Publish at July 30 2025 Updated July 30 2025
Skiing was by no means invented in Switzerland. Its origins lie in Scandinavia, where it was invented as a way of getting around snow-covered regions in winter. And yet, Helvetians are crazy about the sport. Why is that?
For a start, the mountains were once seen as a summer tourist destination. Those who were hot by the sea could cool off in the mountains in summer. Then, the bourgeoisie classified sunny vacations by the sea and winter holidays in the mountains. So they started building all kinds of hotels and slopes for winter sports, including skiing. At first, therefore, it was mainly a pastime for the wealthy, and of little interest to the Swiss. The Second World War demonstrated the importance of mastering the sport for transporting weapons, among other things, and the Swiss government encouraged the population to take up the activity.
This was to continue after the war, and at the same time, schools were given a week's vacation in winter. Learning to ski will become a must, to the point where it will be taken for granted that a true Swiss knows how to do it. What's more, great alpine skiing champions would come from the Swiss mountains and shine in competitions including the Olympic Games, cementing the country's love affair with the sport.
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