Ski-running

Rickmers, Willi Rickmer, 1873-1965Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 233K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Ski-running by Crichton Somerville, Richardson, and RickmersAuthor: Rickmers, Willi Rickmer, 1873-1965,Language: English, Class: GV: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Recreation, Leisure, Release Date: Aug 31, 2017

Editor's review

This book is a relatively uncommon item in the early literature of skiing, written in the early twentieth century by Willi Rickmers and others; it records skiing as a means of transport and a winter sport practised in mountain settings such as the Alps. Its value lies not in systematic technical instruction but in a sense of historical immediacy: readers can see how people understood travelling on snow, controlling descents and moving through mountains before modern skiing became widespread, and the plain judgements of the time about snow conditions, routes and equipment. The prose bears the mark of its age and leans on experience and observation, making it suitable for readers interested in the history of winter sports, mountain culture or the origins of outdoor pursuits. Because the book is early, its technical details and safety ideas should not be adopted directly; it is better read as historical material and background. Read it alongside maps and geographical context, attending to how ideas and methods changed rather than to specific techniques.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of skiing and early ways of travelling in mountains
Those studying the origins of outdoor pursuits and changes in winter-sport culture
General readers who enjoy old travel writing and mountain observation
Readers who want background on early twentieth-century skiing practice in the Alps

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a modern skiing manual and technique
Skiers who need systematic safety standards and up-to-date equipment knowledge
Readers who prefer easy storytelling and lack patience for historical writing

Reading tips

Read the contents and chapter titles first to grasp the geographical scope and distribution of topics.
Keep a map of the Alps at hand and compare the terrain and routes mentioned as you read.
Treat technical descriptions as historical material; skip obsolete terms for now and return to them later.
When finished, compare with modern introductory skiing material to see how ideas and methods differ.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for learning modern skiing technique?

No. The book was written early, and deals with skiing practice and observation in mountain conditions of its time; its technical details and safety ideas are far from modern teaching systems. It can help you understand the historical background of skiing, but cannot replace modern coaching and standard manuals.

Can someone with no skiing experience read it?

Yes, but expectations need adjusting. Many descriptions rest on the equipment and terrain of the time, which beginners may find unfamiliar. Treat it as a history book: learn the background first, then read specific chapters, without insisting on mastering every term.

What supporting material is useful while reading?

A map of the Alps and basic geographical material are advisable, to help locate the mountains and routes mentioned. If you meet old units of measurement or equipment names, mark them and check them after finishing the chapter, so as not to interrupt the reading rhythm too often.

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About the author

Rickmers, Willi Rickmer, 1873-1965 Author

Willi Rickmer Rickmers (1873–1965) was one of the early recorders in the history of mountaineering and skiing, and his representative work Ski-running deals with the practice of skiing techniques and movement through mountain terrain. Because public information is limited, his full life, nationality and educational background cannot be confirmed, and only one of his works is currently held in the collection. The book shows that he focused on concrete methods of skiing as a practical means of transport and a winter sport, rather than on general travel impressions; his writing tends toward technical observation and the summing up of experience, with direct language and attention to points of movement and practical application under snow conditions. Writing of this kind had reference value in the early period when skiing was gradually becoming popular, and it offers a traceable textual source for later literature on ski instruction and mountain sports.