Birger Ruud. Gold Medal at Alpine Olympic Premier

Norwegian national sports icon Aksel Gresvig was an early pioneer of the emerging alpine ski sports. During their formative years, his namesake company began developing ski equipment specialized for the new disciplines. Through dedicated support and relentless promotion, Aksel earned recognition as one of the pillars of the new industry. A decade later, alpine sports were accepted into the Winter Olympics, forever solidifying their place in global sports culture.

2024

A hundred years later, Aksel Gresvig is reborn as a premium skiwear brand by Aksel's great-grandson. Drawing inspiration from the tailored elegance of early ski outfits, Aksel Gresvig seamlessly blends technology with tradition, reimagining Norwegian heritage for the discerning global alpine audience that the great-grandfather helped foster.

A legend in the making

1886

SONDRE NORHEIM RESHAPED SKIING FOREVER

In the quiet village of Morgedal, surrounded by endless snow, Sondre Norheim reshaped skiing forever. He introduced the Telemark turn and later the Kristiania turn, innovations in movement that allowed skiers to navigate steep terrain with improved accuracy and freedom.From these techniques, alpine sports were born.

THE FIRST ALPINE PIONEERS

In 1886 (when Aksel was 10 years old), the first known slalom-style race took place near Kristiania (now Oslo). The word slalåm, fromNorwegian dialect, described a winding track cut through snow: “sla” meaning slope, “lÅm”meaning trail. It captured the essence of alpine skiing, controlled descent, speed threaded through narrow spaces, technique meeting terrain. Alpine skiing existed long before the rest of the world settled on a formal name for it.

1900

NORWEGIAN SKIERS MAKES HEADLINES

By the early 1900s, Norwegian skiers were making headlines abroad, demonstrating speed, precision, and techniques unfamiliar to international spectators.

It was during this period of rapid development that Aksel Gresvig emerged as one of the early pioneers of alpine skiing. Originally known as a cycling champion, he became deeply engaged with the new downhill disciplines, the speed, the control they demanded, and the potential they held.

1901

AKSEL OPENS SHOP

In 1901, he opened a shop in Kristiania and began producing sport equipment tailored specifically for athletes in the new disciplines.

SUPPORTING NEW ATHLETES

Gresvig actively promoted and popularized the sport, supporting athletes and clubs while introducing Norwegian technique and equipment to foreign markets.

As alpine skiing spread across Europe, he helped give the sport structure, promoting competitions, encouraging standardized equipment, and strengthening the technical base required for downhill skiing to develop into a defined discipline.

1924

THE RENOWN A.GRESVIG SKIS

In 1924 Aksel began producing his A. Gresvig skis on an industrial scale, allowing for consistent shaping, stronger materials, and skis designed for steep, fast terrain.

This shift helped move alpine skiing from scattered regional practices into an organized sport. Aksel’s influence was foundational, systematic, technical, and integral to the early decades of alpine development.

1936

LAILA’S DEBUT

Alpine skiing made its Olympic debut in 1936 at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Sixteen-year-old Laila Schou Nilsen from Oslo raced down the course with only a year of alpine training, claiming bronze in the combined event, Norway’s first alpine Olympic medal.

BIRGER RUUD SETS THE PACE

That same year, Birger Ruud, famous for ski jumping, recorded the fastest men’s downhill time.

NORWEGIAN DOMINATION

These performances reinforced something already clear, Norway had been refining alpine skiing long before it had a global stage.

1952

THE OSLO OLYMPICS

When the Winter Olympics came to Oslo in 1952, Norway presented the world with a course that was more demanding than anything it had seen before.

ALPINE DOWNHILL AT NOREFJELL

Norefjell’s cliffs, ice, and 800-meter vertical drop tested even the most seasoned athletes.

WOODEN SKIS AND NO HELMETS

Racing on wooden skis, without helmets or modern steel edges, competitors faced a mixture of exposure and speed that left no room for hesitation.

WOMENS SLALOM IN OSLO

Andrea Mead-Lawrence wins in the women's slalom ski race at Rodkleiva.

1960 AND FORWARD

Alpine skiing is now forever solidifying their place in global sports culture.

2024

NORWEGIAN HERITAGES

Today, the spirit of those early innovators still shapes alpine skiing. The foundations, techniques, equipment, and technical mindset were distinctly Norwegian, but the sport gained its cultural foothold in the Alps. The dramatic mountains, accessible weather, and central location provided the ideal stage for competitions and international participation, allowing the sport to flourish beyond Norway’s remote valleys. This is why the discipline became known globally as alpine skiing.

THE BRAND AKSEL GRESVIG IS REBORN

Reflecting on the roots of alpine sports, Aksel Gresvig is reborn as a skiwear brand by Aksel’s great-grandson. Inspired by the sartorial aesthetic of early ski outfits, the brand seeks to balance the latest technology with timeless, tailored looks. It reinterprets Norwegian heritage for a discerning global alpine audience, carrying forward the values of craftsmanship, innovation, and mastery that defined the sport in its earliest decades.