Skiing originated from the Ural mountains in Russia, where the Sami culture started.

The origin of the Sami culture is unknown, but they're presumed to be partial Eskimos that are from Scandinavia and their lineage and language has been traced back to Europe, the Ural Mountains, and deep into Asia. It was THEIR long amounts of time on snow that lead them to the invention of skiing for hunting and transportation.

Through relocation diffusion, immigration of many Norwegians & Swedes near the end of the 19th century caused the spread of skiing.

Hierarchical diffusion - ski's was originally used by militaries and the upper class long before middle or lower class because of the high prices. The prices went down in the 1800's, so that more people could afford to ski.

Since 1928 skiing has been an Olympic sport, causing more people to be aware of skiing.

Skiing became so popular that more versions of the sport were invented. Snowboarding, ski jumping, and cross country skiing are all examples of how skiing has branched out!