Skiing
Members of the US Air Force skiing at Keystone Resort's 14th Annual SnoFest
Skiing is the activity of gliding over
snow using skis (originally wooden planks,
now usually made from fiberglass or related composites) strapped to the feet
with ski bindings. Originally used primarily for transportation, skiing
evolved into a popular recreational and competitive activity during the 20th
century.
History
Although skiing probably evolved gradually from snowshoeing, Norwegian Sondre
Norheim is often called the "father of modern skiing". Sondre
Norheim invented bindings that enabled the skier to do turns while skiing down
hills, this form of skiing was called Slalom by Norheim and his contemparies.
This form of skiing is now referred to as Telemark or Telemark skiing. Skiing
originally was a practical activity which resembled today's Nordic, or
cross-country, style.
The invention of more firm bindings to attach the skier's feet to the ski,
likely by Austria's Matthias Zdarsky, enabled the skier to turn more
effectively and led to the development of Alpine, or Downhill, skiing.
Shortly thereafter, in the early 20th century, Austrians Johannes and Hannes
Schneider pioneered the idea of rotating the body to help steer the skis.
Shortly thereafter, this Arlberg technique, named for their home region,
spread around the world and helped make skiing a popular recreational
activity.
Types of skiing
Many different types of skiing are popular, especially in colder climes, and
many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International
Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Ski Federation (FIS), and other
sporting organizations. Skiing is most visible to the public during the Winter
Olympic Games where it is a major sport.
In skiing's traditional core regions in the snowy parts of Scandinavia, both
recreational and competitive skiing is as likely to refer to the cross-country
variants as to the internationally more well-known downhill variants.
For many people, "skiing" means recreational downhill skiing in which
one visits a ski resort, purchases a lift ticket, dons cold-weather clothing,
skis, ski boots and ski poles, and embarks on a chairlift, gondola lift, or
other means of mechanical uphill transport. Upon reaching the summit, the
skier disembarks from the ski lift and travels downhill, propelled by
gravity. Skiing technique is very difficult to master and accordingly
there are ski schools that teach everything from the basics of turning and
stopping safely to more advanced carving and mogul techniques. All skiers must
take care to know the limits of their abilities, as the speed and technical
difficulty associated with the sport can often lead to crashes or collisions
and serious injury.
Many non-skiers wonder why skiers are willing to risk injury. Skiers have a
variety of answers to this question, but a common explanation is that it
simply feels good, rather like flying, and that, when done carefully, it poses
no greater risk of injury compared to other sports. Of course, there is some
possibility of danger but curiously, this is also part of the appeal of the
sport. Skiing can also be the fastest means of land transport possible without
mechanical assistance. Many skiers have had experiences where they have
achieved a union of the mind and the body by practicing this sport where the
mind trusts the body to perform in an exceptional manner and the body trusts
the mind not lead it off a cliff. A sense of harmony and of peak experience
can result resulting in a feeling of wholeness of self.
In addition to their role in recreation and sport, skiing is also used as a
means of transport by the military, and many armies train troops for ski
warfare. Ski troops played a key role in retaining Finnish independence from
Russia during the Winter War, and from Germany during the Lapland War,
although the use of ski troops was recorded by the Danish historian Saxo
Grammaticus in the 13th century. The sport of Biathlon was developed from
military skiing patrols.
Skiing was pronounced "she-ing" at the start of the 20th century,
after the Norwegian pronunciation, and was usually written
quot;ski-ing".
Skiing for people with disabilities
Downhill skiing for people with disabilities is a recreational past time
open to those with any manner of cognitive and/or physical disabilties.
Adaptations include the use of outriggers, ski tip retention devices, ski
sliders, sit skis (dual and mono), brightly colored guide bibs, ski guides,
and skier to skier communcation systems. Recreational skiing programs for
people with disabilities exist at mountains across the globe. In the
Northeastern part of the United States Maine Handicapped Skiing is one of the
largest, operating out of the Sunday River ski resort. In the western part of
the United States the Winterpark program in Salt Lake City, Utah attracts
world class disabled athletes from Europe, Asia, and North America. Currently
the International Ski Federation (FIS) sanctions a number of regional,
national, and international disabled skiing events. Skiing for people with
disabilities became popular after World War II with the return of injured
veterans.
Skiing and society
In some places, particularly in the United States, skiing is often associated
with wealth. Some resorts, particularly several in the American state of
Colorado, are known as places where the affluent go on vacation.
The term "ski bum" has been used to classify skiers who want to
spend the entire skiing season at the resort, engaging in their favorite
sport; in reality, however, many different types of people engage in skiing.
Some people take days off of work occasionally, go after work, after school,
or on the weekends, for short trips if the ski resort is near their home, even
if it is almost more than they can afford.
Recently, skiers and snowboarders have engaged in rivalry on and off the
slopes, which is usually friendly and increases the notoriety of both sports;
snowboarders often share hills with downhill skiers.
Safety
When a major celebrity dies in a skiing accident, or someone dies in an
avalanche, the public is often made aware of some of the dangers of skiing. In
early 1998, when Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono died within a few days of each
other in skiing accidents, there was a major movement to get people to wear
helmets.
Snow and weather
Generally, downhill skiers prefer powder because it is more enjoyable.
Downhill racers prefer icy slopes because the ice allows for a faster speed.
Stiff skis work best for icy conditions. A snow base of 50 inches of snow is
usually below optimal for mountains on the U.S. West Coast, but this is
considered good for the East Coast. Annual mountain snowfalls are used as a
measuring stick to determine how good a hill is for downhill skiing. The top
ski resorts will generally get 600 inches or more of annual snowfall. East
coast mountains tend to be more icy than mountains on the west coast, but this
is not always the case. Also, it is commonly thought that European ski
mountains tend to be more icy and have longer lift line-ups, though
North American mountains are not excluded from this phenomenon.
Types of skiing
- Alpine skiing (also known as Downhill skiing)
- Backcountry skiing (also known as Off Piste skiing)
- Cross-country skiing (also known as Nordic skiing)
- Extreme skiing
- Telemark skiing
- Speed skiing
- Ski jumping
- Ski mountaineering
- Ski touring
- Freestyle skiing
-
Cat skiing is a type of snow skiing that involves the use of a snowcat to
transport skiers up mountainous terrain rather than helicopters or ski lifts
used at ski resorts. It is considered a form of backcountry skiing or
off-piste skiing, as the hazards encountered in a backcountry mountain
environment are the same and participants are often guided by professionals.
Turning techniques
-
Stem techniques
- The Snowplough - (also known as the wedge)
- The Stem Christie
- Parallel turn
- Carve turn
- Telemark turn
Equipment
- Skis
- Ski bindings
- Ski boots
- Ski poles
- Ski wax
- Ski suit
Competition events
- Arlberg-Kandahar competition
- Winter Olympic Games
- Four Hills Tournament
Alpine events
- Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Downhill
- Freestyle
- Slalom
- Giant slalom
- Super Giant Slalom
- Speed Skiing
- Moguls
Nordic events
- Biathlon
- Nordic combined
- Ski jumping
- Cross-country skiing
Skiing organisations
International organisations:
- International Biathlon Union (IBU)
- International Ski Federation (FIS)
National organisations:
- NZ Ski Association
- Professional Ski Instructors of America
- Ski Club of Great Britain
- United States Ski Association
Ski lifts
- Aerial tramway (or cablecar)
- Chairlift
- Detachable chairlift
- Funitel
- Funicular
- Gondola lift
- Rope tow
- Platter lift (or button lift)
- T-bar lift
Related sports
- Grass skiing
- Monoskiing
- Skwal
- Snowblading
- Snowboarding
- Snowshoe walking
- Water skiing
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation
License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Skiing".
