. In the company of rich jetsetters, movie
stars and other celebrities, just visiting a ski resort gives everyone a taste
of the high life even if it’s just for a week or a weekend. Although deemed
expensive by many, ski holidays can cost around the same as a cruise or a trip
to Disneyland and, compared to team sports such as ice hockey and soccer, can
often cost the same for your kids - but with the added advantage that the whole
family can take part rather than watching from the sidelines.
Being a beginner only
lasts a few days. After a course of lessons, a few weeks on snow and a few
equipment purchases, you’ll be calling yourself “intermediate” within no time!
HISTORY OF SKIING
The invention of skiing is
generally attributed to Northern Europeans who developed the “wooden
stick” as a transportation aid for
hunting during long snowy winters.
Dating back around 4000 years,
the Scandinavians used wooden skis with leather straps attached to their
outdoor boots. Skiing had became a leisure pursuit in Norway by the mid 19th
century but it was actually the British who put the sport into skiing back in
the early 1900s when they borrowed the “wooden stick” means of transport from
the Scandinavians and turned it into a fun way to while away winters in
Switzerland.
In 1903 Brit skier, mountaineer
and writer, Arnold Henry Moore Lunn established the first packaged ski holidays
under the Public Schools Alpine Sports Club. He then raised the sport to a
competitive level with a downhill race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. After
founding the Kandahar Ski Club in Mürren, Switzerland, in 1924, Lunn went on to
organize both downhill and slalom events at the 1928 Arlberg-Kandahar open
international alpine skiing competition, the precursor to international racing.
He was knighted in 1952 for his "services to British Skiing and
Anglo-Swiss relations". Top Swiss ski resorts today include St Moritz,
Zermatt, Verbier, Gstaad, Davos, Klosters and Grindelwald.
Since those early
alpine days, skiing has expanded worldwide, particularly in North America where
it dates back to 1905 when the National Ski Association was founded in Michigan.
There is skiing in 38 of the 50 states with the most internationally-renowned
being in Utah, Colorado, California, Wyoming and Vermont.
Canadian skiing
took off in the late 19th century and nowadays the most famous resorts are Whistler
in British Columbia (home to Winter Olympics 2010), Lake Louise (Winterstart
World Cup venue) and Banff in Alberta and Mont Tremblant in Quebec. There are,
however, many newer resorts all over these three provinces with world-class ski
conditions and unrivaled snowfall records as well as longer ski seasons than
more southerly destinations.
French ski resorts are the
largest in the world, often with several resorts linked by gigantic lift
systems. Some of the most popular areas are Three Valleys (Courchevel, Meribel
and Val Thorens) host to the 1992 Winter Olympics; Val D’Isere and Tignes;
Portes du Soleil (Avoriaz and Morzine); and Paradiski (La Plagne and Les Arcs).
One of the first cable cars for skiing was built in 1933 at Megeve.
HISTORY OF SNOWBOARDING
Early experiments
with snowboarding date back to the 1920s when a snowboard-style sledge was
invented in the US, made from plywood.
However, it wasn’t
until 1965, with the invention of the “Snurfer”, that snowboard technology
started to develop. Created by American, Sherman Poppen, the snurfer was just
two skis bound together with a rope added at one end for control. Despite the
basic design, more than half a million were sold in the 1960s and 70s.
Snowboard technology was streamlined in 1977 when Bob Webber created the Yellow
Banana snowboard out of polyethylene. The first National Snurfing Championship,
held in Michigan in 1979, gave Jack Burton Carpenter from Vermont the
opportunity to excel in the Open division on his custom-made snowboard which
had innovative foot straps. Burton is still one of the top names in snowboard
technology and clothing.
Since the 1980s,
snowboards have evolved to incorporate P-Tex bases, water ski bindings, and
continual innovations in shape and materials. The first snowboarding magazine, Absolutely Radical, was launched in
1981, establishing snowboarding as an extreme and trendy sport. Ski hills
everywhere were initially opposed to snowboards which were considered just a
passing fad and also potentially dangerous to skiers. During the 1980s many
resorts banned the boards but contrary to expectations their popularity grew.
When it looked like snowboards were likely to take over from skis, hills
started to accommodate boarders and even build dedicated ‘Terrain Parks’ - with
jumps, rails and half-pipes - for their entertainment.
 |
| Riding a rail at Rockstar Terrain Park, Panorama, BC, Canada |
Snowboarding was
finally accepted as a serious competitive snowsport when it debuted in the
Winter Olympics in Japan in 1998. It’s success has been partly due to the
general belief that it is marginally easier to learn than skiing. If a
snowboarder perseveres to day three or four, he is usually in command of his
board and able to enjoy the sport over a variety of terrain, especially smooth
groomed runs and powder. For skiers, it can take several weeks to have the same
level of confidence and control over their more unruly skis and poles and
powder is a much more advanced element for skiers.
When learning snowboarding,
it is highly recommended to wear padding on knees, elbows and backsides as the
tumbles can be high impact. And a helmet is mandatory!
