Editing Sondre Norheim

{{Infobox skier
| name = Sondre Norheim
| image = Sondre Norheim.jpg
| caption = <small>Photograph of Sondre Norheim ca. 1880</small>
| nationality = {{flag|Norway|1844}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1825|6|10}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1897|3|9|1825|6|10}}
| birth_place = [[Morgedal]], [[Telemark]], Norway
| death_place = [[North Dakota]], US
| personalbest = [[List of longest ski jumps#Men|{{convert|19.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}]]<br>[[Brunkeberg (Telemark)|Brunkeberg]], Norway<br><small>(March 8, 1868)</small>
}}

'''Sondre Norheim''', born '''Sondre Auverson''', (10 June 1825 &ndash; 9 March 1897) was a [[Norwegian people|Norwegian]] skier and pioneer of modern [[skiing]].  Sondre Norheim is known as the father of [[Telemark skiing]].
<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://snl.no/Sondre_Norheim
|title=Sondre Norheim 
|publisher=Store norske leksikon  
|author=Rolf Bryhn
|date=March 26, 2014
|accessdate=August 16, 2015}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://nbl.snl.no/Sondre_Norheim
|title=Sondre Norheim, Skiløper
|publisher=Norsk biografisk leksikon
|author=Kjetil Steinsholt
|date= 
|accessdate=August 16, 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Sondre Norheim Morgedal.jpg|thumb|250 px|Statue of Sondre Norheim in Morgedal]]

==Background==
Sondre Auverson was born at Øverbø, a little [[Cotter (farmer)|cotter]]'s farm and raised in [[Morgedal]] in the municipality of [[Kviteseid]] in [[Telemark]], Norway. Skiing was a popular activity in Morgedal. Sondre  took to [[downhill skiing]] as a recreational activity, rising to local fame for his skills.  He made important innovations in skiing technology by designing new equipment, such as different [[Ski binding#Norheim's binding|bindings]] and shorter skis with curved sides to facilitate turns. He also designed the [[Telemark ski]], which is the prototype of all those now produced. Sondre Norheim was regarded by his contemporaries as a master of the art of skiing. He combined ordinary skiing with jumping and slalom. In 1868 he won the first national skiing competition in [[Oslo|Christiania]], beating his younger competitors by a large margin. His reputation grew, and eventually made [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] words like [[ski]] and slalåm ([[Slalom skiing|slalom]]) known worldwide.<ref>[http://www.cyberclip.com/Katrine/NorwayInfo/Articles/Skiing1.html ''The Cradle of Skiing''  Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. February 1993] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218152414/http://www.cyberclip.com/Katrine/NorwayInfo/Articles/Skiing1.html |date=2010-02-18 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
On 15 January 1854 Sondre Norheim married Rannei Åmundsdotter from a cotter's farm at [[Øyfjell]], a neighbouring village. In March 1854 their first daughter, Ingerid, was born. The next year little Hæge came, but she died at 15 weeks old. The next year Olav was born, and then another daughter they called Hæge, then Anne, Auver, Åmund and Talleiv. Sondre and Rannei lost a second child when Auver died at age 12. The family moved around to different places in Morgedal. Their last place was called "Norheim", which Sondre took as a new family name.
<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://hostfest.com/heritage/sondrenorheim/
|title=Sondre Norheim 
|publisher=Norsk Høstfest 
|date= 
|accessdate=August 16, 2015}}</ref>

==Emigration==
On 30 May 1884 Sondre and Rannei left Norway together with three of their  children–  Anne (21), Åmund (14) and Talleiv (12). Their son Olav and daughter Hæge had left home previously, and their eldest daughter Ingerid decided to stay back home. Norheim followed in the footsteps of many of his neighbors in Morgedal and emigrated from Norway to the [[United States]]. After having first settled in Minnesota, they moved to [[North Dakota]], near [[Villard, North Dakota|Villard]] in [[McHenry County, North Dakota|McHenry County]]. He continued to ski when he could, though the climate and flat topography of the Dakota prairie offered few opportunities for downhill skiing. It was said he always had a pair of skis placed outside his door. Norheim grew more religious with age and helped build a [[Lutheran]] church in Villard. He died in 1897 and was buried in [[Denbigh, North Dakota|Denbigh]], [[McHenry County, North Dakota]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.naha.stolaf.edu/pubs/nas/volume29/vol29_12.htm |title=''Sondre Norheim: Folk Hero to Immigrant'' by John Weinstock (Norwegian-American Historical Association. Volume 29: Page 339) |access-date=2010-01-20 |archive-date=2020-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412170113/http://www.naha.stolaf.edu/pubs/nas/volume29/vol29_12.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Legacy==
Sondre Norheim was honored during opening ceremonies at the [[1952 Winter Olympics]] in Oslo, at the  [[1960 Winter Olympics]] in [[Squaw Valley, Placer County, California|Squaw Valley, California]] and at the [[1994 Winter Olympics]] in [[Lillehammer, Norway]]. 
His grave was originally unmarked, but a memorial stone now marks its spot. During the week of [[Norsk Høstfest]], held in [[Minot, N.D.]], groups visit the grave site and hold a commemorative service in memory of Sondre Norheim.  
<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.telelaget.com/pioneers/norheim/didyouknow.htm
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203124437/http://www.telelaget.com/pioneers/norheim/didyouknow.htm
|url-status=usurped
|archive-date=February 3, 2014
|title=The Inventor of Modern Skiing, Sondre Norheim, Later Became a Farmer in North Dakota
|publisher=Fargo (ND) Forum 
|author=Curtis Eriksmoen 
|date=December 19, 2004
|accessdate=August 16, 2015}}</ref>

The movie, ''Frikaren på ski – The history of Sondre Norheim, the Father of Modern Ski Sport'' was produced by [[NRK]] in 1970.
<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://vest-telemark.itum.com/sider/tekst.asp?side=508
|title=''Frikaren på ski – The history of Sondre Norheim
|publisher= Vest-Telemark Museum
|author= 
|date=
|accessdate=August 16, 2015}}</ref>
In 1984, Norheim was inducted into the [http://hostfest.com/awards/hall-of-fame/ Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame] as the first class of inductees. A statue of Sondre Norheim by Norwegian sculptor Knut Skinnarland (1909-1993) was unveiled in 1987 in the [[Scandinavian Heritage Park]], in [[Minot, North Dakota]]. During 1988, an identical statue was unveiled in [[Morgedal, Norway]] by [[King Olav V]]. During 1993, the Sondre Norheim Eternal Flame Monument was added to the [[Scandinavian Heritage Park]]. Lars Berge Haugan, a skier representing [[Morgedal]], lit the flame.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sondrenorheim.com/olympics/1994.htm |title=''A Torch for the XVII Olympic Winter Games'' (Lillehammer, Norway, 1994) |access-date=2010-01-20 |archive-date=2011-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720010949/http://www.sondrenorheim.com/olympics/1994.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Ski jumping world record==
Set on the first ever official ski jumping competition.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left; line-height:16px; width:35%;"
!style="background-color: #ccc;" width="100"|Date
!style="background-color: #ccc;" width="120"|Hill
!style="background-color: #ccc;" width="140"|Location
!style="background-color: #ccc;" width="55"|Metres
!style="background-color: #ccc;" width="55"|Feet
|-
| align=right|March,8 1868 &nbsp;
| [[Hauglibakken]]
| [[Brunkeberg (Telemark)|Brunkeberg]], [[Norway]]
| align=center|19.5
| align=center|64
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Blikom, Anne-Gry and Eivind Molde (2003) ''Sondre Norheim - The Father of Modern Skiing''  (North American Heritage Press. Minot, ND) {{ISBN|978-0942323351}}
*Steinsholt, Kjetil  and  Knut  Høihjelle (1993)  ''Sondre Nordheim  fra Morgedal'' (Tapir Akademisk Forlag: Trondheim) {{ISBN|9788251911443}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sondrenorheim.com/ Sondre Norheim – The Skiing Pioneer of Telemark]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20091119034135/http://www.telelaget.com/pioneers/norheim/index.htm Telelaget of America – Sondre Norheim, Father of Modern Skiing]}}
*[https://archive.today/20130113052024/http://www.scandinavianheritage.org/sondrenorheim.htm Scandinavian Heritage Association - Sondre Norheim Statue]
*[http://www.vest-telemark.no/Aktoer/Morgedal/Aktuelt/I-skispora-til-Sondre Morgedal  - Sondre Norheim] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703164907/http://www.vest-telemark.no/Aktoer/Morgedal/Aktuelt/I-skispora-til-Sondre |date=2016-07-03 }}
*{{YouTube|sNWxwNF5HKQ|Sondre Norheim Burial Site - video from North Dakota}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norheim, Sondre}}
[[Category:1825 births]]
[[Category:1897 deaths]]
[[Category:Norwegian male alpine skiers]]
[[Category:People from Kviteseid]]
[[Category:People from North Dakota]]
[[Category:Norwegian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Skiers from Telemark]]