Summer is just around the corner, and elite skiers are soon kicking off their high-volume training in preparation for next season’s Olympics or the upcoming Ski Classics challenges. Recreational skiers are following suit, hoping that the coming winter will bring better snow conditions. Right now, as the summer training season begins, it’s an excellent time to pause and look back at our history— how did this beloved sport of ours begin, and what is skiing really all about?

The history of cross-country skiing is colorful. Stretching back thousands of years to when it was simply a way to move through snowy landscapes. From those early days, it has evolved into an international competitive sport with World Cups, major championships, and long-distance races. In this article, we’ll take a brief look at the history of skiing and some of its brightest stars.

Skiing – From Mode of Transportation to Sport

Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where one moves across snowy terrain, either on prepared tracks or through untouched snow, without external assistance. Although that seems obvious to us today, the roots of the sport stretch back thousands of years. The word ski comes from Old Norse, skíð, meaning a piece of wood or stick.

The oldest known skis date back around 6,000 years and were found in the regions of Fennoscandia and Russia. The Sámi people were skiing as early as the Stone Age. Evidence of ski-like movement has also been found in China dating to around 600 BCE.

Early skiers used asymmetrical skis — a shorter kick ski (andor) and a longer glide ski (langski) — and often carried only a single long spear or pole.

The Birth and Development of Competitive Skiing

Norway’s military ski troops organized competitions as early as the 18th century, but the first recorded public ski race took place in Tromsø in 1843. This event sparked the development of competitive skiing.

The first official World Championships for men were held in 1925, and for women in 1954. Cross-country skiing was included from the very first Winter Olympics in 1924.

Race distances have changed over time, and the latest development has been the standardization of distances for men and women at major championships, contested using two different skiing techniques.

Technological Development and the Skating Revolution

The skating technique was first seen in a ski race in 1931 by Johan Grøttumsbråten. It spread initially in ski orienteering during the 1960s and fully emerged in the 1980s when athletes like Bill Koch (USA), Ove Aunli (NOR), and Pauli Siitonen (FIN) started using it prominently. The late Siitonen was a pioneer of the technique in long-distance skiing.

At the 1985 World Championships in Seefeld, Kari Härkönen won the world title using the skating technique. A year earlier, at the Sarajevo Olympics, the one-skate technique was already widely used.

Legendary Skiers Over the Years

The sport’s history is filled with names that have left a lasting impact. Some of them include:

• Siiri Rantanen – Triple Olympic medalist, a pioneer of women’s skiing in Finland.
• Veikko Hakulinen – Olympic champion and three-time world champion whose legacy lives on in Finnish ski culture.
• Gunde Svan (SWE) – Multiple Olympic and World Championship gold medalist, one of the dominant figures of the 1980s.
• Bjørn Dæhlie (NOR) – The most successful male skier of all time before Klæbo. With 12 Olympic and 17 World Championship medals.
• Marit Bjørgen (NOR) – The most successful female athlete in Winter Olympics history (15 Olympic medals). She dominated women’s skiing in the 2000s and 2010s.
• Thomas Wassberg and Torgny Mogren (SWE) – Cornerstones of Swedish skiing.
• Virpi Sarasvuo and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen – Brought Finnish women’s skiing back to the international top in the 2000s.
• Petter Northug (NOR) – Known for his powerful finishing sprints and unique racing style, winning multiple World and Olympic golds.

Today’s Stars

Today, a new generation of stars dominates the ski world, continuing to leave their mark just like the legends before them:

• Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR) – The undisputed sprint king and multiple Olympic and World Champion, uniquely combining speed and technical prowess. He won every event at this year’s Trondheim World Championships.
• Therese Johaug (NOR) – After returning from a suspension, she won almost everything before retiring in 2022. This winter, she returned and won three silvers and one bronze at the Trondheim World Championships.
• Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson (SWE) – Sweden’s new star duo. They are constantly on the World Cup and World Championship podiums, both winning world titles this winter.
• Iivo Niskanen (FIN) – Finland’s skiing star, a three-time Olympic champion, world champion, and master of the classic technique.
• Simen Hegstad Krüger, Pål Golberg (who retired this winter), and Harald Østberg Amundsen – Norwegian top skiers consistently competing for top spots in the World Cup and major championships.
• Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski – Finnish women’s stars who have firmly established themselves at the top of world skiing for years, strongly advancing Finnish women’s skiing.

Also Read: Developing Lower Limb Skills And Power Output – See Training Tips For Skiers 

Double Poling, Mass Ski Races, and Ski Classics

Double poling has emerged as the dominant technique in the Ski Classics series. Originally a component of classic skiing, it has developed into a standalone technique, especially in long-distance races where speed and flat courses favor it.

Mass-start races like the Vasaloppet (since 1922) and Tervahiihto (since 1889) have inspired countless similar events worldwide. Founded in 2011, Ski Classics has made long-distance skiing into a truly international and commercially significant series, widely followed in the media.

In the 2024-2025 season, the series expanded even further. The Ski Classics brand is now global, not only thanks to the Pro Tour but also through dozens of Ski Classics Challengers races and roller ski events worldwide.

Skiing has come a long way over millennia — from a means of transportation for Arctic hunters to an Olympic sport combining history, technology, strength, and endurance. It has become a popular competitive form, especially in the Nordic countries, with its stars celebrated as national heroes inspiring new generations. Despite major challenges ahead — such as climate change, increasing competition from other sports, and shifting leisure habits — skiing will likely remain, for many, a pure source of joy and a way of life, a winding trail through the forest where the heart pounds, breath steams in the air — and the mind finds peace.

This article was originally published by Maastohiito.com