Nordic skiing

Origins

Main article: History of skiing

Recreational skiing began with organized skiing exercises and races of the Norwegian and Swedish infantries. Military races and exercises included downhill in rough terrain, target practice while skiing downhill, and 3 km cross-country skiing with full military backpack. Slalom (Norwegian: slalåm) is a word of Norwegian origin that has entered the international skiing vocabulary. In the 1800s skiers in Telemark challenged each other on "wild slopes" (ville låmir), more gentle slopes had the adjective "sla". Some races were on "bumpy courses" (kneikelåm) and sometimes included "steep jumps" (sprøytehopp) for difficulty. These 19th century races in Telemark ran along particularly difficult trails usually from a steep mountain, along timber-slides and ended with a sharp turn ("Telemark turn") on a field or icy lake.

Classic skiing

Classic skiing was the first type of skiing used. Classic skis use grips on the bottom of the ski for the skier to kick off of. This technique is considered slower than skate skiing.

Skate skiing

Main article: Skate skiing

Skate skiing is a type of skiing where the skier pushes off the ground with their foot to gain speed. This technique was developed in the mid-1980s and since 1985 many races had different races for classic skiing and skate skiing due to the speed of skate skiing. Skate skiing uses many techniques for different terrains.

Venues

Noted Nordic skiing resorts around the world include the following:

North America

• Maple Leaf Trail, a 128-kilometer trail system between Ste. Agathe and Shawbridge in the Canadian Laurentian Mountains
• Catamount Trail that spans the length of Vermont
• Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort near Donner Pass in California
• Jackrabbit Ski Trail in the Adirondack Mountains of New York
• Devils Thumb Ranch offers cross-country and alpine skiing in Colorado.
• The Maine Huts and Trails system offers 50 mi of groomed terrain among the high peaks of Maine.
• Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, is named after the family of Maria Von Trapp and offers 62 mi of groomed terrain.
• Ammassalik Island is an island in East Greenland that offers opportunities for guided back-country ski-touring.

Europe

• The Peer Gynt Trail in Norway extends 82 km via the Jotunheimen, Rondane and Dovrefjell national parks, a journey of about seven days with hostels along the way.
• The Cirque du Gavarnie, is a cirque in the central Pyrenees, in Southwestern France, offers a limited, but scenic set of Nordic trails.
• The Ylläs Ski Resort in Finland provides 330 km of trails, 38 km of which are illuminated.
• Mattila holiday village in Finnskogen northwest of Torsby in Värmland provides up to 170 km of trails. Some trails extend all the way into Norway.

Skier and Denali (8640710031).jpg|Wilderness cross-country skiing in Alaska. SFC Vikersund 2012 Jurij Tepes sunday.jpg|Jurij Tepeš during team competition of FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2012 in Vikersund, Norway. Telemark competition gate.png|Telemark skiing competition

References

References

1. Bergsland, Einar (1946): ''På ski.'' Oslo: Aschehoug.
2. Bø, Olav (1993). ''Skiing throughout history.'' Oslo: Samlaget. {{ISBN. 8252138853.
3. Rizzo, Cailey. (August 23, 2018). "8 Dazzling Destinations For a Cross-country Skiing Trip This Winter".
4. Lounder, Janet. (January 1985). "Backpacker". Active Interest Media, Inc..
5. Brown, Phil. (1999-04-25). "Longstreet Highroad Guide to the New York Adirondacks". Taylor Trade Publications.
6. (2015-09-26). "Skiing at Maine Huts & Trails".
7. "Ski Norway - The Peer Gynt Trail - self-guided".
8. . (n.d.). ["Milslånga skidspår i vacker miljö"](https://mattila.se/uppleva-gora/langdskidor/). *Mattila Fritid AB*.
9. . (n.d.). ["Cross-country skiing in Sweden"](https://visitsweden.com/what-to-do/nature-outdoors/winter-activities/cross-country-skiing-sweden/). *V.S. VisitSweden AB*.