The Nazi-Fighting Winter Soldiers Who Taught America to Ski

With a wintertime three-day weekend coming up for many Americans, the country's ski slopes are sure to be slammed with schussers.

But while many of those athletes may be familiar with military uses of skis, as demonstrated by James Bond, they may not know just how close their own hobby is to that history. In fact, many of America's ski resorts were started by soldiers who skied during World War II — a group that played a key role in the sport's popularity in the United States.

With a wintertime three-day weekend coming up for many Americans, the country's ski slopes are sure to be slammed with schussers. But while many of those athletes may be familiar with military uses of skis, as demonstrated by James Bond, they may not know just how close their own hobby is to that history. In fact, many of America's ski resorts were started by soldiers who skied during World War II — a group that played a key role in the sport's popularity in the United States.