Milestones of Modern Cross Country Skiing in the U.S.
 Since the time wooden skis were found in a peat bog in Sweden dating to 2,000 BC, there have been many milestones that brought cross country skiing to where it is today. In the U.S., the forefathers of our sport include people such as Snowshoe Thompson, who delivered the mail in the Sierra Mountains of California and Jack Rabbit Johannsen, who cross country skied in northern New York.
Here’s a list of interesting milestones, compiled by the editors of XCSkiResorts.com.
1. Development of synthetic cross country skis in 1974.
2. Development of the waxless ski in the early 1970s, most notably the Trak ski with synthetic fishscales on the ski base to eliminate the need for ski waxes. The waxless base gave the recreational skier grip on uphill travel while also allowing gliding downhill.
3. Integrated cross country ski binding systems, which provided substantial improvements in simplicity of boot/binding interface and control in the mid-’70s.
4. Bill Koch winning the Olympic silver medal in 1976 and the World Cup in 1982, the only American to ever win at that level (at least until the U.S. Nordic Combined team’s four-medal performance at the Vancouver Olympics). The Nordic Trak exerciser used the Koch image as a fitness icon in advertisements for years.
5. The onset of the commercial cross country ski area concept, begun in 1968 at Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont.
6. The proliferation of the skating technique with the allure of a faster-paced and higher-performance form of the sport.
7. Revolution Skis developed by Fischer led the way to shorter skis, which were easier to use and consolidated ski sizing and simplified ski selection.
8. Development of lighter clothing with synthetic and breathable materials in the late 1970s, making cross country skiing more comfortable.
9. Advanced in wax technology, leading to the system of wax for different temperatures. |
The 2010-2011 publishing season will mark the 30th year of Cross Country Skier magazine - 30 years as the first name in Nordic ski publications and the #1 source of all things Nordic. This year, the magazine will also publish digital editions with enhanced content. 
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Don't miss a single issue of Cross Country Skier this season. Four great issues for one low price. Read about racing, destinations, training, and a variety of columns for both the recreational and competitive skier. 