Skiing Books

Book SynopsisUtah is known for having the greatest snow on earth, and this comprehensive guide provides all the details you need to make the most of your vacation.

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Book SynopsisThe story of Nordic skiing in the Midwest—its origins and history, its star athletes and races, and its place in the region’s social fabric and the nation’s winter recreation In the winter of 1841, a Norwegian immigrant in Wisconsin strapped on a pair of wooden boards and set off across the snow to buy flour—leaving tracks that perplexed his neighbors and marked the arrival of Nordic skiing in America. To this day, the Midwest is the nation’s epicenter of cross-country skiing, sporting a history as replete with athleticism and competitive spirit as it is steeped in old-world lore and cold-world practicality. This history unfolds in full for the first time in Winter’s Children.Nordic skiing first took hold as a sport in the Upper Midwest at the end of the nineteenth century, giving rise to an early ski league and a host of star athletes. With the arrival of a pair of brothers from Telemark, Norway, the world’s best skiers at the time, the sport—and the ski manufacturing industry—reached new heights in Minnesota, only to see its fortunes fall after World War II, when downhill skiing surged in popularity. In Winter’s Children Ryan Rodgers traces the rise and fall of Nordic skiing in the Midwest from its introduction in the late 1800s to its uncertain future in today’s rapidly changing climate. Along the way he profiles the sport’s stars and stalwarts, from working-class Norwegian immigrants with a near-spiritual reverence for cross-country skiing to Americans passionately committed to the virtues of competitive sport, and he chronicles races like the thrilling 1938 Arrowhead Derby (which ran from Duluth to St. Paul over five days) and the American Birkebeiner, the nation’s largest cross-country event, which takes place every year in northern Wisconsin, snowpack permitting. Generously illustrated with vintage photography and ski posters, and featuring firsthand observations drawn from interviews, Winter’s Children is an engaging look at the earliest ski teams and touring clubs; the evolution of cross-country skis, gear, and fashion; and the ambitious and ongoing effort to establish and maintain a vast trail network across the Minnesota state park system. Trade Review"Ryan Rodgers captures the essence of cross-country skiing in the Midwest, from its earliest days of making wooden skis to the snowmaking loops and large races of today. Learning the rich history of the sport I love so much brings an even greater appreciation to skiing and all the amazing individuals who have collectively changed the sport over the years. The detail and character of the photos woven into Rodgers's storytelling bring this amazing history to life."—Jessie Diggins, Olympic gold medalist and author of Brave Enough"On a perfect summer night, I read Winter’s Children, and all I could do was wish for snow. Ryan Rodgers’s entertaining chronicle of the development of cross-country skiing reminds us how many before us broke the trail we ski on today."—R.T. Rybak, former mayor of Minneapolis and author of Pothole Confidential"If you want to take a trip down Nordic skiing's memory lane in the Midwest, I hail Ryan Rodgers's new book, Winter's Children. Having lived many of the experiences he writes about, I found it both a ski journalism achievement and a pleasure to read. His research is meticulous, and the photographs captivate. The pages come alive with stories about the growth of the cross-country ski sport, the brilliance of people like Telemark's late Tony Wise, and the sport’s most beloved and innovative personalities. I couldn't put it down. I'm so pleased Rodgers shares the extraordinary legacy of the people who helped the sport grow and prosper."—Peter Graves, ABC Sports Olympic commentator, cross-country skiing, Lake Placid Olympic Games "Rodgers takes the epic tales of American skiing, and allows its practitioners to work together with his prose to form a journey with all the ebbs, flows, wanderings, and epiphanies of a long ski in the woods. In doing so, he lifts the stories of this sport, done at the edges of frozen existence, out of the ether and into something material."—FasterSkier "It is a beautiful book through and through with photos from all eras."—Grand Rapids Herald Review "Highlighted in chapters within the coffee table-style book it northwestern Wisconsin, particularly the American Birkebeiner and other local ski races."—Sawyer County Record "Generously illustrated, this is an engaging look at the earliest ski teams and touring clubs; the evolution of cross-country skis, gear, and fashion; and the ambitious effort to maintain a vast trail network across Minnesota’s state park system."—The Timberjay "Winter’s Children’s biographical profiles are one of its greatest strengths. Rodgers’s richly detailed, dynamic storytelling reveals his experience as a freelance writer for outdoors publications. He weaves people’s lives into the larger history of skiing."—Middle West Review "Rodgers enlivens the history by focusing on the people who developed Nordic skiing, weaving together biographical info with anecdotes and including some 300 photos."—Cross County Skier "Rodgers’ writing is engaging and at times almost poetic. He blends oral history with archival sources and personal reflections in a seamless way that makes reading his prose a pleasure."—Nordic Sports Studies Forum "Generously illustrated, this is an engaging look at the earliest ski teams and touring clubs; the evolution of cross-country skis, gear, and fashion; and the ambitious effort to maintain a vast trail network across Minnesota’s state part system."—KTNF-AM

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Book SynopsisThis text examines the history of skiing in America, from its utilitarian origins to its transformation into a purely recreational activity. It integrates the history of skiing in the context of cultural, social and economic developments.

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Book SynopsisFor over a century New Englanders have taken to the slopes in search of ways to enjoy the coldest months, and skiing has deep roots in the region. In the late nineteenth century Scandinavian immigrants worked to educate snowbound locals on how to ski, make equipment, and prepare trails. Soon thereafter, colleges across the Northeast built world-class ski programs, massive jumps were constructed in Brattleboro and Berlin, and dozens of ski areas—big and small—cropped up from the 1930s through the 1980s.Traveling the Old Ski Tracks of New England offers a fascinating history of downhill, cross-country, and backcountry skiing across the region and its leading personalities. Moving from popular destinations like Stowe, Cannon, Bromley, and Mount Washington to the less intimidating hills surrounding Boston, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, E. John B. Allen also recovers the forgotten stories of ski areas that have been abandoned in the face of changing tastes and a warming climate.

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Book SynopsisFor over a century New Englanders have taken to the slopes in search of ways to enjoy the coldest months, and skiing has deep roots in the region. In the late nineteenth century Scandinavian immigrants worked to educate snowbound locals on how to ski, make equipment, and prepare trails. Soon thereafter, colleges across the Northeast built world-class ski programs, massive jumps were constructed in Brattleboro and Berlin, and dozens of ski areas—big and small—cropped up from the 1930s through the 1980s.Traveling the Old Ski Tracks of New England offers a fascinating history of downhill, cross-country, and backcountry skiing across the region and its leading personalities. Moving from popular destinations like Stowe, Cannon, Bromley, and Mount Washington to the less intimidating hills surrounding Boston, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, E. John B. Allen also recovers the forgotten stories of ski areas that have been abandoned in the face of changing tastes and a warming climate.

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Book SynopsisCrowood Sports Guides are superbly-designed full colour paperbacks providing sound practical advice that will help make you a better player whether you are learning the basic skills, discovering more advanced techniques and tactics, or reviewing the fundamentals of your game. Ideal for the novice or the experienced skier in search of new ideas or confidence, Skiing concentrates on movement and posture, overcoming psychological barriers and introduces the technique of "tactical skiing."

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Book SynopsisIntroducing a unique series of international sport/travel guides: your favorite sports, Outside's top picks of the greatest places on earth to pursue them. Each guide is an invitation to take your first steps toward an active vacation of exploration.

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