Both downhill skiing and Nordic combined sport (cross-country skiing and ski jumping) have a following in Germany. Nordic combined sport originates in Norway, but Germany has produced a number of star skiers, many of whom hail from ski towns in the south of the country. Skiing plays a quirky role in German history, as many ski troops fought on both the German and the Finnish sides during the Lapland War (1944-45).

The International Ski Federation holds Nordic World Ski Championships every other year in rotating venues. Two Germans, Axel Teichmann and Tobias Angerer, took the gold and silver medals in Nordic combined sport in the last championships, held in Japan. The most popular competition, however, is the Winter Olympics. German teams took a number of medals in downhill relays at the 2006 event.
Germans also hold their own in ski flying, an extreme cousin of ski jumping where the athlete jumps for at least 185 metres. There are only five hill ranges in the world where this sport is possible, one of which is in Oberstdorf. The annual ski flying world championships have a cult following in Germany.