Author Thor Gotaas has written a wonderful book about the history of Norwegian Cross-Country skiing from its modest start through today’s modern sport. Langrenn.com and Fasterskier.com have gotten permission to write excerpts (and translations) from the book.
“Foerst i loypa” (translated: First in the track”) is about Norwegian Cross-Country skiing, full of facts, humor and stories. It starts with the old-fashioned skier working in the woods lumberjacking as training for skiing, and ends with skating, money and doping.
During the World’s first 50 km Cross-Country competition just outside Oslo in 1888, the feed station was a self-service bucket of ice water placed along the tracks in the woods.
Before year 1900, to ensure that the skiers got re-hydrated, the doctors required that they drank several liters of beer immediately after finishing the race. In some places the doctors demanded (and even forced) the skiers to drink alcohol during the race.
Many skiers feared that a body wash would affect their skiing performance. Many avoided cleaning and washing themselves before races in fear of getting sick.
The ski legend Torleif Haug (1894 – 1934) made his own ski wax from boiling bicycle tubes and music (LP) records. He used to listen to the records before he “cooked”. Those he didn’t like he broke and threw into the pan.
Rollerskis were invented around 1930, approximately at the same time in Norway, Germany and Austria.
Look for more “History you didn’t know” tomorrow…
