 The roots of Nordic Walking go back to Scandinavia in the early 1930’s when competitive cross-country skiers began experimenting with ways of staying fit during the snow-less summer months. They came up with a dry-land training method without skis, using just poles.
A series of sports medicine studies in the 1980’s positively correlated the use of trekking poles with high fitness levels, and the game was on!
The next innovation was specially designed poles with a wrist strap system, making the present day Nordic Walking possible. This system enables the walker to effortlessly release the pole at the back of each down-thrust, grabbing it at again at the top of each stride.
With the first official Nordic Walking Poles in the 1990's, a new sport was born and introduced to the public.
 From the Scandinavian countries the Nordic Walking wave soon swelled and spilled over to Switzerland, Austria, Germany and the rest of Europe, before rippling across the oceans to America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and scores of other countries
Today 5 Million people in 65 countries are infected with the Nordic Walking virus and transforming Nordic Walking into the fastest growing sport in the world.
Now it’s over to South Africans to write a brand new chapter in the history of this exciting sport!
 In 2006 the Southpole competence centre for Nordic Walking in South Africa was founded in Cape Town.
It is Southpole’s mission to promote Nordic Walking to all South Africans by:
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