Downhill skiing, as we know it today, is fairly recent in the general history of skiing. It was virtually unknown prior to the Second World War and only really got into top gear in the 1950s & 60s. That era brought glass-fibre, plastic, metal and all kinds of fancy bindings for company. Prior to that it was a world of wood, when the same skis were worn for cross-country and downhill. The skis we have here in the collection are what we might call ‘transitional’, they are basically a Norwegian cross-country ski fitted with an early downhill, quick-release binding, the various screw holes in the centre would indicate that other bindings have been fitted at an earlier date.

This pair belonged to the Forbes family, who donated them to the Scottish Ski Club, who then kindly passed them on to us.