Sondre Norheim, born
Sondre Auverson, (June 10, 1825 – March 9, 1897) was a Norwegian skier and pioneer of modern
skiingSkiing is a group of sports using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
. Born at Øverbø and raised in
MorgedalMorgedal, of the municipality of Kviteseid in the county of Telemark Norway, is called the cradle of skiing.Morgedal, Norway is a village whose most famous residents were Sondre Norheim, known to be the father of modern skiing plus Torjus Hemmestveit and Mikkjel Hemmestveit...
in the municipality of
KviteseidKviteseid is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kviteseid...
in
Telemarkis a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
, he 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 bindings and shorter skis with curved sides to facilitate turns.
Sondre Norheim, born
Sondre Auverson, (June 10, 1825 – March 9, 1897) was a Norwegian skier and pioneer of modern
skiingSkiing is a group of sports using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
. Born at Øverbø and raised in
MorgedalMorgedal, of the municipality of Kviteseid in the county of Telemark Norway, is called the cradle of skiing.Morgedal, Norway is a village whose most famous residents were Sondre Norheim, known to be the father of modern skiing plus Torjus Hemmestveit and Mikkjel Hemmestveit...
in the municipality of
KviteseidKviteseid is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kviteseid...
in
Telemarkis a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
, he 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 bindings and shorter skis with curved sides to facilitate turns. In 1868 he won the first national skiing competition in
ChristianiaChristiania may refer to:* Christiania or Kristiania, names of Oslo * Christiania Township, Jackson County, Minnesota* Christiania Township, Burleigh County, North Dakota* Freetown Christiania, neighborhood of Copenhagen, Denmark...
, beating his younger competitors by a large margin. His reputation grew, and eventually made
NorwegianNorwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants ...
words like
skiA ski is a long, flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now primarily used for recreational and sporting purposes...
and
slalomTo slalom is to zigzag between obstacles. It can refer to:Sports:*Slalom skiing*Whitewater slalom/kayaking*Freestyle slalom skating*Slalom skateboarding*Slalom water skiing*Slalom ice skating*Slalom windsurfing*Snowboard parallel giant slalom skiing...
known worldwide. Sondre Norheim is also known as the father of
Telemark skiingTelemark skiing is a term used for skiing using the Telemark turn. It is also known as "free heel skiing." Unlike alpine skiing equipment, the skis used for telemarking have a binding that only connects the boot to the ski at the toes, just as in cross-country skiing...
.
In 1884, Norheim followed in the footsteps of many of his neighbors in Morgedal and immigrated to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with most of his family. After having first settled in Minnesota, they moved to
North DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America; on the Canadian border halfway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. North Dakota is the 19th largest state by area in the U.S.; it is the 3
rd least populous, with just over 641,481 residents as...
, near Villard in
McHenry CountyMcHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of 2000, the population was 5,987. Its county seat is Towner.McHenry is part of the Minot Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. 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,
McHenry County, North DakotaMcHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of 2000, the population was 5,987. Its county seat is Towner.McHenry is part of the Minot Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. His grave was unmarked until recently, but a memorial stone now marks its spot. A statue of Sondre Norheim by Norwegian sculptor Knut Skinnarland was unveiled in 1987 in the
Scandinavian Heritage ParkScandinavian Heritage Park is located in Minot, North Dakota. Scandinavian Heritage Park features remembrances and replicas from each of the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland....
, in
Minot, North DakotaMinot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. With a population of 36,567 at the 2000 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state. The city is the county seat of Ward County and is a trading center for a large portion of northern North Dakota, southwestern...
. 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 ParkScandinavian Heritage Park is located in Minot, North Dakota. Scandinavian Heritage Park features remembrances and replicas from each of the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland....
. Lars Berge Haugen, a skier representing
MorgedalMorgedal, of the municipality of Kviteseid in the county of Telemark Norway, is called the cradle of skiing.Morgedal, Norway is a village whose most famous residents were Sondre Norheim, known to be the father of modern skiing plus Torjus Hemmestveit and Mikkjel Hemmestveit...
, lit the flame.
Further Reading
Sondre Norheim - The Father of Modern Skiing by Anne-Gry Blikom and Eivind Molde, (North American Heritage Press. Minot, North Dakota. October 2003)
External links