Nils Larsen: Skiing’s Ancient Roots
Tuesday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. — Exhibition opens 7 p.m.
Max Bell Auditorium, The Banff Centre
$8 at the door
Though the modern sport of skiing originated in Scandinavia, the origins of ski travel stretch back much further in time and geographic range. The people of China’s Altai Mountains have been using the technique since the end of the last ice age, travelling over vast stretches of snow-covered land to hunt.
In 2005, ski instructor and filmmaker Nils Larsen travelled to China to investigate the ancient roots of skiing, and the early skis that are still being used by the people of the Altai today. Travelling with photographer Dave Waag and skier Naheed Henderson, Larsen collected stories and information on the evolution of ski travel, and saw first-hand the heavy, skinned skis still in use.
On Tuesday, April 24, Larsen will present this story as part of The Banff Centre’s popular Mountain Culture Speakers’ Series, a multi-media presentation called Skiing’s Ancient Roots. At 7 p.m., an exhibition of photographs from the Altai will open in the lobby of the Centre’s Max Bell auditorium, with the presentation getting underway at 7:30 p.m.
Nils Larsen
An avid backcountry skier since the early 1970s, Larsen has taught free-heel and backcountry skiing since 1981 and has produced three videos on ski technique. He became interested in investigating the evolution of skiing as a means of winter travel in 2004, when he saw pictures of the people of the Altai region and their skis, shot on the first western ski expedition into the region. Since then, he’s been researching the roots and skiing and documenting the remnant use of traditional skis.
The Mountain Culture Speakers Series continues in 2007 with David Zurick: Himalaya in the Geographic Imagination on May 17.
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More information on Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre
