text:
Talk:History of skiing

Cul-de-sac links—2003
The amount of cul-de-sac links should really be cut down

Egil 10:57 Jan 27, 2003 (UTC)

When?—2004
Removed the comments: "When?" after the following as clearly should be in discussion not article:

In Austria centers of skiing activities were Mürzzuschlag and Semmering. When???

In the 19th century the Telemark ski revolutionized alpine skiing, being the first ski with a remarkable waist making it much easier for skiers to turn. When???

Dainamo 18:24, 11 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Deleted the sentence: In Austria centers of skiing activities were Mürzzuschlag and Semmering. and put a sentence concerning the first ski ascent of a significant mountain in the Mürzzuschlag/Semmering region (1891) in the chronological list. Crampon 21:25, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Ancient types of Skis
The terms are propably obsolete of wrong. "West siberian Ugro-Lapp" ski type for example. Which people are "Ugro-Lapp" referring? If this means Lapps (Sami people) used this type, how is this type West Siberian? Lapps are far away from West Siberia. According to modern science it is very questionable to claim even their ancestors are from there. Lapps have been living in Fennoscandia for thousands of years. And if "Ugro" means the (eastern) "ugric" branch of Fenno-Ugric languages, it still makes no sense. None of the Fenno-ugric speakers lives in any part of Siberia. (It is a wider language family, the Uralic languages, who has a group of speakers (Samoyeds) in Siberia.) It makes no sense to claim that a type historically used by people who are not located in Siberia is "west siberian type". 193.65.112.51 16:19, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

 * So are the first indications of the existence of skis 5000 or 8000 years old? Junglehungry (talk) 19:06, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

 * According to the Holmenkollen Ski Museum recent investigations and C14 analyses have pushed the evidence of skis back from 5000 to 8000 BCE, but I have so far only seen their article (in Norwegian) and no primary reference. Gabriel Kielland (talk) 14:59, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

 * Any news on this? The article still contradicts itself! Junglehungry (talk) 23:13, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

Austrian Ski pioneers
The austrian part should be removed and changed simipily to ski proneers. With this done notables from other nationalities could be added.

In late 1939, the USSR invades its small north-eastern neighbor Finland
USSR never invaded Finland, as the their attack was stopped on mentioned time. Also Finland is to Noth-west when looking from Russia (former USSR). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.153.21.120 (talk) 09:08, 18 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Sovjet attacked Finland. After the war Finland had to give up territories to Sovjet, no held by Russia. --Erik den yngre (talk) 14:08, 26 May 2013 (UTC)

Citations needed
Hi, thanks for adding more entries to the timeline. This article already has a "refimprove" on it, but we are seeing the unreferenced content increase rather than decrease. New unreferenced content is being added, much of it statements judgement, which are in particular need of backing up. For example "Salomon releases the Salomon SX91, beginning a decade-long run of rear-entry ski boots being the equipment to beat ... Salomon introduces the first successful Twin-tip ski. This eventually leads to a revival of skiing's popularity in comparison with snowboarding." I take it in good faith that this is all true, but it needs refs. Could the editors who just added this provide some verification? --Cornellier (talk) 22:18, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

Narrative
Now that the timeline has been edited to include mostly just cited information, I propose to convert it from a list of bullet points to a narrative.

Snowshoe race?
Why is there a picture of a snowshoe race flier listed as a ski race? Doesn't seem appropriate.Mrhyak (talk) 15:12, 13 November 2012 (UTC)
 * I did not place that graphic, which is definitely a candidate for deletion, but I believe the idea is that in "ye olden days" the word "snow shoe" was sometimes used to mean "ski". That would have to be cited to make sense, of course. --Cornellier (talk) 16:10, 13 November 2012 (UTC)

China
Sombody deleted this from intro: " Although modern skiing has evolved from beginnings in Scandinavia, it may have been practised as early as 600 BC in Daxing'anling, in what is now China. " That is OK for me, but should the point be reinserted somewhere or is the source not reliable? --Erik den yngre (talk) 08:56, 27 January 2015 (UTC)
 * It should stay with a cleaned-up reference. See also: these images and from Xinhua. User:HopsonRoad 13:44, 27 January 2015 (UTC)

The claim that the Xinjiang rock paintings are 10000 years old are strongly contested. New research published in 2016 suggest that the paintings are most likely 4000-5250 years old MacArthur Jr. (talk) 10:24, 8 July 2018 (UTC) MacArthur Jr.

First "alpine ski club"?
A new claim has been introduced into this article by User:Clarkenorman that Kiandra, Australia was the site of the world's first "alpine ski club." This claim seems to be based primarily on a self-published work, seen at WORLD’S FIRST ALPINE SKI CLUB Second Edition By Norman W Clarke, contrary to WP:Reliable sources. The article contains rebuttals of the earlier edition on the subject by the same author, with counter-rebuttals. Note that the author is probably the same person, who has inserted the material here. The other source, the Historical Dictionary of Skiing, does not mention a ski club in connection with Kiandra. The commented out material is:
 * "Early skiing in Kiandra also featured competition, in fact a type of competition that was far ahead of its time." and "I would like to commend you for having organised the first Alpine ski races in the history of our sport."

Even if the matter were settled and the source was reliable, the claim "alpine" is itself questionable, since the art of skiing had not yet specialized into cross-country and alpine at that point. I have commented out the section making this claim, until other editors can arrive at a consensus. Sincerely, User:HopsonRoad 15:29, 26 December 2015 (UTC)

 * Agree. Alpine skiing became a separate discipline around 1900, so it is a bit odd to denote this an "alpine" ski club. And competitions in Australia may have been "hill races" but certainly not the first. --— Erik Jr. 19:47, 26 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Agree the sources seem inadequate for the claims made. What evidence is there that "the author is probably the same person, who has inserted the material here"? --Cornellier (talk) 19:53, 26 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Cornellier, the username is Clarkenorman, the author's name is Norman W Clarke. User:HopsonRoad 00:55, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

I question the relevance to the fact that I am a self published author and a contributor to these pages. I do not sell my books for profit or costs. “The World’s first Alpine Ski Club” second edition is published and free on the net. Kiandra - Gold fields to Ski Fields was a gift to the Kiandra Ski Club. --Clarkenorman (talk) 09:27, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

 * I believe that the two most authoritative bodies on the history of skiing are:
 * “The Holmenkollen Museum of Norway” and the “Federation of International Skiing” Switzerland.

 * The word “alpine” is only used as a book title to differentiate between – water – mountain or cross country skiing. Example: For the Kiandra Club’s 150th anniversary the “Federation of International Skiing” used the words “Kiandra's inaugural position in alpine skiing in the world.”
 * At the founding of the “Norwegian Holmenkollen Ski Museum” in 1923 it was accepted, then published in numerous editorials, that the first recreational ski club in the world was the “Christiana Ski Club of Norway” formed in 1885.
 * In 1955 the Kiandra Ski Club challenged the Norwegians, claiming a club in or before 1870.
 * In 1972 America claimed an alpine club commencing in January 1861. This drew a response from the Holmenkollen Museum, declaring the existence of a Norwegian club, described as the “Trysil Skytte og Skiloberforning” having been founded with 52 named members, in May of 1861.
 * America withdrew its 1861 claim after the Museum proclaimed that it would only recognize a club providing it could fulfill the three requirements described by leading encyclopaedias and dictionaries.
 * (a) It could name a group of members (a group being more than a pair).
 * (b) The named group could demonstrate organization over a continuing period.
 * (c) The named group could demonstrate participation for a singular common purpose. Example - Skiing.
 * In 2005 the Kiandra club supplied all requirements illustrating it was also formed in the summer of 1860/1861. The museum accepted that Norway and Australia had the world’s first ski clubs formed in the same year.

 * The “Trysil Skytte og Skiloberforning” was later found to be a military shooting and skiing organization which did not ski until 1862.

 * The “Inderøens Skiløberforening” claim should be removed as it does not yet meet these requirements.

 * These facts, letters and complete references to my claims are available free on the internet under “The World’s first Alpine Ski Club” second edition ISBN 9780646588421 --Clarkenorman (talk) 04:45, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

 * I will consult Norwegian sources later. Perhaps there was a skiing club in Kiandra in 1861, but the notion of "alpine" skiing was established around 1900 or later. --— Erik Jr. 10:44, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

Vaage (1952) mentions a Carl Christian Bjerknes that went to dig gold in Australia in 1855 and use skis at Kiandra. Gold miners there had competitions racing downhill in a straihgt line, perhaps aroudn 1860. They did not have proper bindings so could not make turns as in slalom. Norwegian Amundsen was also in Kiandra around 1860 and he had a ski workshop there. In 1901 the Alpine tourist club of NSW made a trip to Kiandra, but this appears to be a mountaineering club, not a skiing club. — Erik Jr. 11:10, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Vaage writes that the bindings used at Kiandra were very simple or basic, only a rope across the toes. The straight line downhill races at Kiandra continued until 1900 when proper bindings were introduced by Borre Winther of Kristiansand, Norway. --— Erik Jr. 15:33, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Molstad (1988) writes that there were ski "carnevals" (shows) in Kiandra from 1860 or 1861, while there were regular XC and jumping compitions from 1878. Jens (James) Olsen from Tjølling, Norway, was the first ski manufacturer in AUstralia, according to Molstad. --— Erik Jr. 15:45, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

Hi User:Clarkenorman and Erik Jr., the issue here is a question of proper sourcing. It appears that Mr. Clarke is new to Wikipedia and may not be familiar with what's considered to be a reliable source in Wikipedia and the principle of exclusion of original research from Wikipedia. Mr. Clarke's work, WORLD’S FIRST ALPINE SKI CLUB Second Edition By Norman W Clarke, is interesting to read, but does not qualify as a reliable source. One could use the material cited within that report, except that it is based on unpublished material and represents original research. I suggest turning to other, published sources to verify the claim and characterize it in a manner that does not constitute promotion of the claim. Sincerely, User:HopsonRoad 15:42, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
 * This works for me, as a reliable source: Sincerely, User:HopsonRoad 17:25, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

Norwegian gold miners founded the Kiandra Snowshoe Club in the early 1860s. The Monaro Mercury 29 July 1861 reported about a downhill show/race at Kiandra, according to Kjærnsli (2000). --— Erik Jr. 18:39, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

 * Vaage (1979) writes that a Kiandra Snow (or Snowshoe) club was founded around 1870, according to Vaage sources are unclear about who founded the club and other details. --— Erik Jr. 20:28, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

 * It is interesting to note that now you are prepared to accept that skiing was  established in Australia in 1861 with the reference: THE LONG RUN: Australia's Storied Ski Heaven. By Ian Lloyd Neubauer dated Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011.

 * This article was accepted as being reliable while only quoting one source kpsc1861.org.au. This is the website of KIANDRA PIONEER SKI CLUB 1861.
 * This club holds the original 2006 letter from the Holmenkollen Museum which confirms that the club was formed in 1861. It also holds the original letter from the President of the Federation of International Skiing.
 * As these letters were loaned to me to publish they must be considered as being reliable.

 * I must take this opportunity  to state that hills or mountains, rope bindings or turning ability, has no bearing on this discussion. --Clarkenorman (talk) 22:07, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Hi User:Clarkenorman, I understand your puzzlement. The discussion is not whether the material that you reported is correct, it's about whether the source used in WP is regarded as reliable, according to the rules, described in Identifying reliable sources. A news source, like TIME, is expected to verify the material that it reports on. There were several news accounts from Australian newspapers, which are not readily available on line, that would have also been regarded as reliable. Sincerely, User:HopsonRoad 00:00, 28 December 2015 (UTC)

From the scholarly sources and the Time article it is not clear to me if the Kiandra skiing club was in fact established in 1861. It is however clear that there were some kind of skiing (downhill) races (for show or for real competition) at Kiandra in 1861, so this fact we can safely add to the article. And it was not an alpine skiing club as the concept did not exist in the 1860s. I think we still need better sources to include the claim that it was the first ever skiing club. --— Erik Jr. 15:39, 28 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Time cited it as, the "world's longest continuously running ski club", which it probably is. Since further description is provided in the link, it doesn't need to be developed in this article's timeline. I suggest that we not make further claims, here. User:HopsonRoad 18:12, 28 December 2015 (UTC)

 * In 2005 the Kiandra club supplied 13 pages of requirements completely illustrating it was formed in the summer of 1860/1861.
 * Copies of these pages were sent by the museum to Professor R. Huntford of Cambridge University, author of “Two Planks and a Passion”, for advice.
 * The museum accepted, with a signed document, that a ski club was formed in 1861 in Australia.

 * The same cannot be said about the Inderøens Skiløberforening claimed to be founded in the Trøndelag region of Norway.
 * This group was in fact 32 young men from the districts of Trøndelag and Inderøy, Norway. They were named, and occupations given, when in 1861 they joined the newly formed Centralforeningen (Central Association). This was basically a voluntary national service club designed to develop the nation’s strengths and abilities in terms of self defense. The main activities were shooting, gymnastics and a variety of sports including skiing.

 * There is no known evidence that this group, claiming to be a ski club, ever met for the sole purposes of skiing activities.

--Clarkenorman (talk) 00:22, 29 December 2015 (UTC)

 * Sources list Inderøens skiløberlag as founded in 1861 or perhaps 1862, and they joined the "Centralforeningen" (now the "conferdation of sports") according to Centralforeningen's records for 1863. The Norwegian word "lag" translates as club or association, and sources refer to Inderøens as "skiklubb".--— Erik Jr. 00:32, 29 December 2015 (UTC)

 * I am very aware of all you have said, it is simply not good enough “1861 or perhaps 1862”for example.
 * Your sources appear to be secondary. Please find from which primary sources these secondary claims originated or follow the example set by the “Holmenkollen Ski Museum” which are:
 * If failing to present original dated club documentation, 1861 competition results, trophies or memorabilia then as previously quoted:
 * (a) name a group of members (a group being more than a pair).
 * (b) The named group must demonstrate organization over a continuing period.
 * (c) The named group could demonstrate participation for a singular common purpose. Example - Skiing.

 * An American club and the Trysil Skytte og Skiloberforning both withdrew their claims, after being unable to meet these reasonable conditions. I believe Wikipedia should consider doing this also.

 * I suggest that the Wikipedia 1861 line should read “The first identifiable ski club was formed in (Country name)”
 * I will not respond quickly so that other readers may voice an opinion". --Clarkenorman (talk) 04:37, 29 December 2015 (UTC)

 * Wikipedia should only quote information from reliable sources, we dont analyze information from sources to reach conclusions - that would be original research per synthesis. WP does not analyze or collect original source materials such as archival records or interviews. We used published materials such as books or newspaper reports. --— Erik Jr. 10:04, 29 December 2015 (UTC)

 * Then tell me why WP does not accept published newsflashes from leading Ski authorities such as the FIS. It is becoming obvious that WP only accepts material that suits some. I am an author of six publications and I quote from primary sources not secondary material. Time magazine quoted many sections from my publications which are based only on fact. That is probably why they used KPSC as a source. I am the historian for that club.

 * The Kiandra Club remains the world's first in the world until other claims are based on primary evidence. The original 1861 line should not have been removed. --Clarkenorman (talk) 20:31, 29 December 2015 (UTC)

 * A source in WP is perhaps not the same as a source for a historian. Original material such as archives and interviews are not acceptable sources at WP. All material in WP must be verifiable by users. --— Erik Jr. 22:36, 29 December 2015 (UTC)

Questionable source
I can't find: Saur, Lasse (1999): Norske ski - til glede og besvær. Research report, Høgskolen i Finnmark. Can anyone provide a link to it for other editors to inspect? It is used as a citation several times in this article, yet is hard to verify without the ability to inspect it. Sincerely, User:HopsonRoad 15:45, 26 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Reliable even if not online. Available in Norway http://www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/a56196fbc94425a5d1935e06ddd53b46?index=1#0 --— Erik Jr. 19:42, 26 December 2015 (UTC)
 * I have access to more scholarly sources on the topic, will inspect later to verify Saur's claim. Please remind me later. --— Erik Jr. 19:54, 26 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Erik Jr.: Unfortunately, I can't see the source material at the link that you provided. Can you possibly send me a PDF to (deleted)@gmail.com? It's not just whether it's reliable, it's whether it's verifiable by another English-speaking editor. User:HopsonRoad 00:59, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Sorry, it is online at the national library only, not available as a PDF. --— Erik Jr. 10:38, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

"Birkebeiner" - movie
A new movie tried to recreate skiing 12th century style, trailer for those interested in the history of skiing. Not intended as commercial. --— Erik Jr. 16:31, 13 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Interesting, but not very authentic-looking skis. They look distinctly modern with camber, side-cut and plastic bases. Exciting action, though! I haven't seen a good ski chase, since James Bond. User:HopsonRoad 03:51, 14 February 2016 (UTC)
 * I am not sure how authentic, there has been some criticisme from historians that the producer has taken some liberties with historical facts. I have too read up and see what kind of skis the Vikings actually used. I can also recommend Heros of Telemark for some good skiing action. --— Erik Jr. 10:36, 14 February 2016 (UTC)
 * At least, they were using a single pole. User:HopsonRoad 15:10, 14 February 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 4 external links on History of skiing. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110904022543/http://www.skinansen.com/history.html to http://www.skinansen.com/history.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20131216184600/http://www.francetoday.com/articles/2010/12/31/top_secret_slopes.html to http://www.francetoday.com/articles/2010/12/31/top_secret_slopes.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20121204193649/http://history.fis-ski.com/ to http://history.fis-ski.com/
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20150906104003/http://www.rottefella.no/en/Our-history/ to http://www.rottefella.no/en/Our-history/

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 05:31, 5 November 2017 (UTC)

Over-populated gallery section

The Gallery section has a large collection of images, many of them redundant, some uncaptioned. I propose to prune most of those images, leaving only those that show a notable phase in history, not already illustrated above. I have tagged it, accordingly.

WP:GALLERY says on this topic:

 * Just as we seek to ensure that the prose of an article is clear, precise and engaging, galleries should be similarly well-crafted. Gallery images must collectively add to the reader's understanding of the subject without causing  unbalance  to the article while avoiding similar or repetitive images unless a point of contrast or comparison is being made. Images should be captioned to explain their relevance to the article subject and to the theme of the gallery, and the gallery itself should be appropriately titled (unless its theme is clear from context).  See Women's suffrage in New Zealand for an example of a good use of gallery.

Cheers, HopsonRoad (talk) 14:57, 28 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Agree, go ahead! The 18th century image can be dropped. We should keep at least one (historical) image of Sami people skiing. --— Erik Jr. 17:16, 28 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your work on this article and checking in here, Erik Jr.
 * I suggest that we include only images that accurately depict skiing at certain periods in chronological order, not images depicting the type of skiing at the time a painting was made, projected back on historical characters, e.g. "Knud Bergslien's Birkebeiner escaping with the prince child", "The 1903 rendition of medieval Russian soldiers' use of skis to facilitate their movement during winter campaigns, by Sergey Ivanov", and "The Norse goddess Skaði hunts in the mountains on skis in an illustration (1901) by H. L. M."
 * The Sami woman on skis, adapted from Olaus Magnus, 1883, is probably not an accurate depiction. Is the image that you showed above, "Skiing in Scandinavia, 1767" more pertinent than "Depiction of Samis skiing, by John Bauer"?
 * Cheers, HopsonRoad (talk) 03:54, 1 March 2019 (UTC)

Skiing as depicted in art is interesting but not documentary. Bergslien's Birkebeiner painting is romantic and far from realistic I think. Not sure about the 1767 painting, but does not seem fully realistic to me. Perhaps the "Fin paa Ski" is better, although newer. I mentioned Sami because the role of Sami people in developing skiing is often forgotten. — Erik Jr. 09:31, 1 March 2019 (UTC)
 * I added a photo relating to Nansen's "Greenland on skis" expedition, that included two Sami expert skiers. — Erik Jr. 09:55, 1 March 2019 (UTC)
 * I recommend an Asian image, as well from the Nanai people. It illustrates asymmetrical skis. BTW, I prefer the Bauer depiction of Sami skiing for transportation to the "Fin paa Ski" image, which depicts a skier for the entertainment of the postcard recipient. Cheers, HopsonRoad (talk) 14:38, 1 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Would be good to have a photo from Nanai people, the one shown is interesting but unfortunatly low quality photo. — Erik Jr. 16:06, 1 March 2019 (UTC)
 * There's one with better technical quality, poorer composition, but with symmetrical skis. I prefer the closer-in one with the asymmetrical skis. You? Cheers, HopsonRoad (talk) 21:41, 1 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Not very easy to see that skis are asymmetrical, so I am indifferent. Perhaps some photos from Norway with asymmetrical skis? — Erik Jr. 14:50, 2 March 2019 (UTC)

Ancient Ski Hunting

 * I had noticed the article is mostly heavily focused on Scandinavia, which is one of the likely possible origins of skiiing but few mention of Ski Hunting or other possible historic skiing regions. However Tuvan people in the Siberian parts, also had a very rich ancient skiing culture for at least 4 thousand years and used skiing to primarily hunt big game. Even to this day, they still use traditional ski technology to hunt elk as they have done continously for the past millennials. Is it noteworthy to include the ancient ski hunting culture of Tuvan people in the Altai mountains in this article? They have an interesting way to catch elk using skis and been doing that possibly back to 5 thousand years ago. Which looks to have been the early historic human use for skis - (hunting big game). 49.179.85.159 (talk) 01:42, 3 February 2023 (UTC)

Chinese propaganda
I am concerned about the inclusion of CCP propaganda in this article. To call the "evidence" of ancient skiing in China highly questionable would be too generous by half. This propaganda was put out ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics and is not remotely credible. The "cave painting" which is the only evidence ever mentioned about Chinese skiing, does not resemble a depiction of people skiing whatsoever. The best evidence of prehistoric skiing in Asia comes from Siberian peoples such as the Tuvans, who live mostly in Russia, NOT China. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:A871:E043:91FC:C87D (talk) 01:08, 18 February 2023 (UTC)
 * Firstly it's a Cave carving and not a painting. And secondly, those claims existed well before the 2022 Winter Olympics. Nils Larsen’s 2008 film and Mark Jenkins’ National Geographic article in 2012 were already claiming this at least a decade ago and are credible sources. And nobody is saying that Chinese people had ancient skiing. Xinjiang wasn't even part of China in that time era. They were saying Tuvan people living in that specific location of the cave art, that is merely located in Modern China, were early skiers based on the evidence. And if you think the cave art is fake, then do show research and evidence first. But don't just constantly push your pov or your unprofessional opinion without at least showing sources that those cave art is fake or not of skiiers. You sound politically motivated but tell me, does this also look like skiing to you? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_skiing#/media/File%3AAlta_Felszeichnung_Elch_und_Ski_(cropped).jpg ; in my honest opinion, that also barely looks like a skiier however it's not my place to push my pov as I am not an expert. But scholars documented by National Geographic (who have professional editorial oversight) are saying that Tuvan people in the ancient Xinjiang region did ski in the distant past. Wikipedia doesn't take political sides but record what scholars in this Field, are saying. None of them has ever said the Rock art in the Altai mountains is not of skiiers. If you have a real source saying otherwise, show it but don't edit war or give unsourced own opinions.49.180.247.61 (talk) 11:40, 19 February 2023 (UTC)
 * cave carving/painting, don't get snippy and pedantic. It was referred to as a painting in the article, and I had scare quotes around it. The passages I edited were slanted in a way favorable to the propaganda that the CCP put out ahead of the olympics, and I am aware it was based LOOSELY on the archeological finds more than a decade prior. My POINT was that the way it was written was not academic, but political which I took issue with. I do not think the cave art is fake, but it simply does not remotely resemble skiers. here is the ave art in question: https://www.skiinghistory.org/sites/skiinghistory.org/files/screen_shot_2017-06-11_at_10.50.22_pm.png compared to this, the cave art in the link you provided is CLEARLY a skier. Look a the ratio of the length of the "feet" compared to the rest of the body. Further more, the art example you provided clearly shows a classic skiing form of motion. I am NOT politically motivated, I am culturally motivated. I am a Swedish citizen in addition to my American citizenship, skiing is my cultural heritage and I will not tolerate historical revisionism based on an Authoriatarian regime's desperate attempts at legitimacy by stealing the cultural heritage of others, not only mine, but the Tuvan's as well. Modern day China is a society primarily of the Han ethnicity, who in addition to have ZERO ski history, allow their government to exploit and repress other ethic groups in Asia. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:A577:6413:B773:1D87 (talk) 20:15, 20 February 2023 (UTC)
 * Please remember that Wikipedia articles are written from Neutral point of view, based on Reliable sources. No matter what our personal perspective is, it has no place in altering article content. The article passed the test of neutrality and being reliably sourced before this controversy arose. Sincerely, HopsonRoad (talk) 22:53, 20 February 2023 (UTC)
 * I am not just going to take your word and override actual experts because of your politics. Scholars who literally study These ancient rock art for many years, have never claimed it wasn't skiers. They would had said something if it wasn't skiers but haven't. And National Geographic, NYT, etc had referred to them as skiers. Why would they do that? Are they all wrong except for you? But as I understand, your one and only argument is that the picture of the cave art, doesn't depict skiers. Then the basic etiquette for you here, is to show Professional sources that the cave art is not of skiers. That's wiki editing 101. Don't just give me your personal opinion. And you just gave me more political motives and unprofessional speculations but yet still haven't shown any valid proof that the cave art in Xinjiang is not of skiers. And btw there were also a handful (not just one) of similar cave art discovered in that Altai region and some actually looks like obvious skiing in motion to me like this ancient one in Dundebulake River in Altai mountains. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0036/2852/files/Riding-Wood-Sliding-Figure-1---Rock-art-cited-by-Zhaojian-and-Bo-2011-from-Silk-Road-Sports-Catalog-2008-edited-by-Li-Jimmei-and-Li-Zhongshen.jpg?103946  similarly the Knees are shown all visibly bent. All 3 skiers are in the exact same uniform sequence of knee bent and hunched back position going over a slope and giving chase to a herd of Ibex. Even to a casual observer, I can say that's definitely looks like skiiing.

 * Multiple reliable sources don't dispute it and always written it as "cave art that depicts skiers chasing ibexes". I trust their judgement as I think professional scholars would be able to be familiar with the historical art nuances. What is your own background and expertise? Do you have credentials and a published article to dispute it? No. So please show proof (in the form of Legitimate sources) that clearly states the ancient cave art in Altai mountains doesn't depict skiers, otherwise I am not going to reply further if you keep that up as it it's just going to be a circular waste of mine and other's precious time. Like experienced editor Hopson stated above, the article passed "being neutral" and reliably sourced, and understand your own unprofessional personal views have no place here in altering article content. And also what political logic is that? They are "stealing" Tuvan culture? They are literally recognising that it's one of their minorities in far north west, (not their majority) who are early ski pioneers. Historians are divided on who the earliest people to ski really is, but it's not up to you to say a number of historians are wrong just because of your political leanings. I am certainly not going to claim as a fact who was the first when I am aware that historians are still divided and that should be expressed in Wikipedia.

 * The origins of skiing are disputed. Research of ancient skiing methods is not highly funded. But anthropologists and ski-history buffs debate two main origins: Scandinavia, where the oldest preserved skis are found, and the Altaic area. Of late,a consensus has been forming among scholars and ski enthusiasts that it was the Altaic area. Civilization developed earlier there. Altaic peoples may have brought skis to Sweden or Norway. Or the common-sense concept of skiing may have arisen independently in each place.

 * And also I was (49.180.247.61) but like you, my IP address changes automatically by itself but my geolocation is always the same.
 * 49.179.24.226 (talk) 06:41, 21 February 2023 (UTC)
 * do you consider Shopify a credible source? more than SkiingHistory.org? I think that says it all. I don't consider your response to my objections good faith or exhibiting any understanding of standards of evidence and responsible rhetoric around dubious claims. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC6D:63B0:4443:DD2A (talk) 06:01, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

 * And my feelings are honestly the same for you. I already provided multiple reliable sources that supports what I say, . Whereas you haven't but given me (just your personal views and original research) and then a large pile of ad hominen attacks when I asked you to provide at least one reliable source to support you. Which is not unreasonable. You don't seem to realise that virtually every reliable source like NYT, national geographic, etc have all unanimously referred to those cave art frequently as depicting skiers chasing Wild Game and it does look like skiing to me. Are they not reliable sources or just whatever you claim? Even your cited SkiingHistory.org strongly contradict your claim that it looks nothing like skiing. And also you haven't provided a single reliable source stating that the cave art doesn't depict skiers. The Altai mountains in Xinjiang might actually be the first place where skiing was done. Yet you are clearly motivated to mass delete that. You only want the Norwegian claim to stay undisputed despite the fact that many historians are indeed arguing there's evidence to state birthplace of first skiing, was not Scandinavia but more to the east in Altai mountains.49.181.232.109 (talk) 08:54, 1 March 2023 (UTC)
 * once again, you prove you have no idea how evidence works. I don't have to prove the Altai cave art "doesn't depict skiers" how would that work? going back in time and asking the artist? the burden of proof is on those who make a positive claim, and that is far from settled. NYT, Nat Geo and others HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THE IMAGES ARE SKIIERS, ONLY THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAVE CLAIMED IT DOES. the NYT times article quoting him even directly rebuts your argument and reads
 * "The International Ski Federation, the sport’s major governing body, has declared a ski found in a Northern Russia bog as the oldest scientifically dated evidence of skiing in the world. And Norwegian cave paintings depicting skiers dating to 4,000 B.C. are considered by experts as evidence of an early ski culture with Scandinavian roots."
 * this is pathetic. apparently, you haven't even read your own "sources" 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC80:EF75:9F1E:FAA8 (talk) 16:23, 1 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Omg, they (western media) themselves wrote that the cave art depicts skiers. Not once did they ever share your view that it's ONLY the Chinese gov are claiming this alone. That's your unsubstantiated opinion. Other scholars and Western journalists have been describing them as looking like skiers contrary to your personal perception. They write;

 * "a (cave painting depicting skiers hunting in the northern tip of China's Xinjiang region)"

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/sports/skiing/skiing-china-cave-paintings.html

 * "A cave paintings found near Altay City that appear to depict skiers in motion over a collection of wild animals."

https://www.skiinghistory.org/news/origin-story-where-did-skiing-begin

 * "a (Cave paintings discovered in Altay show rows of figures standing on what look like skis, with herds of animals running below them.)" https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/photography/preserving-skiing-origins-china-west-winter-olympics-traditional-a8210351.html

And fyi, International Ski Federation, is not a scientific group. But a sporting group. Yet you are rushing to your desired conclusion despite nobody knows for certain how old those cave art is, if you read the source. It's still debated on. But Christian Science monitor does write the Altai mountains in Xinjiang might actually be the first place where skiing was done and I was simply quoting them as they did professional academic research on this. 49.181.232.109 (talk) 17:23, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

 * Christian Science Monitor, despite the name, is not a scientific group either, it is a newspaper. they conducted NO "professional academic research". I believe that you have shown your cards decrying "western media" are you a tankie or something? I am done explaining basic facts and simple concepts to an apologist for the CCP. I am not going anywhere, I will check this article every week for your disingenuous and propagandistic edits. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC80:EF75:9F1E:FAA8 (talk) 18:04, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

 * I reply to you and show you scholars and western journalists (not Chinese gov) from outlets that have professional editorial oversight, and who empirically disagrees with you. Instead of addressing that, you just avoid and jump straight to ad hominens that doesn't disprove my above comments. That's real mature. People resorts to ad hominen to avoid addressing an argument. You know I am correct about my sources and you are Lashing. Calling me an apologist to discredit me, for simply disproving your claim, is pathetic. It doesn't change the fact that my sources like NYT show you are wrong. Are They apologists too? I am frankly tired of expecting you to realise that you need a reliable source to back you up and not your personal opinions alone. 49.179.88.253 (talk) 23:29, 1 March 2023 (UTC)
 * You have not made ANY arguments. what you are doing is called obscurantism, and it is deplorable. here is more evidence of your lies, a direct quote from YOU "...many historians are indeed arguing there's evidence to state birthplace of first skiing, was not Scandinavia but more to the east in Altai mountains." Again, which historians are arguing that? you have stated you have not argued that China invented skiing, but your own words prove that you are a liar. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC80:EF75:9F1E:FAA8 (talk) 23:56, 1 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Unbelievable. You reply now diverts away to another new topic. You were originally just arguing that the cave art doesn't depict skiers. But after I had shown you so many sources that disagree. Now you quickly go to another argument and falsely claimed that I didn't make any arguments 🤦. I see you edited the page already and you are trying to skew it as if it's only just one person claiming it depicts skiers. I have little interest in prolonging this edit war and tolerate your ridiculous lies. Despite many (non Chinese) journalists from National Geographic etc are empirically describing them as skiers. But as long as you don't remove all the info again. Consider it a truce where I won't challenge your LAst edit.

But fyi, I already shown you the CSM article. https://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0315/p01s01-woap.html The origins of skiing are unclear and being disputed. According to the Christian science monitor (not Chinese gov), it states historians and anthropologists primarily debate that the birthplace of skiing could either be in two locations; Scandinavia or the Altaic region. However consensus has been growing among scholars and ski enthusiasts that it really feasibly could the Altaic area since civilization had developed earlier there. Because they actually understand the ancient human migration patterns stemming from north asia. So yes, there's considerable evidence.49.180.211.143 (talk) 01:59, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

Highly instructive debate, subtle. the rock art of northern European caves, the pluragrotta and similar cave systems such as the tanum, are without skiing Vikings. alas. Saintstephen000 (talk)

Thanks for reverting the previous two attacks on me by user 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC6D:63B0:4443:DD2A. However he is still sending me unfair accusations about my personal behavior and doesn't seem to cease. The bulk of his previous comments were either his own opinion or mostly his political motives. Which are both completely irrelevant here to alter the article. And I regret that I open mindedly gave him a chance and asked him to provide reliable sources or to show credentials to support his argument. Otherwise he is wasting time. Even his own source (Skiiinghistory) contradict him and write the extreme opposite of his claim. When he is unable to show any reliable sources to support his argument, he throws a fit and misrepresent me. Despite when someone claims the extreme opposite of what multiple reliable sources are saying. And tells people to overly put their trust in his politically driven personal opinion instead. It's not unwarranted to ask him to provide at least one reliable source and not just rely on his views alone. But instead of answering that, he instead diverts from answering and sends personal ad hominen attacks my way a third time now despite being warned twice by you already. 49.181.232.109 (talk) 14:34, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

 * nothing you write is true. you have not provided any sources for YOUR claim, I did not insert new claims into the article, I was removing claims that were not supported by empirical evidence, which again you don't what that means. And now you are whining to the Mods? this is pathetic. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC80:EF75:9F1E:FAA8 (talk) 16:14, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

 * Nothing I wrote, was true? I have provided no sources for my claims? Dude really? that's just rude and blatant false smearing of my character and you are describing your own actions. Perhaps to certain people, they cannot see it. However Virtually every reliable source like NYT, national geographic, etc have all unanimously referred to those cave art frequently as depicting skiers chasing Wild Game and I agree with those journalists that it does look like skiing to me. Even your often cited SkiingHistory.org strongly contradict your claim that it looks nothing like skiing. They say it looks like "skiers in motion over a collection of wild animals". And looking closely, to me, I agree as it just resembles a basic drawing of skiing to me (with knees bent and no two visible legs but all 2 leg being aligned closely together and  yet all uniformally "in motion" going forward) Other multiple Media like the Independent  and also NYT referring to that same picture, backs my perception and writes it's: a (cave painting depicting skiers hunting in the northern tip of China's Xinjiang region)  I have shown multiple sources backing my claims. I have not lied once and do not need your smearing.49.181.232.109 (talk) 17:23, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

 * The truth is nobody can really say they know for certain where skiing first occured. Perhaps the place that started it all, has all its artefacts lost to time. But it is not primarily up to us (the editors especially without creds) to say what's what. The reality is that Historians are divided on whether it was the ancestors of Sami people in Scandinavia, or the indigenous Tuvan people in Xinjiang Altai mountains. We can simply respect what they decide and document it. But you can't just claim that evidence for Altai mountains are proven as wrong without giving any real sources to back it up. And Yet you mass removed a lot of information in the article multiple times. Wasn't trying to fight and maybe we got off on the wrong foot but kindly show actual acceptable sources (not personal opinions and political rants), to mass remove the info in the future.49.181.232.109 (talk) 17:23, 1 March 2023 (UTC)
 * I made no such claim. I said the claim about the single rock carving in the Altai mountains was not sufficient evidence for claims made by the CCP about skiing being invented by the Chinese. If you struggle this much with reading, perhaps you should not be writing or editing. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC80:EF75:9F1E:FAA8 (talk) 18:06, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

 * That's a strawman argument. Nowhere in the current wiki article, is there any sentence outright saying that. Has Wikipedia EVER written that Chinese invented skiiing? No and I am not arguing for that either. Nobody writes that because there's no sufficient evidence to prove the origin of skiiing in China, or anywhere else. As I already said before in my first reply, historians and archaeologists are divided on the origin of skiing and it's currently debated. You deleted info to make it seem like there's no active debate and only Scandinavia is the undisputed origin. That is your edit that got reverted, not just by me but two other editors.  I see that edit you deleted, was actually there 4 years ago.  Why? Probably because the Wikipedia article passed tests of neutrality and reliably sourced, before you started deleting stuff. If not me, other editors would revert your deletion because no serious scholar is unaware that the origin of skiing is still debated on whether it is north Asia or Scandinavia that was the origin. 49.179.88.253 (talk) 23:29, 1 March 2023 (UTC)
 * now you are outright lying about what you have written, that everybody can see with their own eyes. do I have to read back your own words to you? here they are: "Of late, a consensus has been forming among scholars and ski enthusiasts that it was the Altaic area. Civilization developed earlier there. Altaic peoples may have brought skis to Sweden or Norway." THIS IS AN ABSURD LIE. Name the "scholars" that agree with that sentiment. you cannot, because there are NONE. that claim is made by a single man, Shan Zhaojian, a former competitive skier and amateur "historian" whose has made conclusively disproven claims, such as the 10000 year claim for the age of the Altai cave drawings, so he has no credibility. every single "source" you have claimed to provide is merely journalistic reporting about his claims, which have no merit. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC80:EF75:9F1E:FAA8 (talk) 23:44, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

 * You obviously don't even bother to even read any of my sources. I am not even the original author that wrote any of that. And it is not written by a Chinese Shan. I  originally put in the quotation marks that paraphrased from this article with a different author and linked to it. But Hudsonroad seem to later edit my comment and remove the quotation for some reason.  It indeed writes; The origins of skiing are disputed. Research of ancient skiing methods is not highly funded. But anthropologists and ski-history buff debate two main origins: Scandinavia, where the oldest preserved skis are found, and the Altaic area. Of late,a consensus has been forming among scholars and ski enthusiasts that it was the Altaic area. Civilization developed earlier there.l. Altaic peoples may have brought skis to Sweden or Norway.  And it's written by a very reputable American media and I doubt that CSM is unprofessional, and they did their journalist research to find those facts. 49.180.211.143 (talk) 00:07, 2 March 2023 (UTC)
 * apparently you did not even quote CSM correctly, that passage of the article to which you refer is talking about statements made Chinese state-media, ie propaganda, like I said from the beginning. Here is the rest of the quote: "On Jan. 25, days before the ancient-skiing contest, China's state-run news service Xinhua announced that China had essentially invented skiing. Citing newly discovered Altaic regional cave paintings of four hunters on boards with poles in their hands, chasing cattle and horses - the Xinhua story proposed that "Chinese were adept skiers in the Old Stone Age," and that skiing originated there 100 to 200 centuries ago. Historians did not rush to embrace the theory. The ethnic Han Chinese, let alone a corporate state called China, did not exist in this part of the world in stone-age days, 10,000 years ago, they note."
 * I don't know why you are so persistent in debasing the historical record, but if you think I will tire and give up in correcting it you are in for a rude awakening. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC80:EF75:9F1E:FAA8 (talk) 00:58, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

 * I quoted them correctly. You are just willfully lying, arguing in bad faith or refusing to see the facts. The article did not say that the Chinese government said that scholars were divided on whether it was Scandinavia or Altai to be the birthplace of skiiing. Anyone neutral who reads that article can know that. Nowhere in thar article did it ever say that the Chinese government are the ones claiming that historians and scholars are debating the origin. You are just disingenuously cherrypicking the few quote at the end that Chinese Gov did say. And acting like you have an argument here.

It's obviously the CSM author stating that historians are divided over the origin. You are so in denial and just unwilling to accept that there are people out there, seriously claiming that Altai mountains may be the possible origin. People like Norwegian polymath, scientist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fridtjof Nansen who points to the Lake Baikal/Altai region as the possible origin for skiing in his 1890 book First Crossing of Greenland. That's in the Nat Geo coverage too. This really is getting nowhere. I give you sources and you only give me opinions and bad faith responses. I strongly don't agree with your edits or your slander. If you want to delete all the information about Altai cave paintings, then I suggest you show reliable sources that confirms it doesn't depict skiers and also that it's not as old. But the information provided seems decent that it's approx 5 thousand years old and many sources do state it depicts skiers.49.180.211.143 (talk) 01:43, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

I ask those in this discussion to try to refrain from talking about each other. One sign is to stop using "you". I suggest, instead, taking inventory of what the sources say and then discussing the (in)consistencies in the sources, using a format like this:

 * Source: Summary of source

Perhaps this will put before all concerned the lay of the land. Sincerely, HopsonRoad (talk) 01:06, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

 * I see a Wikipedia Admin by the name Drmies with over 300,000 edits has edited the page, removing passages I found suspect and not supported by evidence, stating a requirement of proper sourcing. This is exactly what I thought was needed in the first place. For my part, this matter is settled. I would be okay with a wikipedia moderator removing this entire thread I started about propaganda which has devolved significantly and is now redundant. My concerns have been addressed, thank you. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC80:EF75:9F1E:FAA8 (talk) 02:35, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

 * Lol just when I am asking Hopson road to be a honest judge and tell us who is lying on CSM article. You want the thread removed before he can answer. And we already told you that the article, before you came, was reliably sourced and neutral enough. You kept deleting edits and arguing that it needed to be deleted. Do you no longer want to delete those edits like before? If so, I can accept a truce and your latest edits and leave it at that. My only point is that many sources are divided over the origin and the current article is indeed close to good enough.49.180.211.143 (talk) 02:52, 2 March 2023 (UTC)
 * HopsonRoad doesn't need to waste his time. If the claims were "reliably-sourced" why were they removed by an admin who stated explicitly they didn't have proper sourcing? and who is "we"? unless you are referring to yourself in the plural, you cannot be suggesting you are part of the wikipedia admin, that's just adorable. a "truce" suggests genuine and honest disagreement, which was not what took place here which was you lying and debasing the historical record and me calling you out, but I don't expect you to understand that. Also, Taiwan is a free and independent nation and always will be. We are done here. 2601:643:8B80:1A00:DC80:EF75:9F1E:FAA8 (talk) 03:10, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

 * HopsonRoad wrote to you earlier above that The article passed the test of neutrality and being reliably sourced before this controversy arose. Sincerely I had overall agreed with him. And also it didn't get COMPLETELY deleted. Information is still there but removed from lede and goes to body so don't know why you think the info is invalid if it's still there. And I can accept that just fine given the fuss over it. But I do think National Geographic is a great reliable source and Wikipedia shouldn't be a hegamony for political biases. And Know the National Geographic link titled (on the trail with the first skiers) is not a small blog or unknown site but very acceptable for lede unlike the other links and says all the same info. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/first-skiers

Btw according to the Nat Geo blog, it also states the same as CSM. That the birthplace of skiing is under debate. https://blog.education.nationalgeographic.org/2013/12/16/tracking-the-history-of-skiing/

''Historians are divided on where skiing was born. Some argue it arose in Scandinavia and northwest Russia, though others point to the Altay.

And I was actually procrastinating by talking with you but it's actually been a pleasant experience in the end. Because it was very nice to go find and read Nat Geo. And if not me, I can guarantee you that in a few years, someone else would add the edit in to the lede that the birthplace of skiing is debated on, and attribute to world famous Nat Geo which is a strong expert source. But for now, goodbye. I actually am going overseas today in a few hours and travelling. So I won't edit for a endured period of time but do feel free to watch the article in a year. HopsonRoad or other editors might add the nat geo link in. And doubt anyone can remove it. 49.179.39.185 (talk) 04:14, 2 March 2023 (UTC)
 * @HopsonRoad it's difficult to do that when you are gaslighted. So you be the final judge. Tell us who is deliberately misreading on this article stubbornly in bad faith? For this quote; (The origins of skiing are disputed. Research of ancient skiing methods is not highly funded. But anthropologists and ski-history buff debate two main origins: Scandinavia, where the oldest preserved skis are found, and the Altaic area. Of late,a consensus has been forming among scholars and ski enthusiasts that it was the Altaic area. Civilization developed earlier there)

Tell us if the Chinese government are claiming that? Or is it really the author of the CSM article who is saying that? I argue that it's obviously the latter and the other IP editor is just refusing to argue and accept that here in good faith. And he know it. 49.180.211.143 (talk) 01:43, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

 * Wikipedia resolves disputes through Consensus and not through finding fault in contributions individuals who contribute to a discussion. I assume Assume good faith on the part of all, who have contributed to the discussion. I am discouraged by the lack of Civility and the lack of No personal attacks. I offered a mechanism by which to achieve consensus, but discussion here has continued to resemble bickering more than offering evidence in Reliable sources, which may be contradictory. The only arbiter here is the source material, not our individual credentials. HopsonRoad (talk) 14:33, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Intro to Technical Writing
— Assignment last updated by DylanSpark223 (talk) 22:42, 19 February 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:History of skiing


text:
FIS

FIS or fis may refer to:

Science and technology

 * Fis, an E. Coli gene
 * Fis phenomenon, a phenomenon in linguistics
 * F♯ (musical note)
 * Flight information service, an air traffic control service
 * Frame Information Structure, a Serial ATA technology

Organizations

 * FIS (company), an American financial services company
 * Fairy Investigation Society
 * Federal Intelligence Service, a Swiss intelligence service
 * Festival Internacional de Santander, a Spanish music festival
 * Fiji Intelligence Services
 * Fish Information and Services, an international news agency
 * Flandreau Indian School
 * Frankfurt International School
 * French International School of Hong Kong
 * Fukuoka International School
 * International Ski and Snowboard Federation (French: Fédération Internationale de Ski et de Snowboard)
 * Islamic Salvation Front (French: Front Islamique du Salut), a defunct political party in Algeria
 * Italian Fencing Federation (Italian: Federazione Italiana Scherma) and
 * Italian Scout Federation (Italian: Federazione Italiana dello Scautismo)

Surname

 * Julio Fis (born 1974), Spanish handball player
 * Ljubomir Pavićević Fis (born 1927), Serbian designer

Anthropology

 * Fis is also the Albanian word for the Albanian clans.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: FIS


text:
1964 Summer Paralympics

The 1964 Summer Paralympics (1964年夏季パラリンピック), originally known as the 13th International Stoke Mandeville Games and also known as Paralympic Tokyo 1964, were the second Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Tokyo, Japan, and were the last Summer Paralympics to take place in the same city as the Summer Olympics until the 1988 Summer Paralympics.

The 1964 Games, although still formally an edition of the International Stoke Mandeville Games, were the first to use the term "Paralympic" in association with the event; the term "Paralympic Games" was approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) first in 1984, while the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was formed in 1989.

In contrast with the 1960 Games, many events had more than three participants, meaning that athletes were no longer guaranteed a medal upon completing their event.

Tokyo hosted the Summer Paralympic Games again in 2020.

Sports
Nine sports were competed at the 1964 games. In athletics, a wheelchair racing event in the form of a 60 m dash was added; previously the athletics program had included only field events. Wheelchair racing has since become one of the most prominent Paralympic events.

 * Archery
 * Athletics
 * Dartchery
 * Snooker
 * Swimming
 * Table tennis
 * Weightlifting
 * Wheelchair basketball
 * Wheelchair fencing

Medal table
Athletes from 17 of the 19 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) won at least one medal. By default, the table is ordered by the number of gold medals the athletes from a nation have won. The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If nations are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically by IPC country code.

With a few exceptions, each event contributed one medal of each type to the table (although for team events, multiple physical medals were actually awarded). Two bronze medals were awarded in the dartchery, snooker and table tennis events. Some swimming events did not award silver or bronze medals.

 * Inaccurate reports

At the start of the Paralympic Games there was no precision in reporting the results of the competitions. The Israeli athlete Michal Escapa was reported to be of Italian nationality and without a first name, as she is mentioned in the International Paralympic Committee of the Italian Paralympic Committee web sites) for the reports of the Swimming at the 1964 Summer Paralympics where she won two bronze medals, simply reported as Escapa and not as Michal Escapa. However, as can be seen from a 1968 Israeli newspaper reporting an interview with the athlete, she was the same athlete who had won medals in swimming and table tennis in Tokyo 1964.

 * To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the Sort both.gif icon next to the column title.

Athletes with outstanding performances included Margaret Harriman of Rhodesia who won two gold medals in archery, and Serge Bec of France who won two individuals gold medals, one team gold medal and one team silver medal. Dick Thompson of the United Kingdom won two individual golds, one silver and one bronze in athletics. The United States' Ron Stein won six golds and South Africa's Daniel Erasmus won two golds and two silvers in athletics.

Participating delegations
Nineteen delegations participated in the Tokyo Paralympics.

The 1964 Games marked Austria, Fiji, Japan and South Africa's Paralympic Games début. South Africa had just been banned from taking part in the 1964 Summer Olympic Games, due to its policy of apartheid. It was not, however, banned from the Paralympics until 1980 Summer Paralympics,as Japan (in a host country position) did not oppose its participation. A letter from archery medalist Irene Preslipski published in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader on December 1, 1964, also mentions delegations from Ceylon, Mexico and the Philippines marching in the opening ceremony. However, these countries only sent in officials.

Ceremonies
The Opening ceremony was organized in the Yoyogi Park, and the Closing Ceremony at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. About 5000 spectators were present at both of the ceremonies. Then Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko were present in both of them.

Media coverage
Earlier it was thought that the Games might not get much media coverage, due to the focus on the Olympic Games, but both radio and television media gave high coverage to the Games.

Organizing Committee
Yoshisuke Kasai was the chairman of the board of directors. The board had 3 vice-chairmen, namely T. Azuma, H. Dazai and I. Miki. The auditor of the organizing committee was M. Tozawa, and the secretary general was K. Ujiie.

title: 1964 Summer Paralympics


text:
1976 Winter Paralympics

The 1976 Winter Paralympic Games (Paralympiska vinterspelen 1976) were the first Winter Paralympics. They were held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, from 21 to 28 February 1976. The disabilities included in this Paralympics were blindness and amputees. Sixteen countries took part with 196 athletes. There were competitions in Alpine and Nordic skiing for amputee and visually impaired athletes, and a demonstration event in ice sledge racing.

They were originally known as the 1st Winter Olympic Games for the Disabled.

Sports
The games consisted of 2 sports.
 * Alpine skiing - Paralympic pictogram.svg Alpine skiing
 * Cross-country skiing - Paralympic pictogram.svg Cross-country skiing

Medal table
The top 9 NPCs by number of gold medals are listed below. The host nation (Sweden) is highlighted.

Participating Paralympic Committees
The following nations took part. In brackets is the number of athletes per nation.

British involvement in these Games was covered in an edition of the Thames Television current affairs series This Week.

title: 1976 Winter Paralympics


text:
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, more commonly known as The Iditarod, is an annual long-distance sled dog race held in Alaska in early March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome. Mushers and a team of between 12 and 16 dogs, of which at least 5 must be on the towline at the finish line, cover the distance in 8–15 days or more. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams but evolved into today's highly competitive race.

Teams often race through blizzards causing whiteout conditions, sub-zero temperatures and gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to reach -100 °F. A ceremonial start occurs in the city of Anchorage and is followed by the official restart in Willow, a city 80 mi north of Anchorage. The restart was originally in Wasilla through to 2007, but due to too little snow, the restart has been at Willow since 2008. The trail runs from Willow up the Rainy Pass of the Alaska Range into the sparsely populated interior, and then along the shore of the Bering Sea, finally reaching Nome in western Alaska. The trail is through a rugged landscape of tundra and spruce forests, over hills and mountain passes, across rivers and even over sea ice. While the start in Anchorage is in the middle of a large urban center, most of the route passes through widely separated towns and villages, and small Athabaskan and Iñupiat settlements. The Iditarod is regarded as a symbolic link to the early history of the state and is connected to many traditions commemorating the legacy of dog mushing.

The race is an important and popular sporting event in Alaska, and the top mushers and their teams of dogs are local celebrities; this popularity is credited with the resurgence of recreational mushing in the state since the 1970s. While the yearly field of more than fifty mushers and about a thousand dogs is still largely Alaskan, competitors from fourteen countries have completed the event including Martin Buser from Switzerland, who became the first foreign winner in 1992. Fans follow the race online from all over the world, and many overseas volunteers also come to Alaska to help man checkpoints and carry out other volunteer chores.

The Iditarod received more attention outside of the state after the 1985 victory of Libby Riddles, a long-shot who became the first woman to win the race. The next year, Susan Butcher became the second woman to win the race and went on to win in three subsequent years. Print and television journalists and crowds of spectators attend the ceremonial start at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and D Street in Anchorage and in smaller numbers at the checkpoints along the trail.

Mitch Seavey set the record fastest time for the Iditarod in 2017, crossing the line in Nome in 8 days, 3 hours, 40 minutes and 13 seconds, while also becoming the oldest winner.

Name
The race's namesake is the Iditarod Trail, which was designated as one of the first four US National Historic Trails in 1978. The trail, in turn, is named for the town of Iditarod, which was an Athabaskan village before becoming the center of the Inland Empire's Iditarod Mining District in 1910, and then becoming a ghost town at the end of the local gold rush. The town was named after the Iditarod River. The river's name ultimately comes from the Athabascan word Haidilatna.

History
Portions of the Iditarod Trail were used by the Native Alaskan Inupiaq and Athabaskan peoples hundreds of years before the arrival of Russian fur traders in the 1800s, but the trail reached its peak between the late 1880s and the mid-1920s as miners arrived to dig coal and later gold, especially after the Alaska gold rushes at Nome in 1898, and at the "Inland Empire" along the Kuskokwim Mountains between the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, in 1908. The primary communication and transportation link to the rest of the world during the summer was the steamship, but between October and June the northern ports like Nome became icebound, and dog sleds delivered mail, firewood, mining equipment, gold ore, food, furs, and other needed supplies between the trading posts and settlements across the Interior and along the western coast. Roadhouses where travellers could spend the night sprang up every 14 to 30 mi until the end of the 1920s, when the mail carriers were replaced by bush pilots flying small aircraft, and the roadhouses vanished. Dog sledding persisted in the rural parts of Alaska, but was almost driven into extinction by the increased use of snowmobiles in the 1960s.

During its heyday, mushing was also a popular sport during the winter, when mining towns shut down. The first major competition was the tremendously popular 1908 All-Alaska Sweepstakes (AAS), which was started by Allan "Scotty" Alexander Allan, and ran 408 mi from Nome to Candle and back. In 1910, this event introduced the first Siberian Huskies to Alaska, where they quickly became the favored racing dog, replacing the Alaskan Malamute and mongrels bred from imported huskies.

The original Iditarod start had nothing to do with the serum run or the famous dog, Balto.

Joe Redington Sr. had the original idea to race a portion of the Iditarod trail. Joe Redington Sr. (named the "Father of the Iditarod" by one of the local newspapers) asked his friends, Gleo Huyck and Tom Johnson (school teachers and dog mushers) to join him in creating this new endeavor. The three co-founders of the race started in October 1972 to plan the now famous race. The original plan was to race from Knik to Iditarod and back. Their friend, Bill Weimar, had the idea to start the race in Anchorage because it had a larger population at both ends of the race. They cleared a portion of the trail. A major fundraising campaign which raised a purse of $51,000 was also started at the same time. This race was the first true Iditarod Race and was held in 1973, attracting a field of 34 mushers, 22 of whom completed the race.

The event was a success; even though the purse dropped in the 1974 race, the popularity caused the field of mushers to rise to 44, and corporate sponsorship in 1975 put the race on secure financial footing. Despite the loss of sponsors during a dog-abuse scandal in 1976, the Iditarod caused a resurgence of recreational mushing in the 1970s, and has continued to grow until it is now the largest sporting event in the state. The race was originally patterned after the All Alaska Sweepstakes races held early in the 20th century.

The main route of the Iditarod trail extends 938 mi from Seward in the south to Nome in the northwest, and was first surveyed by Walter Goodwin in 1908, and then cleared and marked by the Alaska Road Commission in 1911 and 1912. The entire network of branching paths covers a total of 2450 mi. Except for the start in Anchorage, the modern race follows parts of the historic Iditarod trail.

Route

The trail is composed of two routes: a northern route, which is run on even-numbered years, and a southern route, which is run on odd-numbered years. Both follow the same trail 352 mi, from Anchorage to Ophir, where they diverge and then rejoin at Kaltag, 346 mi from Nome. The race used the northern route until 1977, when the southern route was added to distribute the impact of the event on the small villages in the area, none of which have more than a few hundred inhabitants. Passing through the historic town of Iditarod was a secondary benefit.

Aside from the addition of the southern route, the route has remained relatively constant. The largest changes were the addition of the restart location in 1995 and the shift from Ptarmigan to Rainy Pass in 1996. Checkpoints along the route are also occasionally added or dropped, and the ceremonial start of the route and the restart point are commonly adjusted depending on weather.

As a result, the exact measured distance of the race varies from year to year, but officially the northern route is 975 mi long, and the southern route is 998 mi long. The description of the length of the race is frequently rounded to 1,000 mi.

In 2015 and 2017, due to lack of snow, the race had to be re-routed. The race started in Fairbanks, Alaska, and continued to Nenana (60 mi), Manley Hot Springs (90 mi), Tanana (66 mi), Ruby (119 mi), Galena (50 mi), Huslia (82 mi), Koyukuk (86 mi) before joining up with the normal trail at Nulato for the rest of the race. The Fairbanks restart changed the official distance to 979 mi, 4 mi longer than the northern route, 19 less than the southern route.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Iditarod followed a modified 832-mile out-and-back route, the Gold Trail Loop. This route began and ended at Deshka Landing in Willow, with the turnaround point at the Iditarod checkpoint.

Checkpoints

There are currently 26 checkpoints on the northern route and 27 on the southern route where mushers must sign in. Some mushers prefer to camp on the trail and immediately press on, but others stay and rest. Mushers prepare "drop bags" of supplies which are flown ahead to each checkpoint by the Iditarod Air Force. The gear includes food for the musher and the dogs, extra booties for the dogs, headlamps for night travel, batteries (for the lamps, music, or radios), tools and sled parts for repairs, and even lightweight sleds for the final dash to Nome. There are three mandatory rests that each team must take during the Iditarod: one 24-hour layover, to be taken at any checkpoint; one eight-hour layover, taken at any checkpoint on the Yukon River; and an eight-hour stop at White Mountain.

In 1985, the race was suspended for the first time for safety reasons when weather prevented the Iditarod Air Force from delivering supplies to Rohn and Nikolai, the first two checkpoints in the Alaska Interior. Fifty-eight mushers and 508 dogs congregated at the small lodge in Rainy Pass for three days, while emergency shipments of food were flown in from Anchorage. Weather also halted the race later at McGrath, and the two stops added almost a week to the winning time.

Ceremonial start
The race starts on the first Saturday in March, at the first checkpoint on Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage. A five-block section of the street is barricaded off as a staging area, and snow is stockpiled and shipped in by truck the night before to cover the route to the first checkpoint. Prior to 1983, the race started at Mulcahy Park.

Shortly before the race, a ribbon-cutting ceremony is held under the flags representing the home countries and states of all competitors in the race. The first musher to depart at 10:00 a.m. AST is an honorary musher, selected for their contributions to dog sledding. The first competitor leaves at 10:02 and the rest follow, separated by two-minute intervals. The start order is determined during a banquet held two days prior by the mushers drawing their numbers for starting position. Selections are made in the order of musher registrations.

This is an exciting portion of the race for dogs and musher, as it is one of the few portions of the race where there are spectators, and the only spot where the trail winds through an urban environment. However, in "Iditarod Dreams", DeeDee Jonrowe wrote, "A lot of mushers hate the Anchorage start. They don't like crowds. They worry that their dogs get too excited and jumpy." The time for covering this portion of the race does not count toward the official race time, so the dogs, musher, and Idita-Rider are free to take this all in at a relaxed pace. The mushers then continue through several miles of city streets and city trails before reaching the foothills to the east of Anchorage, in Chugach State Park in the Chugach Mountains. The teams then follow Glenn Highway for two to three hours until they reach Eagle River, 20 mi away. Once they arrive at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building, the mushers check in, unharness their teams, return them to their boxes, and drive 30 mi of highway to the restart point.

During the first two races in 1973 and 1974, the teams crossed the mudflats of Cook Inlet to Knik (the original restart location), but this was discontinued because the weather frequently hovers around freezing, turning it into a muddy hazard. The second checkpoint also occasionally changes because of weather; in 2005, the checkpoint was changed from Eagle River to Campbell Airstrip, 11 mi away. In the 2016 race, due to lack of snow, the ceremonial start was 3 miles in Anchorage.

Restart
After the dogs are shuttled to the third checkpoint, the race restarts the next day (Sunday) at 2:00 p.m. AST. Prior to 2004, the race was restarted at 10:00 a.m., but the time has been moved back to 2:00 P.M. so the dogs will be starting in colder weather, and the first mushers arrive at Skwentna well after dark, which reduces the crowds of fans who fly into the checkpoint.

The traditional restart location was the headquarters of the Iditarod Trail Committee, in Wasilla, but in 2008 the official restart was pushed further north to Willow Lake. In 2003, dwindling snow and poor trail conditions due to a warming climate forced organizers to move the start 300 mi north to Fairbanks. The mushers depart separated by the same intervals as their arrival at the second checkpoint. In 2015, the official restart had to again be moved north to Fairbanks due to unusually warm temperatures and lack of snow coverage on critical parts of the trail.

The first 100 mi from Willow through the checkpoints at Yentna Station Station to Skwentna is known as "moose alley". The many moose in the area find it difficult to move and forage for food when the ground is thick with snow. As a result, the moose sometimes prefer to use pre-existing trails, causing hazards for the dog teams. In 1985, Susan Butcher lost her chance at becoming the first woman to win the Iditarod when her team made a sharp turn and encountered a pregnant moose. The moose killed two dogs and seriously injured six more in the twenty minutes before Duane "Dewey" Halverson arrived and shot the moose. In 1982, Dick Mackey, Warner Vent, Jerry Austin, and their teams were driven into the forest by a charging moose.

Otherwise, the route to Skwentna is easy, over flat lowlands, and well marked by stakes or tripods with reflectors or flags. Most mushers push through the night, and the first teams usually arrive at Skwentna before dawn. Skwentna is a 40-minute hop from Anchorage by air, and dozens of planes land on the airstrip or on the Skwentna River, bringing journalists, photographers, and spectators.

From Skwentna, the route follows the Skwentna River into the southern part of the Alaska Range to Finger Lake. The stretch from Finger Lake to Rainy Pass on Puntilla Lake becomes more difficult, as teams follow the narrow Happy River Gorge, where the trail balances on the side of a heavily forested incline. Rainy Pass is the most dangerous check point in the Iditarod. In 1985, Jerry Austin broke a hand and two of his dogs were injured when the sled went out of control and hit a stand of trees. Many others have suffered from this dangerous checkpoint. Rainy Pass is part of the Historic Iditarod Trail, but until 1976 the pass was inaccessible and route detoured through Ptarmigan Pass, also known as Hellsgate, because of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake.

Into the Interior
From Rainy Pass, the route continues up the mountain, past the tree line to the divide of the Alaska Range, and then passes down into the Alaska Interior. The elevation of the pass is 3200 ft, and some nearby peaks exceed 5000 ft. The valley up the mountains is exposed to blizzards. In 1974, there were several cases of frostbite when the temperature dropped to -50 °F, and the 50 mph winds caused the wind chill to drop to -130 °F. The wind also erases the trail and markers, making the path hard to follow. In 1976, retired colonel Norman Vaughan, who drove a dog team in Richard E. Byrd's 1928 expedition to the South Pole and competed in the only Olympic sled dog race, became lost for five days after leaving Rainy Pass and nearly died.

The trail down Dalzell Gorge from the divide is regarded as the worst stretch of the trail. Steep and straight, it drops 1000 ft in elevation in just 5 mi, and there is little traction so the teams are hard to control. Mushers have to ride the brake most of the way down and use a snow hook for traction. In 1988, rookie Peryll Kyzer fell through an ice bridge into a creek and spent the night wet. The route then follows Tatina River, which is also hazardous: in 1986 Butcher's lead dogs fell through the ice but landed on a second layer of ice instead of falling into the river. In 1997, Ramey Smyth lost the end of his little finger when it hit an overhanging branch while negotiating the gorge.

Rohn is the next checkpoint and is located in a spruce forest with no wind and a poor airstrip. The isolation, its location immediately after the rigors of Rainy Pass and before the 75 mi haul to the next checkpoint, makes it a popular place for mushers to take a 4-8 hour break. From Rohn, the trail follows the south fork of the Kuskokwim River, where freezing water running over a layer of ice (overflow) is a hazard. In 1975, Vaughan was hospitalized for frostbite after running through an overflow. In 1973, Terry Miller and his team were almost drawn into a hole in the river by the powerful current in an overflow but were rescued by Tom Mercer who came back to save them.

About 45 mi from Rohn, the path leaves the river and passes into the Farewell Burn. In 1976, a wildfire burned 360000 acre of spruce. The hazards resulting from wildfire force teams to move very slowly and can cause paw injuries. Clumps of sedge or grass which balloon out into a canopy 2 ft above the ground can support a deceptively thin crust of snow. Fallen timber is also a concern.

Nikolai, an Athabaskan settlement on the banks of the Kuskokwim River, is the first Native American village used as a checkpoint, and the arrival of the sled teams is one of the largest social events of the year. The route then follows the south fork of the Kuskokwim to the former mining town of McGrath. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 401, making it the largest checkpoint in the Interior. McGrath is also notable for being the first site in Alaska to receive mail by aircraft (in 1924), heralding the end of the sled dog era. It still has a good airfield, so journalists are common.

Following McGrath is Takotna, formerly a commercial hub during the gold rush. The ghost town of Ophir, named for the reputed source of King Solomon's gold by religious prospectors, is the next checkpoint. By this stage in the race, the front-runners may be several days ahead of those in the back of the pack.

Northern or southern route
After Ophir, the trail diverges into a northern and a southern route, which rejoin at Kaltag. In even-numbered years (e.g. 2022, 2024) the northern route is used; in odd-numbered years (e.g. 2023) the southern route is used. During the first few Iditarods only the northern trail was used. In the late 1970s, the southern leg of the route was added. It gave the southern villages a chance to host the Iditarod race and also allowed the route to pass through the trail's namesake, the historical town of Iditarod. The two routes differ by less than 25 mi.

The northern route first passes through Cripple, which is 425 mi from Anchorage, and 550 mi from Nome (ITC, Northern), making it the middlemost checkpoint. From Cripple, the route passes through Sulatna Crossing to Ruby, on the Yukon River. Ruby is another former gold-rush town which became an Athabaskan village.

The southern route first passes through the ghost town of Iditarod, which is the alternate halfway mark, at 432 mi from Anchorage, and 556 mi from Nome (ITC, Southern). From Iditarod the route goes through the three neighboring Athabaskan villages of Shageluk, Anvik, Grayling, and then on to Eagle Island, Alaska,.

Ruby and Anvik are on the longest river in Alaska, the Yukon, which is swept by strong winds which can wipe out the trail and drop the windchill below -100 °F. A greater hazard is the uniformity of this long stretch: suffering from sleep deprivation, many mushers report hallucinations.

Both trails meet again in Kaltag, which for hundreds of years has been a gateway between the Athabaskan villages in the Interior and the Iñupiat settlements on the coast of the Bering Sea. The "Kaltag Portage" runs through a 1,000 ft pass down to the Iñupiat town of Unalakleet, on the shore of the Bering Sea.

Last dash
In the early years of the Iditarod, the last stretch along the shores of the Norton Sound of the Bering Sea to Nome was a slow, easy trip. Now that the race is more competitive, the last stretch has become one last dash to the finish.

According to the 2010 census, the village of Unalakleet has a population of 712, making it the largest Alaska Native town along the Iditarod Trail. The majority of the residents are Iñupiat. The town's name means the "place where the east wind blows". Racers are met by church bells, sirens, and crowds.

From Unalakleet, the route passes through the hills to the Iñupiat village of Shaktoolik. The route then passes across the frozen Norton Bay to Koyuk; the markers on the bay are young spruce trees frozen into holes in the ice. The route then swings west along the south shore of Seward Peninsula though the tiny villages of Elim, Golovin and White Mountain.

All teams must rest their dogs for at least eight hours at White Mountain, before the final sprint. From White Mountain to Safety is 55 mi, and from Safety to Nome it is 22 mi. The last leg is crucial because the lead teams are often within a few hours of each other at this point. The closest race in Iditarod history was in 1978 when the winner and the runner-up were only one second apart. In 1991, the race had been decided by less than an hour seven times, and less than five minutes three times. Numerous races since then have been decided by less than an hour: for example, 2012, 2013, 2014 (in which the finishing times were less than three minutes apart), 2016, and 2019.

The official finish line is the Red "Fox" Olson Trail Monument, more commonly known as the "burled arch", in Nome. The original burled arch lasted from 1975 until 2001, when it was destroyed by dry rot and years of inclement weather. The new arch is a spruce log with two distinct burls similar but not identical to the old arch. While the old arch spelled out "End of Iditarod Dog Race", the new arch has an additional word: "End of Iditarod Sled Dog Race".

A "Widow's Lamp" is lit and remains hanging on the arch until the last competitor crosses the finish line. The tradition is based on the kerosene lamp lit and hung outside a roadhouse, when a musher carrying goods or mail was en route. The last musher to complete the Iditarod is referred to as the "Red Lantern".

On the way to the arch, each musher passes down Front Street and down the fenced-off 50 yd end stretch. The city's fire siren is sounded as each musher hits the 2-mile mark before the finish line. While the winner of the first race in 1973 completed the competition in just over 20 days, preparation of the trail in advance of the dog sled teams and improvements in dog training have dropped the winning time to under 10 days in every race since 1996.

An awards banquet is held the Sunday after the winner's arrival. Brass belt buckles and special patches are given to everyone who completes the race.

Participants

More than 50 mushers enter each year. Most are from rural South Central Alaska, the Interior, and the "Bush"; few are urban, and only a small percentage are from the Contiguous United States, Canada, or overseas. Some are professionals who make their living by selling dogs, running sled dog tours, giving mushing instruction, and speaking about their Iditarod experiences. Others make money from Iditarod-related advertising contracts or book deals. Some are amateurs who make their living hunting, fishing, trapping, gardening, or with seasonal jobs, though lawyers, surgeons, airline pilots, veterinarians, biologists, and CEOs have competed. American young adult author Gary Paulsen competed in the race a number of times, and wrote about his experiences in non-fiction memoirs. Per rules #1 and #2, only experienced mushers are allowed to compete in the Iditarod.

Mushers are required to participate in three smaller races to qualify for the Iditarod. However, they are allowed to lease dogs to participate in the Iditarod and are not required to take written exams to determine their knowledge of mushing, the dogs they race, or canine first aid. Mushers who have been convicted of a charge of animal neglect, or determined unfit by the Iditarod Trail Committee, are not allowed to compete. The Iditarod Trail Committee once disqualified musher Jerry Riley for alleged dog abuse and Rick Swenson after one of his dogs expired after running through overflow. The Iditarod later reinstated both men and allowed them to race. Rick Swenson is now on the Iditarod's board of directors. Rookie mushers must pre-qualify by finishing an assortment of qualifying races first.

, the combined cost of the entry fee, dog maintenance, and transportation was estimated by one musher to be US$20,000 to $30,000. But that figure varies depending upon how many dogs a musher has, what the musher feeds the dogs and how much is spent on housing and handlers. Expenses faced by modern teams include lightweight gear including thousands of booties and quick-change runners, special high-energy dog foods, veterinary care, and breeding costs. According to Athabaskan musher Ken Chase, "the big expenses [for rural Alaskans] are the freight and having to buy dog food". Most modern teams cost $10,000 to $40,000, and the top 10 spend between $80,000 and $100,000 per year. The top finisher won at least $69,000, but that amount has slowly decreased since then, with the 2010 winner receiving only $50,000. Some believe overall interest in the race may be declining, hence the lighter purses and sponsorships. The remaining top thirty finishers won an average of $26,500 each. Mushers make money from their sponsorships, speaking fees, advertising contracts and book deals.

Dogs
The original sled dogs were bred by the Native American Mahlemuit (also known as Kuuvangmiut or Kobuk) people and are one of the earliest domesticated breeds known. They were soon crossbred with Alaskan huskies, hounds, setters, spaniels, German Shepherds, and wolves. As demand for dogs skyrocketed, a black market formed at the end of the 19th century which funneled large dogs of any breed to the gold rush. Siberian Huskies were introduced in the early 20th century and became the most popular racing breed. The original dogs were chosen for strength and stamina, but modern racing dogs are all mixed-breed huskies bred for speed, tough feet, endurance, good attitude, and most importantly the desire to run. Dogs bred for long races weigh from 45 to(-), and those bred for sprinting weigh less, 35 to(-), but the best competitors of both types are interchangeable.

Starting in 1984, all dogs are examined by veterinarians/nurses before the start of the race, who check teeth, eyes, tonsils, heart, lungs, joints, and genitals; they look for signs of illegal drugs, improperly healed wounds, and pregnancy. All dogs are identified and tracked by microchip implants and collar tags. On the trails, volunteer veterinarians examine each dog's heart, hydration, appetite, attitude, weight, lungs, and joints at all of the checkpoints, and look for signs of foot and shoulder injuries, respiration problems, dehydration, diarrhea, and exhaustion. When mushers race through checkpoints, the dogs do not get physical exams. Mushers are not allowed to administer drugs that mask the signs of injury, including stimulants, muscle relaxants, sedatives, anti-inflammatories, and anabolic steroids. , the Iditarod claims that no musher has been banned for giving drugs to dogs. However the Iditarod never reveals the results of tests on the dogs.

Each team is composed of twelve to fourteen dogs, and no more may be added during the race. At least five dogs must be on the towline when crossing the finish line in Nome. Mushers keep a veterinary diary on the trail and are required to have it signed by a veterinarian at each checkpoint. Dogs that become exhausted or injured may be carried in the sled's "basket" to the next "dog-drop" site, where they are transported by the volunteer Iditarod Air Force to the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center at Eagle River where they are taken care of by prison inmates until picked up by handlers or family members, or they are flown to Nome for transport home. According to Iditarod veterinarian Dr. Stuart Nelson, Jr., "Reasons for dropping dogs are numerous. Attitude problems, fatigue, illness, immaturity, injury, being “in heat,” lack of speed and musher strategy, are the more common ones."

The dogs are well-conditioned athletes. Training starts in late summer or early fall and intensifies between November and March; competitive teams run 2000 mi before the race. When there is no snow, dog drivers train using wheeled carts or all-terrain vehicles set in neutral. An Alaskan husky in the Iditarod will burn about 9,666 calories each day; on a body-weight basis this rate of caloric burn is approximately twice that of a human Tour de France cyclist. Similarly the VO2 max (aerobic capacity) of a typical Iditarod dog is about 240 milligrams of oxygen per kilogram of body weight, which is about three times that of a human Olympic marathon runner.

Criticism

Animal protection activists say that the Iditarod is not a commemoration of the 1925 serum delivery, and that race was originally called the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race in honor of Leonhard Seppala. Animal protection activists also say that the Iditarod is dog abuse. For example, dogs have died and been injured during the race. The practice of tethering dogs on chains, which is commonly used by mushers in their kennels, at checkpoints and dog drops, is also criticized. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals spokesperson Jennifer O'Connor says, "We're totally opposed to the race for the cruelty issues associated with it". The ASPCA said, "General concerns arise whenever intense competition results in dogs being pushed beyond their endurance or capabilities", according to Vice President Stephen Zawistowski.

Iditarod Trail Committee monitors the dogs' health. On May 18, 2007, the Iditarod Trail Committee Board of Directors announced that they had suspended Ramy Brooks for abusing his sled dogs. The suspension was for the 2008 and 2009 races, to be followed by three years probation. Brooks has now retired from dog racing.

In 2017 Wells Fargo announced that it would no longer sponsor the race. While it declined to give specific reasons for the withdrawal of funds, Iditarod CEO Stan Hooley told the Associated Press that he believed the decision was connected to the activists' implications of cruelty to dogs.

In 2020 several major companies withdrew their sponsorship for the race after pressure from PETA. Exxon announced it would pull its financial support after the 2021 event. Millenium Hotels and Resorts dropped their national sponsorship following the 2022 race.

Records and awards

Dick Wilmarth won the first race in the year 1973, in 20 days, 0 hours, 49 minutes, and 41 seconds. The fastest winning time was completed by Mitch Seavey with a time of 8 days, 3 hours, 40 minutes, and 13 seconds in 2017. The closest finish between two mushers was in 1978 between Dick Mackey and Rick Swenson. Mackey's win was controversial because while the nose of his lead dog crossed the finish line one second ahead of Swenson's lead dog, Swenson's body crossed the finish line first.

The first musher to win four races was Rick Swenson, in 1982. In 1991 he became the first person to win five times and the only musher to win the race in three different decades. Susan Butcher, Doug Swingley, Martin Buser, Jeff King, Lance Mackey, and Dallas Seavey are the only other four-time winners. In 2021 Dallas Seavey became the second person to win five times, and took the record outright with his sixth win in the 2024 version.

Mary Shields was the first woman to complete the race, in 1974 (finishing 23rd). In 1985 Libby Riddles was the only musher to brave a blizzard, becoming the first woman to win the race. She was featured in Vogue, and named the Professional Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation. Susan Butcher withdrew from the same race after two of her dogs were killed by a moose, but she became the second woman to win the race the next year and subsequently won three of the next four races. Butcher was the second musher to win four races and the only musher to finish in either first or second place for five straight years.

Doug Swingley of Montana was the first non-Alaskan to win the race, in 1995. Mushers from 14 countries have competed in the Iditarod races, and in 1992 Martin Buser—a Swiss resident of Alaska since 1979—was the first foreigner to win the race. Buser became a naturalized U.S. citizen in a ceremony under the Burled Arch in Nome following the 2002 race. In 2003, Norwegian Robert Sørlie became the first non-resident of the United States to win the race.

In 2007 Lance Mackey became the first musher to win both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year; a feat he repeated in 2008. Mackey also joined his father and brother, Dick and Rick Mackey as an Iditarod champion. All three Mackeys raced with the bib number 13, and all won their respective titles on their sixth try.

The "Golden Harness" is most frequently given to the lead dog or dogs of the winning team in addition to a celebratory cupcake in the shape of an Alaskan Malamute named William. However, it is decided by a vote of the mushers, and in 2008 was given to Babe, the lead dog of Ramey Smyth, the 3rd-place finisher. Babe was almost 11 years old when she finished the race, and it was her ninth Iditarod. The "Rookie of the Year" award is given to the musher who places the best among those finishing their first Iditarod. A red lantern signifying perseverance is awarded to the last musher to cross the finish line. The size of the purse determines how many mushers receive cash prizes. For the 2013 edition of the race, the total purse was US$600,000, to be divided by the top 30 finishers, with every finisher below 30th place receiving $1,049. The champion receives a new pickup truck and $69,000 as of 2015.

List of winners

Winners of multiple races

Number of winners by birth country

Number of American winners by birth state

Races

 * American Dog Derby (Idaho, USA)
 * Arctic Alps Cup (La Grande Odyssée & Finnmarksløpet)
 * Finnmarksløpet (Norway)
 * La Grande Odyssée (France and Switzerland)
 * List of sled dog races
 * Yukon Quest (From Alaska to Yukon)

Other

 * 1925 serum run to Nome
 * Balto - 1995 animated film
 * Idiotarod, shopping trolley races
 * Iditarod: Toughest Race on Earth - 2008 reality television miniseries
 * Kevin of the North - 2001 film
 * Winterdance - 1994 non-fiction book by Gary Paulsen

title: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race