As more and more new ideas for having fun sliding on snow are introduced by ski resorts artound the world, Switzerland’s Adelboden have decided to look back in to their resort’s history for their own ‘new idea.’ The result is the ‘skibock.’

“Sometime between 1920 and 1930, a family from Stiegelschwand in Adelboden took some old wooden staves made from old barrels and screwed on a piece of wood at 90 degrees and then mounted another plank on to that so it lay above and parallel to the ‘ski’ below.” Explains an Adelboden spokesperson.

The resulting invention, dubbed the ‘Skibock’ and shaped like an H on its side, is now promoted as, “the ultimate fun winter sport accessory,” but back in the pre-War years it was used as a quick (and yes, probably fun) way for children to get to school, more quickly in winter – so long as the school was below their homes.

The modern Skibock has a proper wooden seat which is screwed onto sawn-down skis. Children in Adelboden are still using this means of transport to get to school more quickly in the winter months.

So the Skibock has moved from being a practical object to a showpiece and now to an “Adelboden must” when it comes to winter sports equipment and this winter, for the first time, resort guests can try it for themselves. Indeed resort visitors now have the opportunity to actually build their own Skibock to take away with them in a resort workshop and test it right away on the Adelboden snow.

http://www.adelboden.ch/

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