Skis are one of humankind’s earliest and most successful technologies. Yet the ski’s origin is still being debated – the where, the when, even the possibility of multiple points of origin. Leave the debating behind and hit the slopes, skiing uphill, downhill and across the hill on a pair of skis (and single pole) built in the Altai ski tradition, a design that dates back thousands of years. Bring your own free heel touring skis and compare skiing with modern and traditional ski designs. After an overview on the use and history of skis, the class heads out to the snowy slopes on Lutsen Mountains to experiment with the traditional uses of wooden skis (including strapping on skins to climb hills) while exploring the differences and similarities between traditional skiing techniques and modern free heel techniques.

Nils Larsen is this year’s featured guest for the Winterer’s Gathering & Arctic Film Festival (November 19-22). He will give a featured presentation on his documentary expeditions to the Altai region, where he met traditional ski makers and users, on Saturday, Nov 21. He will also be featured in a roundtable discussion on the origin and use of wooden skis on Friday, Nov 20. Details about his programs and a complete event schedule are available by visiting the Winterer’s Gathering & Arctic Film Festival web page.

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