Book

Huntford, Roland, 1927-

Two planks and a passion : the dramatic history of skiing / Roland Huntford.

London : Continuum, ©2008 (2009 printing)

xiv, 436 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

"Roland Huntford's history of the ski begins 20,000 years ago in the last ice age on the icy tundra of an unformed earth. Man is a travelling animal, and on these icy slopes siding began as a means of survival." "This is the story of how siding evolved into a modern recreation from a prehistoric struggle for survival, Huntford puts the history of skiing into its social and political contexts, illustrating its spread across the globe and importance in all facets of life. It is the first comprehensive history of skiing to make use of original Old Norse and Russian sources, as well as using ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese and Arabic works. Huntford draws on his vast knowledge of Scandinavian history and politics as well as his unique insight into polar exploration to produce the definitive history of the ski."--Jacket.

Skis and skiing -- History.

Skis and skiing -- Social aspects.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Skiing necesse est -- Ski tracks in the Milky Way -- The earliest written sources -- Old Norse sagas and the Finnish national epic, Kalevala -- The first printed sources -- Norway : the cradle of skiing as a sport -- The influence of Rousseau -- The ski in foreign literature -- Evolution of skiing as a sport -- The men of Telemark -- Development of technique and equipment -- The first Nordic marathon -- The conquest of the mountain world -- Fridtjof Nansen and the first crossing of Greenland -- The Nordic Olympia -- The waited Telemark ski -- The rise of ski touring and the misadventures of Roald Amundsen -- As important as the plays of Ibsen -- The spread of skiing on the Continent -- Norwegians bring skiing to Austria-Hungary and Montenegro -- Skiing comes to Switzerland -- Davos : the cradle of the ski resort -- The English skiing at Davos -- Matthias Zdarsky -- St Moritz -- Skiing in France -- Polar exploration -- The inventions that founded modern skiing -- The New World -- The study of snow structure -- The first Winter Olympics at Chamonix -- Mass winter tourism -- The international recognition of downhill skiing -- Skiing mechanized and politicized -- Military skiing -- Skiing since 1945.

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9781441134011

1441134018

1847252362

9781847252364

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