When was skiing first invented? When did alpine bindings replace telemark? When was snowboarding first allowed in resorts, and how did it change the game for alpine skiing?

In this lecture we will cover a brief history of all snowsports – from its roots in telemark, through the improvements brought by alpine, to the innovation driven by snowboarding.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

– Trace the origins of sliding on snow – Describe where skiing began and why the free heel came first, placing telemark at the start of the story rather than as a modern niche.

– Explain the shift to alpine – Identify what changed when fixed-heel bindings arrived, and what that allowed skiers to do that they could not do before.

– Place snowboarding in the timeline – Say when snowboarding gained access to resorts, and describe the resistance it met on the way.

– Connect innovation across the disciplines – Explain how developments in one discipline drove change in the others, including how snowboarding influenced alpine equipment and technique.

– Use the history in your teaching – Draw on a moment from the story to give a guest context for the equipment they are standing on and the sport they are learning.

Delivered as a lecture. Open to all disciplines and certification levels. Earns continuing education credit (CEUs).