And now it's time for Who Smarted?
Psst, hey, smarty pants, guess where I am.
Did you say on top of a snow-covered mountain?
If so, great guess.
Wow, that's amazing.
You sure you can't see me?
Okay, next question.
Can you guess why I'm on top of a snow-covered mountain?
As in, what am I about to do?
If you said freezing, I'll give you partial credit.
It is so cold up here.
But that's not why I came.
If you said sledding, it's not too far off, but I won't be sitting.
Ah, I heard some of you say snowboarding.
And you're close.
In fact, we actually did an episode on snowboarding.
But I'm not attempting to snowboard today.
And no, I'm not looking for a Yeti either.
I did that already, too.
Nope.
Today, I'm going to try skiing.
Uh, those cool skiing sound effects you're hearing are not me.
I'm still standing here, looking down the mountain, a little terrified.
Smarty pants, what do I do?
Hey, are you the, uh, trusting narrator?
Why, yes.
And who are you?
I'm the ski instructor.
Okay, I can see.
You clearly don't know what you're doing, so I figured I'd give you a quick ski lesson.
What do you say?
Oh, that's nice of you.
The ski instructor, huh?
Um, question, and, you know, I hate to ask this, but are you a rabbit?
I mean, I know most beginning skiers start on something called a bunny slope, but I didn't know there would be an actual bunny slope.
Yeah, yeah.
I get that a lot.
But get this.
I'm not just a rabbit or a bunny.
I am a snowshoe hare.
That makes me an expert on all things winter and snow related.
Great.
Well, you're obviously a good skier, so hopefully you can teach me, because A I've always wanted to learn how to ski.
And B, I need to get down from this mountain before I freeze.
Well, that's where the fur coat comes in, but yeah, no problem.
I can help you get down, give you some basic tips, and tell you whatever you want to know.
I am an expert.
Amazing, because the Smarty Pants and I have lots of questions about skiing.
Like, how is skiing invented?
What equipment do you need?
What's the best kind of snow to ski on?
And when did skiing become an Olympic sport?
Of course, no problem.
You got questions, I got answers.
Then it's time to strap on our skis, grab our ski poles and hit the slopes for another whiff of science and history on Who Smarted.
Who Smarted?
Who's smart?
Is it you?
Is it me?
Is it science?
Or history?
Listen up, everyone!
We make smarting lots of fun on Who Smarted?
Okay, let's start with the first question.
How was skiing invented?
I mean, who was the maniac who thought it would be a good idea to strap large wooden slats to their feet and race down a snowy mountainside?
Let's start with where.
Skiing originated in Northern Europe and Asia.
Makes sense.
Those areas have lots of mountains and lots of snow.
Now let's talk about when.
The oldest skis were found in Russia and date back to between 8,000 and 7,000 BCE.
Whoa.
Whoa is right.
I had no idea skiing dated back that long ago.
Okay, so we've got where and when.
Smarty Pants, why do you think people back then needed to ski?
Was it A, for survival, B, for exercise, or C, for fun?
If you said A for survival, right on.
Nice job.
While most people ski recreationally for exercise and fun today, like we are actually doing today, early skiing was needed for survival, as it allowed people in snowy areas to travel, hunt for food, and carry things if the snow was too deep to walk across.
Aha!
It makes sense that someone would attempt to ski in order to hunt or travel in the snow.
But when did people start skiing just for fun?
Well, we'll find out right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors.
As the trusty narrator, I've taken the smarty pants on countless adventures.
I'll do anything for the fans.
But off mic, I prefer to keep my adventures in the safe space of my own backyard.
However, even a homebody like me can't avoid the unexpected chaos that comes with family life.
Take last week, for example.
My niece was staying with me when she came down with a nasty cold in the middle of the night.
I couldn't leave her alone to get medicine, and that's when I remembered DoorDash is there for you whatever you need, whenever you need it.
With a few taps on my phone, I had cough syrup and tissues delivered right to my door.
DoorDash saved the night, and my niece was back to her energetic self in no time.
Oh, and did I order a little ice cream for myself?
Yes.
Yes, I did, and DoorDash brought it right to my door.
So while I may not be the biggest fan of real-life adventures, I'm grateful that DoorDash is always there to help me navigate life's little emergencies.
When life happens, get a little order delivered with DoorDash.
Order now.
Now back to Who Smarted?
Okay, smarty pants.
As we just learned, people in the snowy mountainous regions of northern Europe and Asia developed the earliest forms of skiing in order to hunt and travel in snow that was too thick to walk in.
But when did people start skiing for recreation or sport?
And what else was skiing ever used for?
Well, trustee, the sport of skiing as we know it today started in Scandinavia in the mid-1800s.
Before that, skiing had been used for military purposes.
Really?
Really.
People were fighting on skis?
Yep, really.
Skis were used in warfare in Norway as far back as the year 1200.
But it wasn't until around 1767 that military ski competition started.
And the prize for winning was money.
Honey's good.
I would also compete for pizza.
Ha, funny you should mention that, trusty.
Obviously, before you can be in any ski competitions, you need to learn how to ski.
Duh.
And one of the first things you should learn is pizza.
What do you not know who you're talking to?
I already know all there is to know about pizza.
It's my favorite food.
Plus, we did an entire episode of who smarted on pizza.
Trust me, i know pizza.
I'm not talking about the pizza you eat, trusty.
In skiing, pizza means touching the tips of your skis together while keeping the tails of your skis apart.
So your skis make a V or a wedge shape.
You mean like the shape of a slice of pizza?
Oh, I get it.
But wait, why do I have to do it?
That doesn't look like skiing.
Well, I know it doesn't look like you're shredding down the mountain, but doing this helps you learn how to slow down and stop.
And it also helps when you're learning to turn.
And when you're done with pizza, you should learn how to french fry.
I'm assuming you don't mean the food, which we also did an episode of Who Smarted On.
So what is the skiing version of french fry?
French fry is when you hold your skis parallel to each other.
Like this?
Oh, hey, it looks like two french fries.
And what does this do?
French fry helps you go faster and transition into turns.
It helps you move from a wedge to parallel skiing.
Ha!
Who knew my favorite foods could help me learn how to ski?
At the very least, it'll be easy to remember.
Okay, besides skis, what equipment do the Smarty Pants and I need for skiing?
Yeah, you do need a few other things if you're going to learn how to shred the mountain.
So you'll need ski poles to help with balance, turns, and going over the terrain.
Ah, yes.
I've been using these to hold me up.
Sort of like crutches.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, you don't want to put all your weight on your poles so they, like, dig into the snow.
Just use them lightly to help you balance and push off.
Watch me.
Like this.
Gotcha.
Okay, so what else?
Well, you should also wear a helmet to protect your head when you ski and goggles to protect your eyes.
Some helmets have built-in goggles, so you don't have to worry about losing your goggles.
Well, since I've already lost my goggles, that's probably the right option for me.
Well, you're in luck.
Here, I have an extra pair.
Try not to lose these.
Thanks.
Got it.
Will I need anything else?
Yeah, brr.
It does get cold up on the mountain.
So you'll want to be warm enough when you ski.
Make sure you have, let's see, warm waterproof winter clothes and boots.
It's also a good idea to wear snow pants, a ski jacket, warm clothes, and thick winter socks.
Don't want those toesies getting cold.
That's miserable.
Gotcha.
Question.
How is a ski jacket different from a regular winter coat?
Smarty Pants, do you know?
A ski jacket is specially designed for skiing.
Ha!
Go figure.
It's made from waterproof fabric with built-in snow protection, a hood that will go over your helmet, and ventilation to keep heat and moisture under control, so you are dry and comfortable when you ski.
Oh, yeah.
I definitely need ventilation in my armpits.
It can get pretty ripe under there.
I'm probably oversharing.
Not probably.
Anywho, is that it?
Feels like something is missing.
Smarty Pants, do you know what it is?
Call it out if you know.
Ah, I heard a lot of you saying it.
What do you wear on your feet while skiing?
You can't ski in just your socks.
Yeah, that'd be weird, right?
So you also need special ski boots and bindings.
Smarty Pants, what are ski boots?
Are they A, regular snow boots that you wear when you ski?
B, boots that lock your feet onto your skis?
Or C, boots with skis attached to the bottom like ice skates?
If you, Smarty Pants, said B, boots that lock your feet into your skis, nice job!
Yep, that's right.
Of course, boots with skis on the bottom, like ice skates, does sound pretty cool.
So what makes ski boots so special and how do they work?
Well, ski boots are hard boots, really hard.
And they have buckles that link to the bindings.
These bindings keep things together and attach your ski boots to your skis.
See?
This helps you control the ski as you steer and maneuver down the mountain.
Smarty Pants, true or false?
If you fall down or wipe out, your skis will release from your boots.
The answer is... True.
Ski boots are designed to keep you safe by releasing from the boot during a fall.
Oh, trust me, trusty.
You don't want to be attached to your skis if you wipe out.
Phew.
Good thing my skis came off.
Um, can someone bring my skis down to me?
Thanks.
I see what you mean.
I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of reattaching my skis while I learn.
Ah, don't worry.
It's all a part of the learning process.
Nobody is born an Olympic skier.
Ah, and speaking of smarty pants, when did skiing become an Olympic sport?
Was it A, the 1900s, B, the 1920s, or C, the 1930s?
If you said C, the 1930s, nice job.
Skiing officially became an Olympic sport when alpine skiing debuted at the 1936 Winter Games.
Ooh!
Since then, skiing has been featured in every Winter Olympics since Well, I should mention even though this was the official start to skiing as an Olympic sport.
If you said the 1920s, you're also right, since Nordic skiing was in the first Winter Olympics in 1924.
I see.
But also, what is Nordic skiing?
And are you saying there are different types of skiing?
That's exactly what I'm saying, trustee.
Smarty Pants, how many main types of skiing do you think there are?
Are there three, five, or ten different types of skiing?
Oh, if you said three, nice job!
The three main types of skiing are alpine or downhill, which is the most common type of skiing.
And the one you see most at, you know, ski resorts.
Then there's Nordic or cross-country skiing, which focuses on covering distance on flatter land.
And finally, there's alpine touring or backcountry skiing. which blends the Alpine and Nordic types.
Oh, and you may have also heard of freestyle skiing, which includes, get this, acrobatics and jumps.
And then there's ski racing, which is competitive Alpine skiing focused on speed.
Wow, so many different kinds of skiing to try.
Yeah, and I haven't even mentioned heliskiing yet.
Heliskiing?
Is that what I think it is?
We'll find out right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors.
Now back to Who Smarted?
Okay, Smarty Pants, it looks and sounds like we're about to find out what heliskiing is.
Based on the name, I think it has to do with skiing and helicopters?
Am I right?
You sure are.
Heliskiing is an exciting to put it mildly way to go downhill skiing far away from traditional ski resorts.
When you heli-ski, you can ride in a helicopter instead of using a ski lift to go up the mountain.
Hmm.
My news reporter friend Chet Nickerson has a helicopter.
I could just picture us trying that one day.
Hello, Who Smarted listeners.
This is Chet Nickerson reporting from the Chet Chopper, where the trusty narrator is about to ignore my warnings and attempt to go heliskiing down the side of Mount Everest, the world's largest mountain.
All right, Chet, here I go.
Hopefully that one lesson I took will be enough.
It won't be.
I've opened the helicopter door.
Trusty will be jumping out on the count of three.
One, two, off you go.
And he's out.
Ooh, and he's down.
Luckily, his skis popped off.
Ooh, but unfortunately, he's continuing to roll down the side of the world's dullest mountain.
Ouch.
I guess I'll go meet him at the bottom.
But this might take a while.
This is Chip Nickerson reporting live.
Yikes!
That was the craziest dream sequence I've ever had.
I think I'm going to hold off on the Mount Everest ski trip until I've had a few more lessons.
Good idea.
You're much better off trying to master the pizza and french fry here on the bunny slope.
And remember learning to ski takes practice, repetition and, sad to say but true, plenty of falling.
You're right, but I gotta say, heliskiing sounds pretty cool.
For one thing, it allows you to go to areas with fresh, deep snow that most people never get to see.
But when did it start?
Was it in the 1950s, the 1970s, or the 1980s?
Believe it or not, in the late 1950s, helicopters were used in Alaska and Europe to take skiers to hard-to-reach terrain.
Whoa.
At first, only the most advanced, expert skiers could even attempt it.
Heli-skiing didn't become a sport that anyone could try until a few years later, in 1965.
Question.
Where do people keep their skis and ski poles in the helicopter?
I'm guessing there's no overhead storage for that?
Yeah, no.
The skis and ski poles are carried in a special basket on the outside of the helicopter, just like some people do with their car.
That's so cool.
But as my dream sequence showed, it can also be dangerous, right?
Yeah, well, all skiing can be dangerous if you go too fast or ski too close to rocks and trees.
But I tell you, heli-skiing is definitely more dangerous than regular resort skiing.
The snow on mountains is affected by the sun, wind, and temperature.
And unstable snow can lead to dangers like an avalanche.
Hey, that's something else we did a Who Smarted episode on.
Oh, cool.
Well, okay, so the helicopters for heli-skiing are flown by experienced pilots.
And heli-skiers use special safety gear, including an avalanche transceiver, which is a small device that helps rescuers find someone buried in an avalanche.
Can you imagine?
And they also have avalanche airbags and radios.
So heli-skiing can be safer and more enjoyable.
I definitely want to try heliskiing when I'm ready.
But for now, I think I want to work on some pizza and french fries.
Good idea.
Aw, look at you, trusty, out to practice.
Um, wait, trusty?
Why are you taking off your skis?
Oh, I meant some actual pizza and french fries.
I'm starving.
I could also go for a hot chocolate, and then maybe we could split a carrot cake?
Well, now you're talking.
So, meet you at the bottom!
Woo-hoo!
Show off.
A special shout out to our smarty family friends and avid skiers Noam Ethan Yaakov, Baby Ayal, Mom Leah and Dad Jonathan from Bergenfield, New Jersey.
We're so happy to have you all listening daily on your way home from school.
And we thank you for being Who Smarted Plus subscribers.
We promise to keep the interesting topics and the fart jokes coming, as long as you keep smarting with us.
This episode's skiing was written by Sarah Ski Lift Sweetick and voiced by Aaron Slalem Yeeman, Adam Black, Diamond Davis and Jerry Kolber.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hot Dog Han.
Our associate producer is Moguls Max Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Snowballs Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Kolber.
This has been an Atomic Audio production.
