Skiing

Both a competitive Olympic sport and recreational leisure activity, skiing consists of gliding over snow on long, narrow skates known as skis. Skiing can take place on either flat terrain or downhill at an angle. Downhill skiing, also known as alpine skiing, is perhaps more familiar to most Americans, given the popularity of alpine ski resorts throughout the United States. Popular skiing destinations in the United States include Aspen and Vail (Colorado), Snowbird and Alta (Utah), Squaw Valley (California), and Stowe (Vermont). More than 65 million Americans visit ski resorts annually—more than any other country in the world; worldwide, approximately 200 million people participate in skiing. Skiing events have been a central feature of the Winter Olympics since 1936. Olympic skiing competition consists of two distinct types of events: alpine skiing, which is a straight downhill race, and slalom, which consists of weaving and maneuvering through a series of markers and checkpoints as a skier makes their way downhill. Skiing is particularly popular in nations with colder climates, such as Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Among the most decorated professional American skiers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are Tommy Moe, Picabo Street, Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, and Mikaela Shiffrin.

Brief History

The exact origin of skiing remains a subject of debate among archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians. Some scholars argue that skiing first developed in Scandinavia, while others contend that it arose in the Altai Mountains region of northwestern China, western Mongolia, and south-central Russia. Archaeological evidence, particularly in the form of ancient artwork depicting skiers etched into stone, has been found in both regions, which further fuels the debate. Chinese scholars have also asserted that ancient Chinese living in the Altai region were the first to develop skiing, and the first known written reference to skiing appears in a Chinese text produced during the Han Dynasty between 206 BCE and 225 BCE. Nevertheless, the oldest archaeological evidence of skiing was found at the Vis site in northwestern Russia, where fragments of a wooden ski tip were dated to approximately 6000 BCE. However, some academics in China contend that hunters living in the Altai invented skiing around 8000 BCE, a claim that is disputed by many non-Chinese historians. Rock art in the Altai does illustrate skiing and shows that skiers only used one pole for balance, as opposed to the modern practice of holding a pole in each hand. Regardless of exactly where and when skiing arose, the general consensus among scholars is that skiing was used both as a means of transportation and to assist in chasing and hunting game.

Topic Today

Skiing has generated significant media attention as an allegedly dangerous sport, given a multitude of injuries and deaths suffered by high-profile skiers in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In late December 1997, Michael Kennedy, the son of former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, died in a skiing accident in Aspen after he collided with a tree. Just one week later, California congressman and former singer Sonny Bono, an experienced skier, was also killed after hitting a tree during a family vacation in Lake Tahoe, California. In March 2009, actress Natasha Richardson, wife of actor Liam Neeson, died of head trauma she incurred after falling during a skiing lesson in Canada. The US National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) claims that more than forty skiers and snowboarders are killed in accidents each year in the United States on average, which has prompted questions and calls for increased safety measures. Some measures taken to enhance safety include the development of more heavily padded ski wear to lessen the impact of a collision and recommendations that all skiers wear a helmet while on the slopes. Helmet usage has risen significantly during the early twenty-first century, especially among young skiers. During the 2022–23 season, the NSAA reported that 96 percent of American skiers under the age of seventeen wore a helmet. Defenders of skiing point out that, overall, skiing has a relatively low injury and fatality rate, given the large number of skiers, and that by comparison, other sports such as soccer and cycling have much higher rates of injury among participants.

Modern-day skiing is widely regarded as a socially restrictive sport, insofar as the geographic and social class barriers imposed that limit the sport’s accessibility to much of the general public. The relatively high cost of skiing equipment (such as skis, poles, boots, and clothing), lodging, and resort fees makes skiing a leisure activity primarily for affluent persons. Skiers face travel expenses as well if they do not live in snowy, cold-weather climates with a nearby ski resort. The cost of a ticket to access chairlifts at resorts can approach or exceed $200 per day. In 2012, 54 percent of Americans who made at least one skiing trip came from a household whose annual income was more than $100,000. Critics contend that skiing faces a demographic dilemma that could profoundly hurt the sport in the United States in the future; even though skiing in the United States has long been associated with middle- and upper-class White Americans, the continual rise in skiing costs has made the sport more exclusive to older and wealthier individuals.

In the 2010s, many ski resorts were bought up by large conglomerates, such as Alterra Mountain Company. To make skiing less cost-prohibitive, such conglomerates began offering passes that allowed skiers to visit any of its mountains at one flat rate. Alterra's popular Ikon Pass, for example, allowed skiers to visit over fifty destinations. While such passes increased accessibility, many skiers complained that resorts have become much more crowded as a result. Companies like Alterra also worked to diversify skiing by engaging more demographics than the typical White male skier. According to the National Ski Areas Association, over 88 percent of skiers during the 2022–23 season were White, with Black skiers comprising just 1.5 percent. Some resorts have begun teaming up with nonprofits to better reach skiers from lower-income households and communities of color.

Bibliography

“Alpine Skiing.” ESPN.com, 2008. Web. 4 June 2014.

“The Ancient Art of Skiing: A Chinese or Norwegian Invention?” The Ultimate History Project, n.d. Web. 4 June 2014.

“Bono’s Death Caused by Massive Head Injuries.” CNN.com, January 6, 1998. Web. 4 June 2014.

Gittings, Paul. “Danger on the Slopes: Are Winter Sports Safe?” CNN.com, January 14, 2013. Web. 4 June 2014.

"Industry Stats." National Ski Areas Association, www.nsaa.org/NSAA/Media/Industry‗Stats.aspx. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

Jenkins, Mark. “On the Trail with the First Skiers.” National Geographic, December 2013. Web. 4 June 2014.

Krueger, Alyson. "Who Gets to Ski?" The New York Times, 7 Feb. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/02/05/style/vail-ski-resorts-crowds.html. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

Lovitt, Rob. “High Peaks, Lofty Prices as Skiing Prices Out Middle Class.” CNBC, December 8, 2013. Web. 4 June 2014.

“Michael Kennedy Dies in Skiing Accident.” CNN.com, December 31, 1997. Web. 4 June 2014.