Skiing has an ancient history. The birth of modern downhill skiing is often dated to the 1850s, when Norwegian legend Sondre Norheim popularised skis with curved sides, bindings with stiff heel bands made of willow, as well as the Telemark and Christiania (slalom) turns.

Downhill was, with the slalom, one of the original Alpine disciplines. In 1930 it was recognized by the world governing body of skiing, the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS), as an official sport; the first downhill world championships were held the following year.

Alpine skiing, also known as downhill skiing, gained popularity in the early 20th century, with the first downhill race held in Austria in 190The sport quickly caught on, and by the 1930s, ski resorts were popping up all over the Alps.