Not surprisingly, it was the Norwegians, both in Scandinavia and in their new homes in North America, who first practiced the sport of skiing. Although competitive skiing began in Norwegian military units in 1767, the first open races for civilians took place at Tromstoy in 1843. Despite growing interest, however, skiing was not considered a sport suitable for the average person. Within two decades Sondre Norheim and fellow skiers from Telemark, Norway would ultimately change this perception.

^ Schematic for early skis. Illustration courtesy of 900 Years of Skis.

Turning to Telemark
In the mid-19th century the predecessor of the modern downhill ski made its debut in Telemark, Norway. Unlike many other styles, the Telemark ski, so named for the city of its origin, was long and thin and it possessed sidecuts which meant that the ski’s tip and tail were broader than its waist. This design gave the ski the ability to turn when it was set on edge.

Just as significant was its new binding, invented by Telemark’s Sondre Norheim. Instead of the old leather toe strap, Norheim crafted a binding out of twisted roots that formed a loop around the heel of the boot providing the skier with unprecedented control.

By the late 19th century, the Telemark ski had become the standard for the growing ski industry. Primarily hand manufactured by individual craftsmen throughout Telemark and Scandinavia, the Telemark ski was anywhere from six and a half feet to eight feet long. It was three and a half inches wide at the bend tapering to two and three quarter inches at the toe-strap hole, then widening again to three inches at the rear. In some regions, the right and left skis were made symmetrically different and the skis of a pair were nailed together during construction. These skis can be recognized by the holes that are still present at the tips and tails. (Not to be confused with the holes present at the tips of 10th mountain issue skis. These skis were designed to double as tent poles or sled runners.)

Compared to the earlier Nordic skis which were wide and awkward, the Telemark was lean and graceful. It possessed gently curved sides for better control and turning ability, a narrow waist and a symmetrically cambered middle to evenly distribute the weight of the skier, and a flared tip and tail to cut a smooth path through the snow. The cambered sides also permitted better steering on downhill runs. In fact, the curved sides of the Telemark ski increased turning efficiency to such an extent that the two turns developed following its introduction, the Telemark turn and the stem-Christiania turn, became the foundations of two very popular skiing styles and the main instigators in an international war of ski techniques!

Just as important as the basic design of the ski was the wood used in its construction. Henry Hoek, an expert in telemark ski design during the period of its introduction and author of the 1910 publication, How To Ski, gives this brief description of the ideal types of wood to be used in construction along with the ideal shape the wood should assume:

“The choice of wood must be limited to ash and hickory. It should be thoroughly seasoned, but not brittle. The grain must run parallel to the length of the ski, and cross grain either way should be rejected. As a rule, the length of the ski should be such that when standing on its end the point can be touched with the fingertips. The upward curve of the points and the upward arching of the middle of the ski should never be exaggerated, and what is even of more vital importance, the upward curve of its points should never be abrupt.”

Although the best Telemark skis were made from compressed pine, early hand crafters used everything from oak to ash depending upon availability. The first hickory skis appeared in 1882. Eventually hickory would come to dominate the wood ski industry. Interestingly, for Europeans, this preference for hickory would lead to a reversal in exports. Hickory trees, once native only to Europe, disappeared from the continent altogether and had to be secured from the United States where they had been introduced earlier in the 18th century.20 This reversal probably explains why many Norwegian ski manufacturers chose to locate their factories in the United States.

When skiing grew more popular following the introduction of the Telemark ski, it became impossible for hand crafters to produce skis fast enough to meet the growing demand. This left factories to assume the responsibility.

The first ski factory in Europe was established in Norway in 1886. Gunerious Schou, a carriage maker from Lillestrom, brought a thousand pairs of machine manufactured skis to Christiania to sell to the growing number of ski enthusiasts. Schou was so impressed with the market that he decided to move to Christiania and set up a permanent shop.

Rustad of Faberg, another well known hand ski crafter in Norway, decided to convert his ski shop to machinery that same year. By 1910 factories from Germany to the United States were producing several variations of the Telemark ski. The Telemark continued to illustrate the standard in ski design until the mid 1930s when Swiss designers began to develop more specialized models for slalom racing.

Martin A. Strand, the company’s founder, began manufacturing skis believing he could capitalize on the new ski clubs that were beginning to form in Red Wing, Minnesota and Ishpenming, Michigan. He modeled his skis after the popular Norwegian Telemark ski as did most ski manufacturing companies of the period. Strand’s skis were carved from a single piece of wood and had wooden edges and bottoms that required wax to prevent snow from sticking. Later models included skis specifically designed for jumping and cross-country racing.

The success of the Strand Ski Company established St. Paul as the center for American ski manufacturing, a reputation that was enhanced by the arrival of the Northland Ski Manufacturing Company, Gregg Ski Manufacturing Company, and much later, Hart metal skis.

Northland Ski Manufacturing Company, formerly C.A. Lund Company of Hastings, Minnesota founded by Norwegian born C.A. Lund, began producing skis, toboggans, snowshoes and hockey sticks shortly after Lund’s arrival from Norway. Lund’s skis soon gained a widespread reputation for unsurpassed quality making Northland the largest manufacturer of skis in the world. The Strand factory later moved to New Richmond, Wisconsin.

Further west, pioneer ski manufacturing companies included Anderson & Thompson Incorporated located in Seattle, Washington and the Groswold Ski Company of Denver, Colorado, founded by the Norwegian born champion ski jumper, Thor Groswold in 1932.

^ Photo courtesy of A Pictorial History of Downhill Skiing.	^ The Groswold factory, 1925.