VilaWeb - Diari escola: 100 Years of Skiing in Catalonia

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dijous, 25 d'abril de 2024

> Rasos de Peguera, Christmas 1908

> 1920s: Skiing thrives at La Molina

> 2008-2009 Season Open

dimarts, 25 de novembre de 2008

The official launch of the commemorative events to celebrate the centenary of skiing in Catalonia took place on Friday 21 November. The sport was first practiced in Catalonia at Christmas in 1908. Celebrations will run throughout the year, until December 2009.

The centenary celebrations are being promoted by the Catalan Winter Sports Federation, the Rambling Centre of Catalonia and the General Secretariat for Sport of the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat), in association with, amongst others, the Catalan Federation of Rambling Clubs, Catalunya Neu, and Catalan Television.

The launch took place at the Rambling Centre of Catalonia, where an exhibition displaying photographs of 100 years of skiing was opened. The exhibition will now travel to different venues. The event also saw the launch of '100 anys d'esquí a Catalunya. Passions de neu' (A Hundred Years of Skiing in Catalonia. Snow Passions) by the journalist Antoni Real.

The centenary programme includes a range of both cultural and sporting events. In terms of sporting events, La Molina will become the first ski station in the Pyrenees to be part of the skiing world championships: two trials for the Women's World Cup will be held there on 13 and 14 December.

+ Webs relacionades dins Nosaltres.Cat: Esquí i neu.
+ La Molina 2008: Els dies 13 i 14 s'hi faran dues proves de la Copa del Món Femenina d'Esquí Alpí.

Rasos de Peguera, Christmas 1908

+ Rambling Centre of Catalonia Photo.

In 1908, the Rambling Centre of Catalonia opened its Mountain Sports section, focusing from the very beginning on the more sporty and fun side of hiking. A year earlier, in 1907, at the Chamonix ski station (at the foot of Mont Blanc), Albert Santamaria had a taste of a new sport originating in the Nordic countries: skiing. Santamaria was so enthused by the idea that he brought back skis and toboggans from Switzerland. Over Christmas in 1908, Santamaria and his gang decided to try them out at Rasos de Peguera in the Pre-Pyrenees, near Berga (Berguedà). Skiing in Catalonia had just been born.

1920s: Skiing thrives at La Molina

+ Rambling Centre of Catalonia Photo.

Enthusiasm for the new sport grew rapidly. In 1909, people were already skiing on the mountain at Montseny and in parts of the Catalan Pyrenees such as La Molina (Baixa Cerdanya), Núria and Ulldeter (Ripollès). Two years later, in 1911, the Rambling Centre of Catalonia organised the Snow Sports Week at Ribes de Freser (Ripollès), attended by a great number of people. The definitive consolidation of skiing came about at La Molina in the mid 1920s, thanks to the construction of the railway (1924) and chalet (1925) built by the Rambling Centre of Catalonia.

2008-2009 Season Open

+ The centenary of skiing has coincided with a very early start to the season.

As chance would have it, the centenary of skiing in Catalonia has coincided with a very early start to the season. Snowfalls this month (November) and low temperatures (which allow artificial snow to be made) have led ski stations such as Masella, La Molina (Baixa Cerdanya) and Vaquèira-Beret (Vall d'Aran) to bring their seasons forward. Some slopes have also been opened at the Vallnord and Grandvalira stations in Andorra.

MATERIALS

Federació Catalana d'Esports d'Hivern
Format:Web
Impulsora del centenari de l'esquí a Catalunya, ensems amb el Centre Excursionista de Catalunya i la Secretaria General de l'Esport de la Generalitat de Catalunya.
Centre Excursionista de Catalunya
Format:Web
Fundat el darrer quart del segle XIX.
Federació d'Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya
Format:Web
També pren part en els actes del centenari.
Temps de neu
Format:Web
Programa del canal 33. Començarà a emetre la nova temporada el 4 de desembre.
Estacions d'esquí a Catalunya
Format:Web
Accés a les estacions d'esquí alpí i d'esquí nòrdic.

QUE HO SABIES?

The hiker and climber Lluís Estasen (1890-1947) played an important role in promoting skiing in Catalonia.
In 1928, Estasen took part in the first successful climb of the north face of Pedraforca, one of the most legendary mountains in the Catalan Countries.
There are some very well known ski stations in Northern Catalonia, such as Els Angles, Formiguera (Capcir) and Font-romeu (Alta Cerdanya).