Winter Sports

1997: Nordic World Skiing Championships, Trondheim

Norway won the most medals at the 1997 Skiing Championships but lagged behind by one in the gold medal count coming second overall due to the one women phenomenon that was the Russian Yelena Välbe who won gold in all five cross country events.  I like the perspective of these stamps, the 3.70 is of course ski jumping and the 5.00 cross country skiing.  The stamp designer is Sarah Rosenbaum, who was born in Michigan, USA but on inheriting $1000 from an aunt she took the opportunity to travel to Norway, and stayed.  Her other connection with Trondheim is she also designed the stamps for the celebration of its millennium where you can see the same design sensibilities here.  Her other experience with winter sports was as one of the designers who created the pictograms for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics.

1962: Nordic World Ski Championships, Zakopane (Design: S. Toepfer)

The Women's ski jumping and 5K Cross Country made their event debut at the 1962 World Ski Championships so it is appropriate the stamp shows two women on a cross country course. I think you can see from the scan that the two figures are slightly raised from the surface, an attractive effect, unfortunately this is the only stamp I have from the set.   The host of the championships, Zakopane, is called the winter capital of Poland.

1962: 1st Winter Military Spartakiad (Design: J. Grabiańksi)

Lets move indoors for a game of ice hockey or fly through the air in a ski jump with all the appropriate apparel.

1957: Outdoor Recreation

This stamp features more informal clothing and reflects its theme of outdoor recreation and the purity of just enjoying the great outdoors. The stamp is the work of Canada's most prolific engraver, Yves Baril, whose skill was recognised when he was chosen to engrave his first stamp in 1955 when he hadn't even completed his training.

An entry to Sunday Stamps II - Winter Sports - slide over to See It On A Postcard