who invented alpine skiing

Nobody knows a single person who “invented” alpine skiing, because it evolved gradually from older forms of skiing rather than appearing all at once.

Most historians highlight two key figures when people ask who created or shaped alpine skiing:

• Sondre Norheim (Norway, 19th century) – Often called the “father of modern skiing” for inventing stronger heel bindings and side‑cut skis and for developing turning techniques like the Telemark and Christiania turns, which made steep downhill skiing and later alpine techniques possible.

• Sir Arnold Lunn (Britain, early 20th century) – Credited with inventing the modern slalom race and helping formalize downhill competition, which turned alpine skiing into an organized sport with timed gates rather than just style-based downhill runs.

So if you’re looking for a name, Norheim is usually cited as the foundational pioneer , while Lunn is credited with inventing modern slalom racing and shaping competitive alpine skiing.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.