Theo Johnson

“Skeeing is indeed a glorious sport; it never grows tame or uninteresting; and the exhilarating joy of it is a delight beyond all comparison.” Theo Johnsen wrote those words in America’s first ski book, The Winter Sport of Skeeing.

Johnsen had immigrated from England and settled in Portland, Maine where he worked as a carpenter. Among other projects he worked on the pews for the Lutheran Church. It was here that he met and married a Swede, Hilda Ek.

In 1900 Johnsen became foreman of a boat building company and in 1904 he started his own boat building and wood products company. He correctly understood that the commercial sailboat was a thing of the past and the future was not the steamboat but rather gasoline power. He designed and built two styles of gasoline powered pleasure craft.

In addition to a wife he got from the Swedes a love for skiing. By 1905 he had turned his attention from boats to skis. For the 1905 – 06 season his factory in Portland produced 12 models of skis. Since few people outside the Scandinavian community knew how to ski, Johnsen wrote a book, The Winter Sport of Skeeing. There had been earlier articles but this was America’s first book on skiing. He described the sport and offered lessons on how to do it. Johnsen also included a catalog of his equipment.

Johnsen’s passion for skiing shows in lines like, “As the experienced skidor dashes down the crusted hillsides with the speed of the wind there comes to the sport an exhilaration and excitement that positively knows no equal.”

He made beautiful models of his skis, which he sold to shops. From these models customers would place an order and Johnsen would ship the skis. He also placed skis on consignment in stores as far away as Chicago, Duluth and Salt Lake City.

Unfortunately passion for the sport was not enough. Martin Strand, another ski maker of the time, wrote, “The average young American is a sort of hot house plant, who does not care to spend much time out doors, as the cheap show houses and pool rooms seem to be more attractive. They do not want to spend enough money on a pair of skis so that cheap skis are the only ones that will sell.”

In the spring of 1906 most of his consignment equipment was returned. Johnsen closed his factory in 1907. The market for skiing and his beautiful, well made skis was still decades away.

It was 100 years ago this fall that Theo Johnsen from Portland Maine tried to introduce the country to the sport of skiing. He was right, but early. Johnsen wrote what many of us would agree with today, “Any skidor will tell you that skeeing is the most exhilarating and most delightful of all winter sports and that indulged in sensibly and not to excess, it is indeed an ideal outdoor pastime for everybody young and old.”