SKIING INFORMATION ARTICLES

Skiing Disciplines - Downhill Skiing

Downhill Skiing is a sport or recreational activity that involves a fast slide descent on snow-covered hillside using thin skis on both feet. An alpine skiing discipline, this activity can be considered as the riskiest compared to the other events under this discipline such as Snowboarding, Mountain Biking, skateboarding, freeboarding, mountain boarding and municycling.

Alpine Skiing is a discipline that evolved from Cross Country Skiing. It began when mountain resorts began developing the ski lift which allowed skiers to be towed back to the top of the slopes without the hassle of climbing back up. This enabled the enthusiasts to repeat the activity without getting tired from climbing back to the mountain top. Meanwhile, the rules for the downhill skiing event were developed in 1921 by Sir Arnold Lunn for the British National Ski Championships. Thus, a recreational activity became one of the popular sports in places with a good combination of snow and slopes. Places with high skiing rates are Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, the South America Andes, South Korea, and Japan.

Downhill Skiing sport involves the highest speeds in any of the disciplines, requiring the racer to exceed 130 kilometers per hour (80 mph) in a typical international level course. A more extreme event is the Hahnenkamm course in Kitzbühel, Austria wherein the participants are expected to speed up to 150 kilometers per hour (93 mph). This competition is only for racers with specialized skills, expertise in the technical aspects of the sport, and has great strength and endurance level.

There are different Downhill Skiing Techniques. To control the direction and speed of their descent, beginners often use the snowplough/snowplow technique. This is executed by to pointing one or both skis inward to make a turn or to stop. Meanwhile, more advanced skiers use the parallel turn, a more difficult but more elegant technique wherein the skier keeps the skis parallel while altering the weight distribution between them to manipulate directions. Another modern advanced turning technique in skiing is called carving wherein the skier uses his knees to turn while keeping the upper body facing the downhill. This creates a smoother arc movement, without slowing down the descent.

A downhill course is specially prepared for the activity. It begins on or near the top of a mountain. To ensure that the course is ready for the race, water or salt is spread throughout the pathways to make it icy and increase the skiers' speed. A good course consists of the following elements: long icy paths, challenging turns, extreme steeps, flats, uneven slopes, and large airs for challenging jumps to make the event much exciting for both the skiers and the audience. The levels of difficulty of the different courses are marked by colors or shapes, depending on the resort.

The skis used in downhill skiing is 30% longer than those used in lower-speed alpine events. Other than that, it also has low-profile tips rather than the pointed tips used in slalom, and the ski poles are bent to curve around the body. For added protection and comfort, the attire of downhill skiers are skin-tight suits and helmets.

Downhill Skiing imposes lots of risks. Despite precautions provided for the participants, deaths and serious injuries still occur in the races. For your safety, it is best to learn more about this sport first, seek the guidance of experts, and practice on beginners' slopes before engaging on more dangerous tracks.

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