Editing Alpine skiing (section)

==History==
The ancient origins of skiing can be traced back to prehistoric times in Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway where varying sizes and shapes of wooden planks were found preserved in [[peat bogs]].<ref name="history">{{cite web |title=Alpine skiing Equipment and History – Olympic Sport History |url=https://www.olympic.org/alpine-skiing-equipment-and-history |website=International Olympic Committee |access-date=March 8, 2019 |language=en |date=May 15, 2018}}</ref> The word ''ski'' is related to the [[Old Norse]] word {{lang|non|skíð}}, which means "split piece of wood or firewood."<ref name=":0">Caprona, Yann de: Norsk etymologisk ordbok. Oslo: Kagge forlag, 2014. {{ISBN|9788248910541}}.</ref> Skis were first invented to cross wetlands and marshes in the winter when they froze over. Skiing was an integral part of transportation in colder countries for thousands of years. In the 1760s, skiing was recorded as being used in military training. The Norwegian army held skill competitions involving skiing down slopes, around trees and obstacles while shooting.<ref name="military">{{cite web |last1=Sood |first1=Suemedha |title=Where did skiing come from? |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20101221-travelwise-where-did-skiing-come-from |website=www.bbc.com |access-date=March 8, 2019 |language=en |date=December 22, 2010}}</ref> The birth of modern alpine skiing is often dated to the 1850s, and during the late 19th century, skiing was adapted from a method of transportation to a competitive and recreational sport.<ref name=history/> Norwegian legend [[Sondre Norheim]] first began the trend of skis with curved sides, and bindings with stiff heel bands made of [[willow]]. Norheim also introduced the [[slalom skiing|slalom]] turn style.<ref name=history/> The wooden skis designed by Norheim closely resemble the shape of modern slalom skis.<ref>Vaage, Jakob (1952). ''Norske ski erobrer verden''. Oslo: Gyldendal.</ref> Norheim was the champion of the first downhill skiing competition, reportedly held in [[Oslo, Norway]] in 1868.<ref name=history/> Norheim impressed spectators when he used the [[stem christie]] in [[Oslo|Christiania]] (Oslo) in 1868, the technique was originally called ''christiania turn'' (norwegian: ''christianiasving'' or ''kristianiasving'') after the city (first printed in 1901 in guidelines for ski jumping). The telemark turn was the alternative technique. The christiania turn later developed into [[parallel turn]] as the standard technique in alpine skiing.<ref name="Bjaaland, Olav S. 1966">Bjaaland, Olav S. (1966). ''Den moderne skiidrott hundre år: 1866–1966.'' Oslo.</ref><ref>aage, Jakob (1979). ''Skienes verden''. Oslo: Hjemmenes forlag i samarbeid med Foreningen til ski-idrettens fremme. {{ISBN|8270061689}}.</ref><ref>''Alpin skisport: utfor, slalåm, storslalåm.'' Oslo: Teknologisk forlag 1980. {{ISBN|8251201942}}.</ref><ref>Hem, Olav (1996). ''Idrettsordboka: norsk-engelsk/engelsk-norsk ordbok for vinteridretter.'' Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. {{ISBN|8200227758}}.</ref>

The term "slalom" is from Norwegian dialects ''slalåm'' meaning a trail (''låm'') on a slope (''sla'').<ref name=":0" /> In Telemark in the 1800s, the steeper and more difficult trails were called ''ville låmir'' (wild trails). Skiing competitions in [[Telemark]] often began on a steep mountain, continued along a logging-slides (''tømmerslepe'') and were completed with a sharp turn (''Telemark turn'') on a field or frozen lake. This type of competition used the natural and typical terrain in Telemark. Some races were on "bumpy courses" (''kneikelåm'') and sometimes included "steep jumps" (''sprøytehopp'') for difficulty.<ref>Bø, Olav (1993). ''Skiing throughout history''. Oslo: Samlaget. {{ISBN|8252138853}}.</ref> The first known slalom competitions were presumably held in Telemark around 1870 in conjunction with [[ski jumping]] competitions, involving the same athletes and on slopes next to the ski jump.<ref name="Bjaaland, Olav S. 1966"/> [[Husebyrennet]] from 1886 included ''svingrenn'' (turning competition on hills), the term ''slalåm'' had not been introduced at that time.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Huntford |first1=Roland |title=To planker og en lidenskap : skiløpingens historie |date=2006 |publisher=Aschehoug |location=Oslo |isbn=978-82-03-20945-1}}</ref> ''Slalom'' was first used at a skiing competition in [[Sonnenberg]] in 1906.<ref>Bergsland, Einar (1946): ''På ski''. Oslo: Aschehoug.</ref> Two to three decades later, the sport spread to the rest of Europe and the US. The first slalom ski competition occurred in [[Mürren]], Switzerland in 1922.