Get the most out of winter. Get into alpine ski racing and hightail it down the slopes! Alpine racing is fast, fun and exciting. And it can help you build strength, flexibility, coordination, balance and endurance. Besides, you can't beat that cup of steaming hot chocolate after a day on the slopes. Alpine ski racing is for boys, girls and adults too, who sometimes (often) race into their senior years.
ALPINE SKI RACING
Alpine ski racing is an outgrowth of downhill skiing, which is one of Canada's most popular and exciting sports. In ski racing, there are four competitive events - slalom, giant slalom, downhill racing and the super giant slalom (Super G). In ski racing, competitors do not race against each other, but against the clock, and the competitor with the best time wins.
TYPES OF SKI RACING
SLALOM In the slalom, competitors race down a steep slope on a course marked by alternating pairs of red and blue flags. These sets of flags are known as 'gates'. The object of the slalom is to ski through the gates in the fastest time possible.
The total time is decided over two races, each on different courses, with the two results being added together to form a combined time. If a skier fails to ski through any gate, he or she is disqualified. Average speeds for top skiers in this event can be up to 50 km/h (30 mph).
“Fun Fact: The word slalom originates from the Norwegian word slalåm. 'Sla' means steep hillside and 'låm' means track after skis.”
GIANT SLALOM In the giant slalom, the rules are the same as the slalom, only the gates are at a greater distance from one another. The giant slalom is much faster than the regular slalom because skiers need to make long turns around the gates, which makes them pick up speed. Giant slalom skis are much longer than slalom skis and the poles are usually bent to be more aerodynamic. Average speeds for top skiers in this event can be up to 75 km/h (45 mph).
“Fun Fact: At the 1972 Sapporo Olympics in Japan, 14-year-old Kathy Kreiner from Timmins, Ontario was the youngest competitor at the Games. Four years later, she won the gold medal in the giant slalom at the 1976 Olympic Games in Innsbruck.”
DOWNHILL RACING Downhill racing requires great control at high speeds. Downhill courses cover the longest distance over the greatest drops in elevation and there is more distance between gates. In downhill racing, skiers get one run on the course and the fastest time wins. Average speeds for top skiers in this event can be up to 130 km/h (80 mph).
“Fun Fact: A member of the Crazy Canucks, Steve Podborski from Don Mills, Ontario, was the first North American to win an Olympic medal in downhill skiing, capturing a bronze in the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid. In 1982 he became the first (and still only) non-European male to win the World Cup Downhill Title.”
SUPER GIANT SLALOM (Super G) The Super G is a cross between giant slalom and downhill skiing. It combines the wide, long turns of giant slalom with the steep slopes of downhill. Skiers only get one run on the course. Average speeds for top skiers in this event can be up to 105 km/h (65 mph).
“Fun Fact: The Super G is a modern concept in alpine racing and only became a part of the World Cup circuit in 1985. Super G became an Olympic event in 1988.”
When did it all start?
Ancient cave drawings found in northern Europe tell us that ski racing is almost as old as skiing itself. Prior to the 19th century, the name of the game was Nordic or cross-country racing. Then, as ski resorts in the Swiss Alps developed, skiers began racing each other from the top to bottom of mountains. The first organized downhill ski race took place in 1921 and was organized by Sir Arnold Lunn for the British National Ski Championships. The first modern slalom races followed in 1922, and in 1924. The International Ski Federation was formed in Chamonix, France. Today, alpine racing is a popular sport in Canada, and Ontario develops some of the best alpine racers in the country, despite relatively small hills and a short ski season. Twelve thousand athletes, coaches and officials in Ontario participate in alpine racing every year.
