In the summer of 1777
A ship arrived in Iceland carrying a herd of reindeer, which were released near Hafnarfjörður. Behind the transport was the Danish merchant Peter Christian Buch from Hammerfest in Norway, who not only covered all expenses but also sent his 22-year-old son, Nikulás Arnt Peter Buch, along to ensure the project’s success. Once the reindeer had been set free, Nikulás decided to remain in Iceland and sought employment with the Danish monopoly trading company in Reykjavík. He later obtained a position as an assistant at the trading post in Húsavík, where he settled and lived for many years.
Nikulás quickly became an active member of the Húsavík community and later worked as a farmer at Laxamýri and Bakki. He married an Icelandic woman, Karen Torlacius, and they had many children, though both died at a young age. Nikulás was a versatile man — well-read, skilled, and trained as a cooper. He had a great interest in natural sciences, managed sulfur production in Húsavík for a time, and also possessed some knowledge of medicine.
Despite his many talents, Nikulás is best remembered for one thing — he was Iceland’s first skier. When snow covered the land in the autumn of 1777, he brought out a pair of skis and sped between farms, to the astonishment of the local people, who had never seen such a thing before. News of this reached Denmark, where the Danish king instructed the governor-general to encourage Nikulás to teach others this new sport — and that he should be honored for his efforts.
Thus began what is believed to be the first ski school in the world — in Húsavík, in 1777 — and Nikulás Buch became the pioneer of skiing in Iceland. It is therefore fitting that the people of Húsavík have named their own cross-country skiing event “Buchgangan” in his honor.