I'm a history buff, and as I totally bit it on the slopes of Deer Valley yesterday, I was moved to wonder "hey how long has downhill skiing been around?" Turns out people in northern Europe were
using skis -- probably for "cross-country" travel -- as early as 5,000 years ago. Modern downhill (Alpine) skiing was invented in the first half of the 19th century by Austrian enthusiasts, as part of
the Romantic back-to-nature movement. The first downhill ski race was held in 1850 near Oslo, Norway.
