Abstract ID: 3.16815 | Accepted as Talk | Talk | TBA | TBA

International exchanges and cultural contacts have shaped the development of modern skiing since the 19th century. Starting in Norway, where the population in the Telemark region took an interest in this new phenomenon, contacts were established in many areas of the world where climatic and geographical conditions allowed for skiing. This applies to the Alps, where the so-called Alpine skiing developed its techniques and disciplines in the first half of the 20th century. These were introduced by emigrants – mainly ski instructors – in North and South America, as well as Australia and New Zealand. While there is a lot of research on the emigration of Austrian ski instructors to the United States, emigration to Canada has not been sufficiently researched to date. This article aims to examine the transfer of knowledge about skiing from Austria to Canada. Important reference points are people like Georg Eisenschimmel, who fled from the Nazi regime due to his Jewish heritage. Based on specific examples, individual and collective networks in skiing are shown – chronologically before, during, and after the Second World War.