Call for Abstracts: The History of Women in Skiing and Winter Sports
A call for abstracts is open for the international conference “The History of Women in Skiing and Winter Sports: A Socio-Cultural Approach”, which will take place from 23–25 February 2027 at Dalarna University, Campus Falun, Sweden. The deadline for abstract submissions is 15 November 2026.
The three-day conference will bring together researchers to explore the history of women in skiing and winter sports from an international and socio-cultural perspective.
Exploring Women’s Contributions to Skiing
Women have participated in skiing since its development as a modern activity in the late nineteenth century. Historical sources even document women taking part in ski jumping in Norway during this period. However, the contributions of women to the development of skiing, as well as the biographies and experiences of female skiers, have received comparatively limited attention within research on skiing history and its socio-cultural development. Only more recently has greater academic attention been given to women’s roles within the history of the sport. The conference aims to contribute to this growing field of research by examining women and skiing across different historical periods and national contexts.
A Broader Perspective on Gender and Winter Sport
While women and skiing will form the central focus, the conference also welcomes contributions addressing broader questions of gender in skiing, including masculinities and transgender perspectives. Submissions relating more generally to the history of skiing and winter sports are also encouraged, allowing for a broad and interdisciplinary discussion of the social and cultural development of winter sport. The conference is supported by the Transnational Working Group for the Study of Gender and Sport.
Call for Abstracts
Researchers interested in contributing to the conference are invited to submit an abstract of no more than 250 words.
Abstract submission deadline: 15 November 2026
Conference dates: 23–25 February 2027
Venue: Dalarna University, Campus Falun, Sweden
Participation fee: €85, including coffee breaks and lunches
Abstracts should be submitted to:
Marit Stub Nybelius: mny@du.se
Prof. Dr. Annette R. Hofmann: nettehof@web.de
The organising committee consists of Marit Stub Nybelius and ICSSPE President Prof. Dr Annette R. Hofmann. The scientific committee includes Daniel Alsarve, Isak Lidström, Susan Bandy and Christof Thöny. Researchers working in sport history, gender studies, sociology, cultural studies, and related fields are encouraged to contribute to this international exchange on the history and development of skiing and winter sport.
