Skiing hasn’t always been the popular leisure and sporting activity it is today. Each year, groups of families and friends head off to the mountains in hope of great conditions and making memories with their loved ones. However, years ago, skiing was a vital lifeline for those who invented it. Within this blog we explore the earliest of skiing history and much more. Including the history of skiing in France, ski boots and apres ski.
Table of Contents
When was Skiing First Invented?
In his book Two Planks and a Passion: A Dramatic History of Skiing, Roland Huntford describes how skiing began as a mode of movement and survival. According to Huntford, cave drawings suggest that man used skis during the last Ice Age in the Palaeolithic period. Some 2.85 million years ago. The oldest ski artefacts, found in the 1960s, are fragments of ski-like objects. They were found in Northern Russia and are thought to come from the more recent Mesolithic period, around 6000 BC.
Who Was the First Person to Ski?
The only indigenous people of Scandinavia, The Sami people are widely regarded as the founders of skiing. The Sami people are thought to have used skis purely as a superior mode of transport. They used skis to travel across wetlands and hunt during the winter when they froze over.
A Basic Timeline of the Modern History of Skiing
Skiing evolved further in Scandinavia during the 1700s, where it was mainly used for military considerations. In Norway during the 1800s, things really came on for skiing as a sport and leisure activity.
Some of the key benchmarks in the history of modern skiing are outlined below:
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1700s – Skiing evolved in Scandinavia for military purposes.
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1760 – Norway sped ahead in terms of skiing for leisure and sporting purposes, in addition to military uses.
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1800s – Alpine (downhill) skiing began to develop in Norway.
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1809 – The first known ski jumper Olaf Rye jumped 9.5 metres through the air.
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1867 – The first cross-country national races were held in Oslo, Norway.
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1881- The world’s first ski school was opened in Norway.
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1924 – The first ever Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France.
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1930s – Skiing was now being embraced all over the world. After starting in Europe and North America. The skiing craze had now also spread to New Zealand, Japan, Chile and Argentia.
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1932 – ‘Ecole de Haute Montagne’ was introduced in France. Providing professional skiers with a credible qualification for the first time.
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1936 – A revolutionary time for skiing as a recreational activity:
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Alpine (downhill) skiing was included in the 1936 Olympic Games for the first time, hosted in Germany.
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The same year, the first-ever chairlift was installed in Sun Valley, Idaho.
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1938 – Meribel was founded by Peter Lindsay.
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1950- Meribel was now home to 40 chalets, 17 hotels and 4 ski lifts.
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1960 – Ski fragments found in Northern Russia, dating back to the Mesolithic period, around 6000 BC, 8000 years ago.
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1969 – The popularity of skiing was boosted further after a skiing scene in the 1969 James Bond movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
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1979 – Freestyle skiing was recognised as a sport by the International Ski Federation.
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1988 – The newly recognised Freestyle skiing was included as part of the 1988 Winter Olympics. It was at the 1988 Winter games that Eddie the Eagle made his Debut.
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1989 – The first snow park was built at Bear Valley ski area in California.
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1990s – The first twin tip skis were perfected and snow parks were beginning to be built in ski resorts across the world.
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Today – Skiing and snowboarding continue to grow in popularity year on year. There is an ever-growing range of ski disciplines and styles. Skiing has also become a common annual holiday, secured in many people’s calendars each year.
When Did Skiing Become a Sport?
In the 1760s, the Norwegian army held skill competitions involving skiing down slopes, around trees, across level snowfields and while shooting. These races were precursors to Olympic sports.
It was during the mid-19th century that the focus moved more heavily from Nordic (cross-country) skiing to Alpine (downhill) skiing. This was due to the more adrenaline-inducing nature of travelling downhill at high speed, in contrast to across level terrain. It was around this time that Oslo hosted the first national race in 1867.
Skiing’s popularity boomed following the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix, 1924. At the time of the games, Alpine skiing was still in its early stages. So, it was only the then more established style of Nordic skiing that was included in the 1924 games.
At the turn of the century, things began to develop further for the newly found sport. By 1932, professionals could be provided with credible qualifications. The EHM (Ecole de Haute Montagne) was the first credible qualification of its kind in France.
The History of Skiing in France
During the late 1800s, Norway took the lead in developing skiing from being a military activity to one that is enjoyed for both sport and leisure purposes. Around this time, skis were being shown as a modern feature of the Universal Exhibition of Paris. It was here that they caught the eye of Henri Duhamel, who began to invest in developing their materials and design.
At the turn of the century, the French military also adopted skiing and designed a ski to meet their requirements. At this time, the Briancon ski school was established. The school was used to train the French military ski forces and still continues to operate today. It’s now used to train the regional troops to defend France’s south-western frontier.
In 1924, the first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France. Following the event which glamorised skiing, Brits and other holidaymakers flocked to villages such as Chamonix and Val d’Isere. It was at this time that the sport and skiing in the French Alps really took off.
Shortly afterwards, in the 1930s, our much-loved Meribel was founded. It was Scottish Colonel, Peter Lindsay who founded the resort. He and French skier Emile Allais set about building a resort in the perfect location near the village of Les Allues. For a more in-depth exploration into the History of Meribel, visit our blog – The history of Meribel.
The growing popularity of downhill skiing resulted in the inclusion of Alpine skiing in the 1936 Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
The surge of popularity in downhill skiing, coupled with the charm and international accessibility of French ski resorts, meant that the Alps quickly became the centre of the modern skiing world.
Evolution of Ski Equipment
From handcrafted wooden planks to carbon fibre marvels, skiing’s story is written through its kit. Each component has evolved in step with new materials science, safety research and changing riding styles. Here’s how skiing equipment progressed from survival equipment to performance-driven technology.
The History of Ski Boots
1800s: Handcrafted leather & willow bindings
Early bindings were nothing more than a single leather strap over a tough-grain leather shoe. To stop boots sliding out, Sámi skiers added a curled vertical lip at the toe, think Santa‑elf footwear. Around 1840, the legendary Sondre Norheim wove a willow‑root heel strap, giving the world’s first rudimentary safety binding and spurring sturdier boot soles reinforced with wooden shanks and steel toecaps.
1870s: Cottage industry goes industrial
Village cobblers built every pair until the arrival of the electric sewing machine. By the late 1890s, factories could churn out thousands of leather lace-ups, finally making skiing accessible to anyone who could afford a catalogue order.
1900‑1950: Making leather last
For the next half‑century, most innovation targeted waterproofing and durability, multiple layers of oiled hide, gusseted tongues and higher cuffs kept wool socks dry. Mass‑produced lace-ups dominated resorts right up to World War II.
1954: The buckle revolution
Swiss racer & stunt pilot Hans Martin patented the buckle closure, replacing fiddly laces with two stout metal levers that cinched the boot evenly. Stiffer leather suddenly became usable, unlocking more edge control.
1962‑1970: Enter plastic
American engineer Bob Lange laminated ABS plastic onto leather, then shifted to full‑plastic shells by 1966 just in time to equip the Canadian team for the ‘66 World Championships and the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. Their medal haul killed leather racing boots overnight. Brands like Nordica piled in, adding removable foam liners and, by the 1970s, standardised sole shapes that matched emerging step‑in bindings.
1980s: Power straps & fine‑tuning
Koflach’s Mel Dalebout introduced the Velcro power‑strap, effectively a fifth buckle that clamped the cuff to the leg for extra rebound. Canting screws, rear‑entry shells and walk‑modes followed, aiming to blend comfort with race‑boot response.
2000s to today: Custom fit for every discipline
Heat‑mouldable liners, thermoform shells, GripWalk rockered soles and ultralight Grilamid touring boots now cater to alpine racers, freestylers and ski‑tourers alike. Despite materials breakthroughs, the template finalised in the late 1960s, a rigid outer shell, insulated inner and micro‑adjustable buckles still define the modern ski boot.
The History of Skis
People have been fashioning sliding boards for snowy ground since prehistoric times; the craft of shaping faster, lighter skis has accelerated especially in the past 160 years:
- Pre‑1900: Single planks of pine or birch with no sidecut served as simple transport across snow.
- 1860s: Norwegian pioneer Sondre Nordheim introduced camber and sidecut for better weight distribution and turning.
- 1950: The aluminium‑laminate Head Standard was lighter and torsion‑stiffer, igniting a materials race.
- 1960s-70s: Fibreglass and metal layers boosted strength and dampening.
- 1990s: Parabolic “shaped” skis made carving effortless for recreational skiers.
- 2010s-today: rocker-camber hybrids, titanal or carbon sheets and even 3D printed tips deliver versatile all-mountain performance while sustainable wood cores keep things green.
The History of Bindings
Bindings began as little more than rope lashings, yet every major performance era has been triggered by a safer, stronger link between boot and ski:
- Pre‑1930: leather toe and heel straps held boots in place but offered no release, spiral fractures were common.
- 1929: The spring‑loaded Kandahar cable binding added heel retention for downhill control.
- 1950: Look Nevada introduced the first lateral‑release toe piece, reducing tib‑fib injuries.
- 1970s: DIN scales and step‑in heels standardised skier‑set release values.
- 2000s-today: multi‑directional release, anti‑friction devices and pin‑tech walk‑modes combine safety with uphill mobility.
The History of Goggles
Protecting eyes from glare and wind was essential for polar explorers, and their improvised solutions kicked off a century of goggle innovation:
- 1930s: adapted motorcycle goggles with leather side shields cut wind and glare.
- 1960s: dual‑pane thermo lenses combat fogging in biting cold.
- 2000s: Spherical and quick‑change lenses widened peripheral vision and let skiers match tint to light.
- 2010s: magnetic lens systems made swaps possible with mitts on.
- 2020s: Photochromic lenses and HUD-enabled smart goggles now deliver real‑time navigation and stats.
The History of Poles
The humble pole started life as a single wooden staff used for steering sledges; over time the design split, lightened and specialised alongside skiing itself:
- Pre‑1900: A single wooden staff provided balance and propulsion.
- Early 1900s: Dual bamboo poles improved turning rhythm.
- 1950s: Aluminium shafts shaved weight and added strength.
- 1990s: Carbon-Kevlar composites dampened vibration without heft.
- Today: Adjustable shafts with break‑away straps offer off-piste skiing and touring versatility and avalanche‑safety features.
Skiing in the Modern Era: Olympics & Beyond
Skiing made its Olympic debut at Chamonix 1924 with cross‑country, ski jumping and Nordic combined. Alpine skiing joined in 1936 and by Beijing 2022 the programme featured 13 medal events across alpine, freestyle, and big‑air disciplines, plus para‑categories at the Paralympic Winter Games (since 1976).
Outside the Games, the FIS Alpine World Cup (founded 1967) created a globe‑trotting tour that has crowned greats from Jean‑Claude Killy to Mikaela Shiffrin.
The pinnacle single‑event championship, the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, returned to the French Alps in 2023, co‑hosted by Courchevel and Méribel. The women’s technical races unfolded on Méribel’s infamous Roc de Fer, showcasing the resort to a global audience and drawing 140,000 spectators.
Progressive arenas such as the Winter X Games (since 1997) and Red Bull’s backcountry contests push style and amplitude, while adaptive‑ski technology and grassroots programmes widen access.
Looking ahead, climate resilient snowmaking, AI-aided course setting and a growing emphasis on sustainability initiatives, like Méribel’s own green‑energy lifts, will shape the next chapter of skiing history.
The History of Après-Ski
What does apres ski mean?
Apres Ski is a French term derived from the 1950s. The literal translation of Apres Ski is “After ski” or “After skiing”.
The ‘s’ in apres ski, is silent. It is pronounced ‘Ap-ray Ski’. You can listen to its pronunciation here.
Where did apres-ski originate?
Apres ski originated in the 1950s with the rise of commercial skiing. The tradition originated in Norway and quickly made its way across to the French Alps, with resorts such as Meribel now being renowned for their vibrant apres scene. It was at this point that the custom was firmly adopted by the sociable French culture and named Apres Ski.
Both skiing and its equipment has come a long way over the years. Our use of skis has also changed dramatically. Despite the vast developments over the years, skiers’ use and love of the mountains remains the same. If you would like to book your next ski holiday with us, take a look at our remaining availability here. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We would love to hear from you!