Feature - Last of the First Skiers
Jonas Bendiksen
In the far northern corner of Xinjiang province, in the Altai mountains, one can find the last remnants of an ancient culture. The area is populated by a mix of ethnic Kazakhs, Mongolians and Tuwas, who handmake their own wooden skis in the same way as their forefathers thousands of years ago. Archeological finds indicate that this region might possibly be the origin of skiing, with a ski history that surpasses northern European countries.
For thousands of years, the skis have been used to hunt elk, bear and other animals, and only a few skiers still know these ancient winter hunting skills....
