Among the essentially national sports held at fixed times at these centres may be mentioned that of ski-ing, or, properly, "skilöbning" (leaping on snowshoes). This is the most popular of all their sports, and it is the means of attracting many thousands of people, including numerous foreigners, chiefly English and German.
The use of the ski (pronounced "shee") as an easy means of locomotion is, in the opinion of historians, of very ancient origin, and came to Norway with the Lapps long before the dawn of the Christian era; and from that remote time to the present the ski has been worn, chiefly by the peasants in mountainous districts, and is also very popular with the army. As a national sport it has had a great revival in recent years, and almost every boy and girl in the country now possess "skier."
Wild animals and game
Another form of sport for which Norway is celebrated is that of the hunting and shooting of wild animals and game, and in this respect it is an ideal country for sportsmen. In the great forests that cover rather more than one-fifth of its entire area game of all kinds is to be found.
Among beasts of prey the bear and wolf are still common in the remoter parts of the country; also the lynx and glutton, although the latter is fast becoming extinct. The Government offers a reward for killing any of these animals, including the fox, of which there are large numbers.
The elk is now becoming rare, but there are large herds of reindeer in a wild state on the mountain plateaux, and the red deer is also found, though less frequently than in former times.
Of the wild fowl the capercailzie is the finest, and there are found everywhere "rype" (ptarmigan), and hazel and willow grouse. The latter are without comparison the most important game in the country.
The most valuable of the wild-fowl, however, is the eider-duck, on account of its down. This bird is most abundant among the northern islands, although it is also found in large numbers at many places along the coast.