Sondre Norheim

Sondre Norheim Auersen ( born June 10, 1825 Morgedal, † March 9, 1897 ) was the pioneer of modern skiing.

The farmer's son Sondre Norheim grew up in the Norwegian Telemark region. He was one of the best downhill and Springer his time. He jumped at that time already 30.5 m long and distinguished himself as an organizer of ski competitions.

Both in terms of his talent, and when it came to the level of development of its equipment. He is considered the inventor of the cable - ski binding and developed his own wooden skis These are on display in the Ski Museum of Morgedal today. In 1868, Norheim won in Christiania at the age of 42 years, the first nationwide discharged ski competition in Norway, beating his younger opponent by a large margin.

He is considered the founder of the so-called Telemark technique, a ski technique, their striking appearance is the lunge and the turn initiation based on an exchange step of the legs.

The name " Telemark " received this swing technique in 1888 by the inhabitants of the capital Christiania, today Oslo, when they were at a Skivergleichskampf on " Huseby Hill " against a student Norheim, Torjus Hemme Veit, inferior, so confusion with the to prevent strokes from Christiania ( parallel turns ).

In 1884 he emigrated with his family to the United States and spent the last years of his life in North Dakota. Although there is not to think in the flat prairie landscape of skiing, he should have had, according to tradition always a pair of skis standing on his doorstep.

But remembered in the 70s Skipatrols in Crested Butte, Colorado, to this versatile technology and the extremely light equipment that was perfectly suited for their purposes. From Crested Butte starting witnessed the Telemark technique a renaissance that continues today.