We’ve featured the bindings here rather than the skis as the Huitfeldt binding is a bit of a rarity. Fritz Huitfeldt (1851-1938) was a Norwegian author, skier, and, in this case, inventor of ski bindings. He invented the Huitfeldt ski binding back in 1894, the metal sides of which ‘clamped’ the ski boot in a rigid manner, allowing for much more control when effecting turns.

Though the metal part of the binding was excellent, the associated leather strapping was not so good. This problem was resolved in 1904 when another Norwegian called Hoyer-Ellefsen patented a lever tensioning device for the straps, having got the idea from his wife (wives can be very handy sometimes!).

The skis and bindings that we have here in the collection were in a very poor state until our good friend, John Fraser, gave them a serious dose of TLC. They are not complete as some parts were beyond repair. The skis had been retro fitted with Kandahar bindings at some point – parts of them remain too.

The delapidated skis along with very rusty bindings were part of the collection donated to us by the Scottish Ski Club.