Ski Equipment History
Our Histories encompass speed-skiing records since the mid-1800s to 2000, plus a century-and-a-half Timeline of Important Ski History Dates. As a work in progress, the list of ISHA historical resources is constantly growing, as our archive expands and updates. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, let us know by joining ISHA’s Facebook page
Release! History of Safety Bindings
The first “safety” bindings, by Portland skier Hjalmar Hvam, weren’t all that safe. But 50 years ago, Cubco, Miller, Look and Marker began to change skiing’s broken leg image. By Seth Masia (First...
Grip and Glide: A Short History of Ski Wax
From pine pitch to perfluorocarbons, ski waxing has come a long way since the days of Scandinavian ski-sport and Sierra longboard racing. During the Vancouver Olympics in February, skiers contended...
100 Years of Rossignol
Rossignol, the oldest surviving brand name in skiing, can also claim to be the oldest surviving factory in skiing—for now. Ski production began in Voiron in 1907, and lasted 100 years. The company—...
A Glance at Switzerland's Skiing History
Although the spiritual roots of “modern” skiing are found in the 19th century in Norway, it was the British, fascinated by the image of the naturally virtuous mountain folk and the alpine scenery—...
Origin of the Three-Piece Ski Boot
A letter from Sven Coomer Over the past couple of years, with the return to commercial success of “three-piece” or “open-throat” boot designs, popular magazines and newspapers have run a number of...
Buckle boot invention, 1955
At first a gimmicky convenience, the boot buckle took ten years to earn its place among the sport’s enduring inventions. In 1955 a former stunt pilot and Swiss inventor named Hans Martin sold the...