Gross Skiing History and Equipment

gross skiing

 History

Grass skiing was invented by Richard Martin in Germany in 1966. It was created initially as a training method for skiers before the winter season. Two years after, Martin introduced the new skiing variation to the Vosges region of France. Eventually, it has grown in popularity and became wide-known in the country.
Starting as a competitive sport, grass skiing has gained a worldwide audience and consequently, there have been ski modifications through the years. Grass skiing centers can be found in Europe, Italy ( Forni di Sopra), Taiwan, China, Japan, Iran, Austria, and Switzerland, and the Grass Skiing World Cup has already been established. There is also a place in Northern Spain, a village called Pajares, in which every last weekend of August they celebrate the annual Skiing on the Grass race, in which they have participants of all ages.

Equipment

Originally, skis used in grass skiing were like rolling treads attached to the ski boots. Nowadays, there are two types of skis used in grass skiing. These are the wheeled models and the tracked ones. The wheeled model can be used in various terrains and for freestyle and off-piste action. The tracked model on the other hand is specifically designed to be used in grassy slopes.
Grass skiers also use ski poles just like in snow skiing. For protection, grass skiers wear padding on the legs and elbows, as well as helmets.