There is a lot of different information about the history of ski biking all over the internet. With this in mind, we will place an editorial from the American Ski Bike Association website.

Visit Michael Jackson Secrets, a website featuring thousands of exclusive, never-before-seen photos of Michael Jackson. Whether on stage or with his family, our online museum has the MJ photos that you've been searching for! So, if you're a true Michael Jackson fan, visit our online museum and pay tribute to the late and great King of Pop!

Maldives Diving

If you feel like warming things up and getting out of the cold during the holiday season, consider Maldives Diving.

Aboard a luxurious liveaboard, experience the magical marine life that exists underwater. The Maldives are known for the glorious flora and fauna that can be seen during your scuba diving holidays!

This is probably the most descriptive information you will find. It is directly from the ASA (American Ski Bike Association) website.

The early origins of the skibike (aka snowbike and skibob) appear to date back nearly 150 years..
They seem to have appeared in the European alps in the 1850's as a means of practical winter transportation, as evidenced by oil paintings from the era. They were quite large with heavy wooden framework. As often happens, invention occurs concurrently in different geographic locations. There is evidence that a similar vehicle had been constructed in North America in the 1870's. In 1892 a patent was granted to an American, a Mr. J. Stevens for his "Ice Velocopede". It was basically a bicycle conversion with a single runner in front and two in the rear. There is no evidence that it was ever produced. In 1911, the "Velogemel" was patented in Grindelwald, Switzerland. Not much is known about skibike development during the next 38 years.

Skibikes surfaced publicly again in the late 1940's. On March 10, 1949, Engelbert Brenter, an Austrian ski manufacturer, obtained a patent for his "Sit-Ski". This device incorporated several innovative features. Prior to this time, skibikes were essentially transportation vehicles, a steer-able sledge with runners. Utilizing the principles of skiing, Mr. Brenter replaced the runners with real skis, added a suspension system and began utilizing short foot-skis. The end result of these changes was a slope useable device capable of skidded turns and speed control. These user- friendly attributes were the major contributing factor in the transformation of skibiking into the recreational “sport” that we know today. An improved version of this bike was a commercial success in the 1950's. The Brenter family continues to produce skibikes to this day.

In 1950, the German engineer Ernst Reiss-Schmidt patented a product similar to Brenters Sit-Ski, later to become the "Gfaellerei". 1952 saw several new patents based on the Brenter and Reiss-Schmidt vehicles. One of these was by another German engineer, Georg Gfaller. He replaced the front ski with two in parallel, then added rocket propulsion and wings.

With the proliferation of ski areas in the 50's, 60's and 70's the popularity of the sport continued to grow in Europe. At one time there were over 70 manufacturers. Organized competition also began during this time with the first race being held in Obertauern, Austria in 1954. The Federation International de Skibob (FISB) was formed in 1961. The first World Championship was held in 1964. From this period, through current times, skibiking has continued as a popular winter pastime in the European alps.

In America, ski biking enjoyed a period of relative popularity during the late 60's through the mid 70's. There were many domestic manufacturers. A World Championship competition event was held at Mount Rose, Nevada in 1971. Following this period, through cycles of change, a dedicated group of core enthusiasts has continued to keep the flag flying. An interesting parallel is snowmobiling. Sleds were very popular during this same period with around 100 manufacturers. By the early 1980's this number had fallen to only 4. Changing times..

The late 1990's began the contemporary renaissance of skibiking in North and South America. The pendulum is swinging back around. There is a new progressive spirit, a desire for new experience as evidenced by the interest in alternative X-treme sports. The ski bike is back!