Skiing - A History I ARTE Documentary

WATCH: Big Wave Surfing in Portugal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8XR9TMns_M Skiing, a popular winter sport for Europe’s middle-classes, is much older than many people think: Remains of wooden skis have been found in Scandinavia dating back thousands of years. Skiing began as a means of survival in prehistoric times, only becoming synonymous with glamour and leisure in the modern era. Two wooden planks covered with reindeer skin: even today, Mongolian nomads carry on the customs of their ancestors, who were among the first to put on skis more than 10,000 years ago. Skiing is therefore not a recent invention - man having always needed to move on the snow to hunt - but its development dates from the first crossing of Greenland by the Norwegian Nansen, in 1888. In the wake of this extreme adventurer, the French alpine hunters popularised these funny skates attached to feet. Skiing, the intoxicating pleasure of sliding and speeding, soon became fashionable. Women transformed it into an act of emancipation, in particular by wearing trousers, which were more suited to the practice. Later, during the 1936 Olympics, the Nazis were instrumental in the victories of their athletes, and made skis an essential equipment for war. During the post-war boom, snow holidays, which have become a mass leisure activity, changed the face of mountains and their inhabitants ... Since the beginning of the 20th century, skiing has been synonymous with new territories to be conquered, whether natural, technical or commercial. The resorts that appeared in the high mountains, like Avoriaz, or the rise of free-style suggest a perpetual present. However, global warming is melting the snow and threatening its future ... Lined with archives and surprising anecdotes, this documentary gives voice to sport historians, journalists and champions, also evoking the evolution of our society towards "all-leisure" and the frantic search for thrills. Available until the 278/03/2021 ARTE Documentary is here to tell you more about what’s going on in the world of culture and current affairs with powerful, refreshing and entertaining docs subtitled in English for our international fans. Discover a whole world on #ARTEdocumentary​ 💡 Want more from ARTE? Watch more of our programmes on ARTE.tv: ARTE in English 👉 https://www.arte.tv/en/ Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVogAsASqbceBmQMi1WA39g You can also find us on: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ARTE.tv Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARTEen #Skiing #History #ARTEdocumentary


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