SkiSkiing dates back almost 4,500 years. It began as a hunting technique for Arctic rim hunters stalking game. Soon after, Viking King Harald in Iceland used skiing not only for hunting, but also for pleasure. The sport quickly became competitive in auto racing and bets were placed on it. From there, the sport spread to forty countries, making it one of the fastest growing sports of the time (International Skiing History Association, 2004). It quickly caught the attention of locals in Flagstaff, Arizona. Situated on ancient volcanic ruins, the community of Flagstaff began skiing on the slopes of Snowbowl in 1938 (International Skiing History Association, 2004). The Snowbowl ski area is made up of an extinct volcano, more than three million years old. Snowbowl is located in Arizona's highest mountains, with a peak of 12,633 feet. In 1979, Snowbowl Mountain was finally approved for additional ski area construction, expanding it and adding new features (The Sedona Dream Maker, 2003-2005). The Hopi and Navajo tribes greatly opposed this decision for the sake of their heritage and beliefs located on this very mountain. But the Forest Service decided to move forward because it agreed to let the mountain have multiple uses, such as recreation, that it approved. Currently, the ski area welcomes between 30,000 and 180,000 visitors per year, depending on snowfall, according to Christopher McLeod for High Country News, September 11, 2000. With current snowmaking technology, the area is likely to s 'expand as the surroundings grow. with each year. Last year, the Snowbowl ski area was open for a total of four days during the 2003-2004 season. This hurt the area immensely...... middle of paper ......r. “Sacred Land Film Project.” High Country News September 11, 2000 McLeod, Christopher. “About the project.” Sacred Land Film Project. 1999-2004 http://www.sacredland.org/historical_sites_pages/sfpeaks.html.Rayner, Lisa. “Save the peaks.” Flagstaff Tea Party. 2002 http://www.flagteaparty.org/Publications/Headlines/Pages/2002/July_2002/July02 hub.html.USDA Forest Service. Proposed Action for Arizona Snowbowl Upgrade. United States Department of Agriculture and Coconino National Forest Proposed Conf., September 2002, Flagstaff, Arizona, 2002. USDA Forest Service Coconino National Forest. “Arizona Snowbowl Environmental Impact Improvement Project.” » Coconino National Forest. Tuesday October 26, 2004 http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/nepa/index.shtml.Winkelsten, Phil. “Local Attractions.” Sedona Dream Maker. 2003-2005 http://www.sedonadreammaker.com/sedona_attract.html.