Richard Meyer, age 12, of Portland, Ore., for his question:
WHO INVENTED SKIING?
A question about skiing is good summer medicine. Four different competitive Olympic events are used in the exciting sport: cross country racing, where great distance is covered over natural terrain; ski jumping, where you're judged in both control in the air and your style of landing; downhill, where you race down a steep slope, and slalom, where you go through an obstacle course.
Skiing is one of the world's favorite winter sports. Production of artificial snow is extending the season, and in some parts of the world there is even special summer skiing on plastic covered slopes.
Skiing was invented as a method of transportation by people who lived in heavy snowfall areas. Long bones from large animals were most likely the world's first skis.
The Scandinavian countries produced the first true skis. A pair used about 5,000 years ago is on display today in Stockholm, Sweden.
As far back as the 1200s, skiing was used for military purposes. During the battle of Oslo between Sweden and Norway, Norwegian troops used skiers as military scouts. By 1521, Sweden had a regular ski troop division in its army. And during World War II, the United States used ski troops in Europe's Alps.
By the early 1800s skiing became a sport. Norwegian immigrants brought it to the United States in the mid 1800s and it quickly became popular.
The first winter Olympic Games took place in France in 1924. Skiing played an important part in that event and has continued to be a major division of the international competition. A Federation Internationale de Ski (F IS) was organized in 26 countries in 1924.Experts suggest that skis should be no more than one foot longer than the skier is tall. Shorter skiis are often used for better control.
Ski poles are used to help skiers push themselves forward and also to keep their balance. Baskets on the ends of the poles prevent them from sinking deep into soft snow. Ski poles should be long enough so that the grip is under the skier's arms.
Most skis are made of wood, metal or fiberglass that is reinforced with epoxy. They have plastic running surfaces and metal edges. Most are about three to four inches wide.
Proper ski boots are important for safety. They are made of strong, pliable leather and have thick soles that are usually reinforced with steel. They should fit snugly around the ankles. Safety release bindings are usually used so that the ski clamp will release when pressure is exerted in an emergency. This helps prevent the ski from twisting and therefore spraining or breaking the skier's ankle.