The earliest recorded military use of skiing was at the Battle of Isen, near Oslo, Norway in 1200, when the Norwegians undertook reconnaissance on skis. Ski troops were also used in Sweden in 1452, and from the 15th through the 17th century, skis were used in warfare in Finland, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.

Captain Jens Emmahausen wrote the first skiing manual for Norwegians in 1733. From 1767 there have been military ski competitions with monetary prizes.

Information from Archives (e.g. 1993). Submitted for use in Scholastic’s Modern Marvels.