The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
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Like many winter sports, skiing is Nordic in origin. For centuries, it was viewed solely as a means of transportation. With heavy snowfall common in everyday life, it was developed simply to survive.
Originally, skis were made from the sharpened bones of large animals. In Stockholm, Sweden, a 5,000-year-old pair of "bone" skis are on display. Besides everyday use, skis were often used for military purposes. Ski troops took part in the Battle of Oslo in 1200, and Sweden used them in 1521 during conflicts with Denmark. United States ski troops fought in the Alps during World War II.
Skiing as a sport is believed to have begun in the early 1800s. In 1877, the first ski-jumping contests were held in Norway. In 1860, Norwegian Sondre Nordheim invented a swifter ski by bending up the front end. An Austrian inventor named Mathias Zdarsky shortened the skis and equipped them with metal bindings. These bindings, called ski bindings, were a crucial addition to skis.
The purpose of ski bindings is to keep the skier's boot firmly in place so that the ski can be controlled. The earliest bindings were found on prehistoric skis preserved in Scandinavian peat bogs and were simply leather straps. By the early 1900s, standard bindings consisted of two upright toe irons linked by a leather strap and a loop of spring cable clipped to the ski in front of the toe.
However, these bindings were not too efficient, as they jammed easily in the snow. Modern bindings are of the "step-in" type. The toe of the boot is inserted under the flange of the toe-piece and the heel lowered on the bottom flange of the heel-piece. The binding clicks firmly shut, and the snugness helps many skiers.