Skiing has become one of the most popular activities and sports over the last decade, but skiing isn’t just a holiday! The sport of skiing actually has strong historic roots which can be dated back to early societies.

According to Roland Huntford, cave drawings in Central Asia depict a man using skis from the last Ice Age.  Further, the very first skis, from Northern China, can be dated back to 8000 years BC.  Researchers know for certain that skiing was used by the Scandinavian people in the Middle Ages as a form of transportation.

However, downhill skiing as we know it wasn’t invented until the 18th century. Through the 1800s, skiing gained popularity for entertainment purposes, and by the 1930s, most countries offered places to ski.

The first chair lift was installed in Sun Valley, Idaho, in 1936, and certain historic ski sites in Switzerland have been used as movie sets and for the Winter Olympics. It’s safe to say that, in 2025, skiing, as well as its even more modern counterpart snowboarding, is one of the most widespread activities across the globe. But, a ski holiday is more than just skiing! The roots and reasons for skiing are very interesting, so next time you’re on a ski holiday, remember all that it took for you to be sitting on a chair lift and skiing down a mountain!