“Skiing may not be happiness, but it can easily replace it,” one of the great French skiers once said. At the height of the ski season and before the main period of trips to ski resorts, we offer you a photo story about how skis themselves have changed and their role in the lives of our compatriots from time immemorial to the present day.
1. The first mentions of skis were found in rock art thousands of years BC. For northern peoples, including our distant ancestors, this invention was simply vital in order to be able to move through the snow and get food in the winter.
2. Many centuries later, namely around the middle of the 16th century, skis began to be used by the military. In the photo: painting by Ivanov S.V. “The march of the Muscovites. XVI century." The painting itself dates from 1903.
3. In general, until the very end of the 19th century, skis were used mainly for hunting and in the army, so skiers all this time used only one stick - the second hand had to remain free. Skiing in Russia received official recognition as a sport in 1895, when the first ski races took place. Photo: Getty Images
4. At first, skis did not have special shoes and were simply tied to existing ones. And given the famous Russian frosts, the first ski shoes were most often felt boots. This was the case until the 30s of the 20th century, when welted boots and bindings appeared, which were actively used by skiers until the 70s, and sometimes continue to be used now. In the photo: Russian soldier on skis and in felt boots, 1900-1919.
5. In the Soviet Union, as is known, physical education and sports occupied a very honorable place in the life of every citizen. And skiing - primarily cross-country skiing - has become one of the most widespread and popular winter sports. Millions of fans of a sporty and healthy lifestyle annually took part in mass ski races.
6. They began to get involved in skiing from childhood - during the long winter months, all Soviet schoolchildren, without exception, engaged in physical education on cross-country skiing. In the photo: Moscow State University, Moscow, 1959.
7. And this is a physical education lesson in Ulyanovsk in 1967. Photo: Sergey Yuryev
8. Among adults, skiing was also considered an excellent way to spend winter leisure time and even often replaced romantic dates. Now is the time to remember the famous Soviet ski ointment with its specific smell, far from any romance. However, without it, wooden skis, an alternative to which did not yet exist, would not work. Photo: Sergey Yuryev
9. As for alpine skiing, they began to develop in Russia much later than cross-country skiing, and at first they were mainly part of the training of climbers. In the photo: Dombay, 1937
10. The first “breakthrough” in Soviet alpine skiing occurred in 1956, when Evgenia Sidorova (pictured) won the first Olympic medal at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The athlete took third place, despite a shoulder injury.
11. After this, in the 60s, alpine skiing began to gain unprecedented popularity in the country. And Dombay began to turn from a mountaineering camp into the main ski resort of the country. In 1964, construction of a recreation and sports complex began here, including a network of hotels, bases, huts and cable cars. In the photo: modern Dombay
12. Another remarkable period in the history of domestic alpine skiing is the era of the “golden team”, the time of our triumph in the late 70s - early 80s, when alpine skiers led by Alexander Zhirov literally burst onto the podium of the World Cup stages. The headlines in the sports newspapers were impressive: “Achtung! The Russians are coming,” “The Russians are rushing to become leaders,” “24 days of the Russian miracle.” The period of the “golden team” was a time of flourishing talent and long-awaited victories for domestic sports. Photo: Roman Denisov
13. In 1974, a real revolution took place in the skiing world - the first plastic skis appeared. At the same time, boots and bindings began to be actively improved. As a result, ski equipment has acquired a completely modern look, although the skis themselves, bindings and boots continue to be constantly improved even today. Photo: Roman Denisov
14. Modern ski lovers have plenty to choose from: stores provide a wide range of ski products, among which not only amateurs, but also professionals can find suitable equipment.
15. Nowadays, schoolchildren are still required to learn the basics of cross-country skiing.
16. And alpine skiing and trips to ski resorts are gaining more and more popularity among compatriots every year. Photo: Roman Denisov
17. Some parents begin to introduce their children to their favorite sport from a very early age - ski schools accept students from three years old.
18. And for those who cannot live without skis even in summer, indoor ski resorts with artificial snow are opening.
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 the Indians and Eskimos of 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 sports equipment, were discovered by researchers during excavations in 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 was of great importance for ancient peoples, because such skills largely determined the success in hunting and the prosperity of the tribe.
It has not yet been possible to find out exactly which country and from what time can be considered the birthplace of skiing (well, at least definitely not African countries). This question is of great interest to people not only in those regions where the use of skis was a necessity and became a tradition, but also in many others, where the “sport of sports” (that is, skiing) has spread so much over the past 20–30 years that it has barely become perhaps not the most favorite winter sport. Nansen, in his book “Skiing across Greenland” (1890), tried to comprehensively cover this issue. Based on his own and other people's research, he comes to the conclusion that skiing was first spread by the peoples of the outskirts of the Altai Mountains and Lake Baikal in Asia. Skis came to us from Norway via Finland, and the Norwegians and Swedes must have learned to ski from the Laplanders.
But Nansen, based on his research, came to the conclusion that it was the Siberian tribes who spread skiing to the east, west and north. It is possible that skiing began simultaneously in different places in these vast northern spaces.
Peoples, in their struggle against nature, also had to defend themselves against snow. Concern for facilitating communications (especially when the invention of the Internet is still tens of thousands of years away) and subsistence by hunting prompted man to invent something that would make it possible not only to stay on the surface of the snow, but also to move along it. This is how the so-called “trugen”, the ancestor of the current snow rocket, arose. The North American Indians did not yet know anything about skiing, and the Trugen was already very widespread among them. But Nansen claims that even in those distant times the Indians used very narrow devices, a kind of real skis.
These “trugen” devices were tied to the legs so as not to sink in the snow. They were of different shapes and made of different materials. historian Xenophon, around 400 BC e. learned from the inhabitants of the mountains of Armenia to tie horse hooves with furs. Strabo in 20 BC e tells how the inhabitants of the Caucasus tied leather soles to their feet in winter, in which sometimes they were driven. Another author talks about a device made of wood, very similar to the Norwegian Trugen.
The need to move over long distances on snow led to the invention of skis. They developed slowly, starting from the round shape of the trugen, then turning into an oval shape, and then each time longer, until they reached the modern shape. To prevent the trugen from falling into the snow when walking, they began to bend it slightly upward from the front. From here there was only one more step to “trugen skis”, lined with leather, used in central Siberia.
Nansen believes that this transition from Trugen to skiing took place in the Altai Mountains. The only question is when exactly? Of course, this happened a long time ago. In Siberia the skis are still in almost their original form. Olsen tells in one letter to Nansen that some peoples of Siberia and Finland have long used short but wide skis lined with leather.
With the migration of peoples, skis came to the inhabitants of the Scandinavian Peninsula from the east. Here is what the ancient legend tells about the Scandinavian ancestor Nora: “He waited with his tribe in Kvenlandi (Finland) until the snow became suitable for skiing, then, going around the Baltic Sea to the north, they went down through Norway to Trendeljagen, where they settled.” .
Only one thing is unclear. Having borrowed skis from the Laplanders, the Norwegians took the name for them neither from them nor from the Finns. Philological research diverges from historical research here. The Norwegians have the name “ski” and “aandar”, the Swedes “skid” and “andor”, where there is nothing Laplandish. Laplanders have the names “savek” (skis lined with leather and wool) and “golyas” (long, unlined). The Finns have several names: giden, suks, liliy, tracing paper, etc. They also have nothing in common with the name in Lithuanian (“luskes”) or in Russian (“skis”).
And no matter where skis in Norway came from the north, east, or even south, or originated there on their own, they are at least a couple of thousand years old.
Skis are even mentioned in Norse mythology. Ulz, god of winter, snow and hunting, appears on skis, well dressed in white, shiny snow with a red face and frost around his lips. In one poem from 980 Odin is also called the god of skis. There is also a ski goddess.
Residents of northern Scandinavia in the 6th century. The Laplanders were called “skridfinner”, that is, “Finns moving on the snow.” The Norwegians generally considered the Laplanders to be primitive skiers. Queen Gungilda, who was raised by two Laplanders (around 920), speaks of them this way: “The Laplanders are such good skiers that neither animals nor people can hide before them.” One collection of Icelandic laws from 1250 states, among other things: “The criminal must be driven as far as a Finnish man can run on skis.” Norwegian history (1200) tells about the Laplanders: “... when they move from place to place, they place smooth wooden branches under their feet, with which they cross mountains and valleys faster than the birds of the air fly.”
The chronicler Saxo (also around 1200) narrates: “The Laplanders run hunting through the mountains covered with snow, on pieces of wood bent in front.” The historian Storm believes that in Norway the use of skis became widespread already in the 10th century. Frequent mentions of skiing in various poems of that time definitely indicate that even then skiing was generally known.
Olaf Trygveson (995-1000) was then the best skier. And ancient folk songs mention medieval ski races. Today's skiers do not want to believe that one skier in the year 1000 rode with two people who stood on the tails of his skis as easily and well as if they were not there. Skis were also used for mail
For some time, the skiing business has been declining in Norway, which was previously the pride of outstanding people. But in subsequent centuries, skis were used almost exclusively for communication between cities and they became necessary again. In 1784, Rev. Smith declared that skiing was indispensable in his parish. In addition, hunters began to use skis, mainly those who caught wild animals with lassos. But skiing as a sport appeared around 1870, and immediately became the national sport of the Norwegians.
Since the beginning of the 18th century. skiing is starting to gain more and more importance again. Around this same time, the first separate ski troops were created. When leaving home, the skiers had: 1 pair of skis with one pole, 1 pair of rough, long stockings, one calfskin backpack. In addition, every five people had a leather fur for food, and every ten had a sled on skis, which they harnessed, and a hand ax. In the barracks, everyone received shoes designed specifically for skiing.
Skiers from the southern part of the region used narrow and long skis made from bark trees, and in the northern mountainous regions - skis made from birch. During severe frosts, yoke skis broke much faster than birch skis. Knitting was made from birch branches cut in July, which were very hardy.
On Sundays there were meetings near churches, where people came from distant outskirts and stayed for four days to make their own skis and look at ski competitions. The competition was limited to driving along the side of the road (maybe with a jump). The races lasted no longer than 15 minutes. These Sunday meetings contributed a lot to the spread of skiing among the people. Using skis eliminated the monotony of winter and maintained courage and good mood. In the battles of 1808, Norwegian skiers distinguished themselves very well, bringing invaluable benefits to their army.
But within a few years after the war, skiing began to fade away again. Military ski departments disappeared completely, and former competitions and awards distribution fell into disrepair. Skiing has only been delayed in some areas. But in 1861, the “Central Society” was founded, which made every effort to revive skiing again, did strong propaganda in the region, and in 1863 sent images with various models of skis everywhere. And there was no need to wait long for the consequences. Already in 1865, skiing was resumed in many places, even where it had been completely forgotten for a long time. In 1866, the first skiers' society was founded. In 1867, the first major competitions took place with the distribution of awards. This was the first time the desire was expressed for skiing to become a Norwegian national sport.
In 1877, prominent people founded the Christian Ski Club. Two years later this club organized the first major competitions, combined with a very rich and interesting ski exhibition. Skiers from the vicinity of Telemarku came to these competitions for the first time. They made a very good impression by skiing the entire length of Norway.
In the 20th century, the active development of skiing continued, and how can one not remember the brave Finnish partisan skiers, who caused a lot of trouble to the Bolshevik occupiers during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1940. And in conclusion - there is snow outside the window, which means stop reading - let's go skiing!
P.S. Ancient chronicles tell: Yes, skiing has become so popular in our time as both a sport and just entertainment that many avid skiers even go to the French and Austrian Alps in the summer (where there is a glacier all year round) to ski. But during such trips it is very important to find suitable accommodation. This is actually not so difficult when rental houses in Europe are at your service (including on the website http://rental-home.ru/), all that remains is to find a house and business that is suitable in price and quality via the Internet in advance made.
Skis- a device for moving a person through the snow. They are two long (150-220 centimeters) wooden or plastic strips with pointed and curved toes. Skis are attached to the feet using bindings; nowadays, special ski boots are required to use skis in most cases. Skis move using their ability to glide over snow.
Story
In the south of the Kola Peninsula, skis of unequal length were used, and they pushed off with a short ski, using one stick for balance, while the ancient inhabitants of Scandinavia moved on skis of the same length. The founder of Norway, the legendary Nor, came to the fjords along a “good ski track”.
Skiing was invented by northern peoples during their migration to areas with cold climates and long winters. To survive, people needed to move through snow, sometimes very deep (more than a meter). Most likely, snowshoes were invented first - devices that increase the area of foot support and thereby prevent falling through the snow. There are known peoples of the north who, at the time of their discovery by researchers, used snowshoes, but did not know about skis. In the process of developing this invention, skis appeared. Judging by archaeological finds, snowshoe skis, which appeared in Altai and in the area of Lake Baikal, were widespread until the 16th century AD. But by this time sliding skis were already used. Bishop Olaf the Great, in his book “History of the Northern Peoples” published in Rome in 1555, described the winter hunting techniques of the Lapps as follows: “Those who ski serve as beaters, those who glide beat deer, wolves and even bears with clubs. , because they are free to catch up with them. Animals cannot run quickly through deep, collapsing snow and, after a tiring and long chase, they become victims of a person who can easily ski.”
The second possible variant of the origin of skis is their origin from sleds. The skis are similar to lightweight sled runners.
Initially, skis were used for their intended purpose - for moving through deep snow in the forest during hunting, military operations in winter conditions, etc. This determined their proportions at that time - they were short (150 cm on average) and wide (15- 20 cm), comfortable for stepping over rather than sliding. Such skis can now be seen in the eastern regions of the Russian Federation, where they are used by fishermen and hunters. Sometimes the skis were lined with kamus (skin from a deer's leg) to make it easier to move up the slope.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, skiing appeared - a form of leisure that involved skiing at speed or for pleasure. Skis with different proportions appeared, more suitable for high-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, ski poles appeared, significantly facilitating and speeding up skiing.
Gradually, skis completely turned into sports equipment and took on a familiar look.
Materials and technologies
Initially, the skis were wooden, made from solid boards and did not shine in appearance. With the beginning of the development of skiing and the technical revolution at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, skis changed. In addition to changing proportions, they began to be made from several parts, machines began to be used for their production, and ski factories appeared. This state of affairs persisted until the advent of plastic materials, or plastic.
Some plastic materials have properties that are useful for skis - they do not get wet, snow does not stick to them, and glide is better. This is how skis with a plastic coating first appeared, then entirely plastic skis.
Currently, the internal structure of skis can be quite complex - the sports and sports equipment industry invests a lot of money in scientific research. Modern skis use various types of plastic, wood, composite materials, and alloys.
Ski waxes are used to care for the sliding surface of skis.
Sliding process and lubrication
The glide of a ski is affected by its elasticity, profile, pattern texture, temperature and humidity of the snow, the shape of ice crystals, and the properties of the snow surface. The sliding friction coefficient of polyethylene pressed onto the base of the ski on snow is in the range of 0.02-0.05. A textured pattern is formed on the sliding surface, the roughness of which is generally designed by the manufacturer for certain weather conditions. In frosty weather, the sanding on the ski is the finest, while on a wet track it is the roughest. The task is to obtain a thin, about 10 microns, film of water between the surface of the ski and the snow, which under normal conditions is a decisive factor. By grinding the surface, you can change the contact zone between the snow and the ski within 5-15%, which, in turn, affects the thickness of the water film.
Although the plastic used for skis already glides on snow incomparably better than wood, with the help of lubricant this property can be significantly improved. According to the manufacturer (CPS Austria Group), the surface of one ski absorbs (dissolves in the amorphous structure of UHMW-PE and filler) about a gram of sliding lubricant at 110 ° C. There are dozens of ointments from different manufacturers. In polyethylene, the surface tension has a coefficient of approximately 0.032 Nm, in ordinary paraffin ointments it is 0.029 Nm, in ointments with fluoride additives even 0.017 Nm - these additives improve gliding on a wet ski track by repelling water, or reducing the so-called capillary suction with a very thick water layer. The best ski glide is at a few degrees below zero (0-4 °C). Sliding under these conditions is more hydrodynamics than friction. The texture pattern has analogues in living nature - the mako shark is capable of ruffling its scales before attacking, creating turbulence on the surface of its body. True, this effect is noticeable at a fairly high speed of the skier, more than 20 km/h, and gives an increase of 1-2 km/h. With further cooling, the slip uniformly decreases - the water layer providing the slip is reduced. Finally, when the temperature drops below −15 °C, this film does not appear at all, and with further cooling, the friction between two solid surfaces increases more sharply, but evenly, due to an increase in the hardness of the snow crystals. The choice of sliding ointment becomes somewhat simpler - it should be harder than snow.
Applying lubricant is a process in which amateurs in everyday life should not blindly follow the recommendations on the packaging. For example, applying ointment with an iron and scraping is justified if the lubricant is sufficiently refractory and cannot be rubbed with rubbing. The advice is to rub with brushes until the texture pattern is “opened” - more of a marketing ploy by the manufacturer, designed to increase sales - this will remove up to 99% of the ointment; the amount remaining on the ski is enough for 5-15 km. Although the result is noticeable immediately, it is only at very high speeds, which is more important for professionals, and this effect is completely absent in severe frost. In addition, professionals choose a texture pattern and type of plastic (dozens of options) for specific weather conditions (and sometimes they make mistakes). Without rubbing with brushes, snow will do the same job after a couple of kilometers.
A simple way to evaluate the quality of gliding is to slide down a known hill without pushing off. The distance to which the skis will travel is an objective indicator of the suitability of the lubricant and the method of its application for a particular weather.
Skiing
Ski bindings - these specific bindings completely fix the boot relative to the ski, which is necessary for control at high speeds developed by athletes when descending from the mountains. A characteristic feature of these fastenings is the ability to release the boot under critical loads in order to protect a person from serious injuries and fractures.
In addition to these main varieties, there are rare variants:
- Telemark ski bindings - similar to alpine ski bindings, have specific properties necessary for telemark skiing.
- Skitour bindings are an intermediate option between rigid and alpine ski bindings; they allow you to move comfortably on the plain, while the boot is attached to the ski only with the toe, and also provide the ability to fix the heel for the ski slope. They have the ability to release the boot under critical loads, just like alpine ski boots.
- Jumping bindings are a modification of bindings for jumping sports.
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.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian skiers held 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, plastic skis began to be produced. They quickly replaced 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 cross-country skiing, biathlon, and alpine skiing. Various ski disciplines are included in the Winter Olympics program.
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