The Culture and Sport of Skiing: From Antiquity to World War ll

contents

contents List of Illustrations ix Preface xi Introduction 1 chapter 1. archeology and myth 7 Bog Finds and Rock Art 8 Tales from the Sagas 14 Linguistics 17 chapter 2. skis for a purpose 22 The Wooden-Board People of Asia 23 The Outlandish North, c. 500–1650 24 Defense and Competition, 1650–1826 30 Enlightened Europe Marvels at Skiing 33 Skiing in Isolation: Bloke 34 chapter 3. the norwegian thrust 36 Old Skis in a Modernizing World 36 The Norwegian Case 39 Norwegian Skiing Spreads South 42 Sport for Health 49 Creating Nationalism: The Land of Eternal Snow 50 chapter 4. fridtjof nansen 56 Across Greenland in 1888 58 Farthest North 61 Europe Catches Nansen Fever 64 Norwegians Abroad 67 chapter 5. creating the skisport 70 Exhibitions 70 Manufacturing, Improving, and Distributing Equipment 72 Winter Stations: Comfort First 76 Chamonix–Mont Blanc 78 Wooing a Clientele, 1900–1914 80 The Mechanics of Tourism 84 Skisport Made Easy 88 chapter 6. the english play 90 The Elite and Their Clubs 91 Mountaineering and Ski Mountaineering 95 Inventing Downhill and Slalom 99 chapter 7. the french worry 107 The Health of the Nation 108 French Alpine Club in Charge 111 The Military’s Show 114 chapter 8. the germans and austrians organize 122 The Military Takes Up Skiing 122 Instruction, Civil and Military 124 Earliest Alpine Ski Technicians: Zdarsky and Bilgeri 126 Club Skiing 129 Children on Skis 130 Spreading the Word 133 Growth of Skiing 134 Skiing in Eastern Europe 136 chapter 9. the ladies ski 140 Wealth, Health, and Mores 141 On Corsets and Trousers 144 Entertainment or Competition? 148 chapter 10. the great war 153 Preparing for War 153 The Reality of Combat 157 chapter 11. uneasy peace—les années folles 164 Concerns of the French 165 Swiss Efficiency 169 The New Woman on Skis 176 chapter 12. the winter olympic games of chamonix, st. moritz, lake placid 181 Holmenkollen and Nordiska Spelen 182 Controlling the Skisport 185 Confronting Problems: Amateurs, Alpine Skiing, and Norwegians 190 Lake Placid 1932 195 chapter 13. europeans abroad in the east 198 China: No Converts Here 199 Japan Follows Europe’s Lead 201 Rustic Ski Life in New Zealand 206 Australia: Above Worry Level 208 Recreating Mürren in India 212 chapter 14. europeans abroad in the americas 216 U.S.A. 216 Gold Rush Skiers 217 Midwestern Immigrants: Beating the Record 218 New England College Men Catch On 222 Alpine Ski Fever 224 “Bend ze Kneez” 226 Mechanization for a New Clientele 227 The Lure of the West 230 Canada 233 Eastern Skiing Mechanizes 235 South America 237 chapter 15. skiing under siege 241 Mussolini Infiltrates Sports 243 Anti-Semitism in Austria and Germany 245 The “Crusade for the Ski” in France 247 Up-Ski Revolution 253 Nazi Politics and Nazi Olympics 254 chapter 16. the schneider phenomenon 260 Inventing the Arlberg Technique 261 Schneider and Fanck: The Wonders of Skiing 262 Skimeister to the World 264 Political Disruptions on the Race Course 266 Anschluss 268 The American Connection 271 chapter 17. the russo-finnish war 275 Before the War 275 Soviet Invasion 275 Epilogue 283 Notes 293 Bibliographic Note on Selected Archives 373 Index 377 ...