Cross Country skiing is the original of all ski sports with alpine (also called downhill) and snowboarding only recently emerging, in the last eighty or so years, from its Nordic ancestor. The Nordic group of snow sports comprises biathlon, ski jumping, ski orienteering, cross-country skiing and telemark.

 Cross-country or Nordic is the oldest form of skiing. The inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries discovered a way to travel on snow, by gliding on strips of timber and cross-country skiing was born. There is evidence that primitive skis were used in Norway over 4,000 years ago. As early as the 10th century, cross-country skiing was basic transportation. Vikings in Northern Europe got around on skis when traversing relatively flat landscapes.  

 The oldest known version is a wide, short ski found in Sweden that has been shown to be over 4500 years old, and cave and rock drawings suggest that skis were used even long before then. These first skis may have been used by a hunter or a traveler, as they were commonly used during the long winters in Northern Russia and the Scandinavian countries. Early skis were not made for speed, but designed to keep a traveler on top of the snow as they went about their business.

 The Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland are still considered as the most dominant cross-country ski nations of the world. However given that cross-country skiing may be one of only a few sports that can be played on every continent of the world, the sport has spread to all corners of the globe. From humble beginnings the planks of timber were used like snowshoes to prevent sinking into soft snow. Eventually natives learned to make use of a single pole to aid in pushing off to increase glide and speed. In other parts of Europe a single pole was placed between the legs and sat on during steeper descents for balance and to reduce speed.

 Legendary Swede Gustav Vasa skied over 82 kilometres from Salan to Mora in 1520, to lead his country in to battle against Danish King, Christian II. The annual Vasaloppet citizens ski race follows the same route almost 600 years later.
 The evolution of ski equipment has taken many thousand years with ski length, the use of two shorter ski poles, the development of baskets on ski poles and the curved ski tip are but just a few.

 Like most popular sports the modern skiing has evolved form more basic human needs of transport, hunting or warfare. During the 1800s cross-country skiing became a social and recreational activity with the advent of the first binding system, linking the ski to the shoe and so was born the exciting sport of Telemark skiing.

 The Telemark turn was adequate for the flatter, rolling terrain of Norway, but lacked the control necessary for the steeper slopes of the Alps and other European mountains, which lead to the birth of Alpine skiing.

 The change of the boots and bindings and the separation of Alpine and Nordic skiing allowed a greater control and maneuverability of the ski enabling skiers to attempt steeper and more demanding slope.

 Cross-country competition was added to the Winter Olympics at Chamonix in 1924 and has been part of competition since that time. The events held at the first cross-country competition were the 15km and the 50km. A women's cross-country event, the 10km, was added to the program in 1952.