Pro vs. Am: Class Warfare in Early American Ski Competition

Authors

John W. Lundin

Files

Document Type

Article

Description

Originally Published in Skiing History MagazineJuly-August 2022.

In the late 1800s, professional sports attracted high-stakes gambling. The potential for bribery and extortion led to a general sense that paid athletes were corruptible and competitions untrustworthy. While betting on amateur events was common, a deep divide emerged between “pure” amateurs, who were said to compete for the love of the sport, and professionals, who competed for money in the form of cash prizes or other remuneration. The distinction often boiled down to so-called gentleman-athletes, who had private fortunes, versus working-class athletes, who had to earn money to live and train. Sport governing bodies consisted almost exclusively of gentlemen, who often preferred not to compete with working people.

Publication Date

7-2022

Publisher

John W. Lundin

City

Ellensburg

Keywords

Skiing, Winter Olympics

Disciplines

United States History

Comments

Original Publication can be found here:

https://www.skiinghistory.org/online-magazine/pro-vs-am-class-warfare-early-american-ski-competition

Recommended Citation

Lundin, John W., "Pro vs. Am: Class Warfare in Early American Ski Competition" (2022). Works by Local Authors. 45.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/local_authors/45