Despite sounding quite strange, it's a popular sport especially in the Alpine countries of Germany, Austria and Italy, although Slovakians and Turks have also tried their hand at this quirky sport.
The roots of Grass Skiing
If we take a glance back in time, the first news of Grass Skiing came from Austria in 1893 (although other sources say it originated in France or the Czech Republic) where a type of roller ski was designed, which, however, did not end up being very successful. It was in Germany that it all changed as the Emperor Josef was a grand supporter of the invention.
In 1956 a prototype of these skis which could take on the same pistes and hills that were skied during the snowy season was introduced in Stuttgart. This first model was not taken very seriously but the designer did not give up easily. By 1963 he had designed over 30 models due to the incredible number of modifications that were made to the skis.
Grass skiing grows
Nevertheless, making Grass Skiing popular was not going to be an easy feat. Germany and the rest of Central Europe were still sceptical about this new sport and in Germany they even encountered problems with the German Federation because they were not in agreement with using the term ski. This did not discourage Grass Skiing fans, who continued to enjoy the sport regardless of the name it was given.
Due to television coverage and reports, Grass Skiing became well known in the United States and Japan and from this emerged a grand fan base and in 1965 the first international competition was held in Owen Teck.
Competitive Grass Skiing
In 1970 a committee was formed for the organisation of the trials for the European Cup. Shortly after in 1976 the International Federation of Grass Skiing was formed and the first World Championships were held which were followed by those of 1981, 1983 and 1985.
After long negotiations, the International Ski Federation decided to take on Grass Skiing and organised the World Championship in Nobeyama (Japan) in 1987, Austria in 1989, Bursa (Turkey) 1991, Aciago (Italy)1993, Kalnica (Slovakia) 1995 and Muestair (Switzerland) in 1997.
Grass Skiing equipment
The equipment required for grass skiing is quite similar to that of alpine skiing apart from, of course, the winter clothing! The ski boots are the same; the poles are practically identical although they are a touch longer due to the difference in height of the skis (Grass Skis being more elevated off the ground). It also goes without saying that it is highly recommendable to wear a helmet and it is mandatory on many grass slopes.
All models of skis have a maximum length of 80 cm and height of 12cm. There are both wheeled grass skis and tracked grass skis which are designed to "slide" and skiers can pick up great speed on them if they are on a lush, grassy slope.
Grass skiing is a great way to make sure your skiing skills don't get rusty during the snowless months, to practice skiing where there are no snowy slopes and to train for Alpine skiing. It is quite odd that it has not taken off in the UK as there are endless amounts of grassy hills that would make extraordinary Grass Ski pistes. It could be in part due to scepticism or the wide availability of dry slopes, but in the end it's just a mystery to us!
