SKIING
Originally from the Nordic countries, skiing emerged in the Alps only in the nineteenth century and transformed mountain communities thanks to the arrival of a new economic winter activity, which also contributed to the development of mass tourism. The first successful sports were cross country skiing and ski jumping. In 1911 the first ever downhill ski race took place in the Alps. The first competition to include male and female slalom and downhill races took place in St. Anton in 1928. The success of those contests led the International Ski Federation to officially recognize downhill skiing in 1930.