> Rich Norwegians don't shoot much with guns, neither for hunting nor otherwise.

Disagree, - some of them are well known for it.

Unrelated to parent but still interesting: As far as I know Norway has (had?) one of the most well armed populations in the world. They learned a lesson after WW2 and until late 90ies weapons (G3-s at that time) and ammunition where stored in private homes (at least three of my best friends from childhood grew up with those in the house.)

Of course, since it predates modern carving skis for alpine skiing ;)

I can't imagine skiing with stiff carving boots in the age before the ski lift.

The telemark turn is more stable than other methods, particularly in soft snow, when your boots aren't attached at the back, which is necessary for efficient movement on flat and uphill areas. The introduction of lifts opened up exploration of specialized equipment just for descending, leading to the fixed alpine boot and popularity of the parallel turn.