How Skiing came to New England

Cross-country skiing originates from Scandinavian countries. It was used as a way of traveling across stretches of flat, open land. Cross-country skiing was one of the earliest ways of transportation. When the Swedes immigrated to Maine and other parts of New England they found that even though the land was not as flat as in the Scandinavian countries, when the snow fell they could use the skis to get around. The skis that were used when they first came over were of an unequal length, but by the time that New Sweden, a skiing town, was founded, the skis had become more equal in length.

Skiing's History in New England

Once Skiing was introduced in New Sweden it took off. People used skiing as a way of getting around in the deep snow of the Northeast.  It was once said that "Everyone in New Sweden used skis."   Alden Anderson, who was born in New Sweden said that "If you wanted to go anywhere in the winter you just jumped on your skis and went."  Children would use skiing to get to schools, as there were very few busses.  With so many people using skis as a way of transportation, new comapanies sprang up to meet the rising demand for ski equipment. Individuals made and sold skis also.   Lars Stadig and Anselm Carlstrom  were both ski makers.

Around the turn of the century (1900's) people started using "dope" or ski wax on their skis to help them ride smoother and quicker across the snow.  Frank Stewart was one man who made and used wax for his skis.  Using the wax he won many races.  When Stewart  retired in 1911, he told people how he made the Old Black Dope, his most popular skiing wax.  The following is his recipe for Old Black Dope:

2 oz spermaceti (whale oil)

1/4 oz pine pitch

1/8 oz camphor

1 tbs balsam fir

1 tbs oil of spruce

Before 1905 little had been published in the United States about skiing and its official rules. Theodore A. Johnsen, an English immigrant, changed that though. When he was 48 years old he wrote the first American Skiing Book, The Winter Sport of Skeeing. It was 54 pages long and included a manual for skiing technique and use of skiing equipment.

The First Ski Jumpers

Before 1916, skiing in Maine was still confined to certain Scandinavian communities. But in 1916, a summer resort located at Poland Springs started to stay open in winter. It offered all different kinds of ski lessons, from cross-country to ski jumping. Before long these events were being called winter carnivals and because of their elaborate offerings, thousands of people were drawn to them each year. Portland and Augusta started to vie for the best show, so each year both towns would do something special to attract more people.

Skiing Prices

When people first started skiing, they would use homemade trails, flat areas of snow, or just use their back yard. This obviosly, was free. With the introduction of ski resorts people had to pay for skiing, but not much.