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Distro - 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.... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Xinjiang. Traditional skier blasting throw deep... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Hamlet of Akorum. Tursin... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Boidai village. In local... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Xinjiang. Ashatu helping Tursin make holes in the... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai mountains, Xinjiang. Hkom, a small village... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Mulchin and Udur skiing... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. Altai Mountains. 2013. Xinjiang. Hamlet of Kathenghar.... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Ashatu carrying a heavy... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. The traditional skiers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Serik's wife calls in... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Batwulza using the horse-hide... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Batwulza flying down... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Batwulza flying down... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Tursin and his friends... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Serik using his skis... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Hamlet of Kathenghar.... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Hamlet of Akorum. Tursin... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Outside the vilalge of... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Jingsbek and Mungkebati,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Tuktun (77), who has... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Tursin and his friends... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Tursin and his friends... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Batwulza chopping firewood... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. In the hamlet of Akorum,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai mountains, Xinjiang. In the hamlet of Akorum,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai mountains, Xinjiang. Tursin, his son Eneral,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. In the hamlet of Akorum,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai mountains, Xinjiang. Ashatu readies a piece... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Kanas, a small village... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Kanas, a small village... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. In local tradition the... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Boidai village. In local... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai mountains, Xinjiang. A man trying to get his... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Hamlet of Akorum. In... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Altai Mountains, Xinjiang. Traditional skier charging... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2013

CHINA. 2013. Burqin. At the Burqin Museum, petroglyphs of a skier... 
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