When ski-ing was first introduced to the Alps, the tradional single ski stick gave way to two, and the practice of ski-riding, like a witch on a broomstick, was eschewed. However the Nordic skis and bindings did not easily allow ski-runners, as they were called, to turn. As a result the most popular way to descend a steep slope was to run in a straight line – a style called “glissading” – until either gravity or a fall brought the ski-runner to a halt.
The earliest turns were called the Christiana and the Telemark, both named after places in Norway. Christiana is now called Oslo.
