Image courtesy of aboutskischools.com History Dating back to 3000 B.C., skiing was used as a means of transportation by the Vikings and has since changed to a form of recreation.  In the 1850s, Sondre Norheim invented the first heel-strap bindings.  He was an avid freestyle skier and promoted the downhill maneuver of zigzagging.  His invention allowed skiers to ski downhill as fast as possible.  A skier who heads straight down a 30-degree slope can reach 150 miles per hour, but traversing back and forth across the slope keeps one’s momentum in check.

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