This Colorado history lesson is all about cross country skiing. People have been skiing in Colorado for generations all because of Scandavanians. According to the Historical Photos of Fruita & Western Colorado's Facebook page, Sandandian immigrants introduced skis to America and people have been cross country skiing ever since.

Many people in America got on board with skis due to Colorado's snow and mountains. Skis were often called 'Norweigan Snowshoes', according to the Historical Photos of Fruita & Western Colorado's Facebook page. But these skis weren't used for sport, they were used more for transportation.

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The skis you see in the photo above and below look different than the ones you see today. According to the Historical Photos of Fruita & Western Colorado's Facebook page, here's what the setup for cross country skiing in 1910 included:

  • Longer skis - usually made of steam-bent planks cut to points
  • Just one pole - instead of cross country skiers using two poles, they just used one long pole
  • Completely different outfits - you don't really see people skiing in dresses and suits anymore

It's so different and interesting that cross country skiers in Colorado in 1910 used just one long pole instead of two, which is almost like paddling your standup paddleboard. The one long pole was used to stabilize and propel the skiers and was also used as a brake. Skiers would put the pole in between their legs and drag it behind them to slow them down when needed.

The picture below is a picture of a group of men in women around 1910 showing off their cross country skis. This group of cross-country skiers were photographed in the Eureka or Animas Fork area, which are well known for being mining ghost towns.

NEXT: World's Largest Zamboni Groomed Ice Rink is in Colorado

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