Alpine Skiing

Race downhill and feel the exhilarating cold wind on your face and the rush that only moving in speed can bring. Alpine racing can give you just that. In a nutshell, it really is all about skiing downhill.  The European Alps has long since seen a lot of Alpine skiers.  For more than 150 years now, this was a popular sport enjoyed by ski enthusiasts.

Alpine skiing came to be when ski elevators were invented.  It was because of this that skiers were able to climb on top of a steep hill or elevation and woosh down the slope.  Since then, people started to adapt the gear and techniques they once used for cross country skiing so that they can get as much enjoyment out of Alpine Skiing.  The skiers also developed new techniques for turning and for using their poles so that they can conquer the challenge of the almost vertical terrain.

Alpine skiing can be a challenge since it will require the best of your coordination, as well as your ability to race downhill.  This kind of skiing is only possible with mountain slopes, lots of snow and a great ski lift infrastructure.

What makes alpine skiing difficult is that you have to learn how to control the speed of your descent, as well as where you are heading.  It is quite difficult to do this.  For beginners, what one can do is to make a turn and then stop by pointing your skis inward.  This technique is what is known as the snowplough.  For those who are much more experienced, one can do the carve turn, which is done by rolling the knees while ensuring that the hips and upper body stay pointed down the hill.

The allure of Alpine Skiing is that the racers can get to speeds of over 130 kilometers per hour.  Imagine the excitement of swooping down a 1,100 downhill trail in that speed!

As you become more experienced and more confident in Alpine Skiing, you will find yourself looking for steeper slopes. The steeper, the better.  There are a lot of sheer drops in most of the major ski resorts.

This skiing discipline became officially part of the Olympic games in 1936.  Races include the slalom (180 meter trails for men and 140 meter trails for women) and the downhill (1,100 meters for men and 800 meters for women).  During the downhill competition, the skiers have to pass a certain gate.  Those who are not able to pass the gate at the first run will have to climb up the slope in order to pass that gate, or else they are disqualified.