Altay Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang , People's Republic of China. It has an area of 118,015 km (45,566 sq mi) and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture . As of the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture with an ethnic Kazakh majority (about 51%). In 2007, it had a GDP of RMB 9.9 billion with a 12% growth rate. It also shares an international border with the neighboring Altai Republic , located within Russia .
11-587: Altay is considered the birthplace of skiing , based on 10,000 to 30,000 year old cave paintings depicting skiers. The prefecture is divided into one county-level city and six counties . Secretary of the Party Committee Administrative Commissioner Skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport . Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by
22-463: A recreation and sport. Military ski races were held in Norway during the 18th century, and ski warfare was studied in the late 18th century. As equipment evolved and ski lifts were developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, two main genres of skiing emerged— Alpine (downhill) skiing and Nordic skiing . The main difference between the two is the type of ski binding (the way in which
33-474: Is practiced in certain areas that are reserved exclusively for ski jumping. Telemark skiing is a ski turning technique and FIS-sanctioned discipline, which is named after the Telemark region of Norway. It uses equipment similar to Nordic skiing, where the ski bindings are attached only at the toes of the ski boots, allowing the skier's heel to be raised throughout the turn. However, the skis themselves are often
44-500: The Elan SCX have enabled the more modern carve turn . Originally and primarily an outdoor winter sport on snow, skiing is also practiced on synthetic "dry" ski slopes , on sand , indoors and with ski simulators . With appropriate equipment, grass skiing and roller skiing are other alternatives which are not performed on snow. International Ski and Snowboard Federation Too Many Requests If you report this error to
55-704: The International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Skiing has a history of almost five millennia. Although modern skiing has evolved from beginnings in Scandinavia , it may have been practiced more than 100 centuries ago in the Altai Mountains , according to an interpretation of ancient paintings. However, this continues to be debated. The word "ski" comes from
66-463: The Old Norse word "skíð" which means to "split piece of wood or firewood". Asymmetrical skis were used in northern Finland and Sweden until at least the late 19th century. On one foot, the skier wore a long straight non-arching ski for sliding, and a shorter ski was worn on the other foot for kicking. The underside of the short ski was either plain or covered with animal skin to aid this use, while
77-493: The ski boots are attached to the skis). Also called "downhill skiing", Alpine skiing typically takes place on a piste at a ski resort . It is characterized by fixed-heel bindings that attach at both the toe and the heel of the skier's boot. Ski lifts , including chairlifts , bring skiers up the slope. Backcountry skiing can be accessed by helicopter , snowcat , hiking and snowmobile . Facilities at resorts can include night skiing , après-ski , and glade skiing under
88-471: The bottom of alpine skis to give them traction on snow. This permits Nordic style uphill and back-country travel on alpine skis. For downhill travel, the heels are locked and the skins are removed. The Nordic disciplines include cross-country skiing and ski jumping , which both use bindings that attach at the toes of the skier's boots but not at the heels. Cross-country skiing may be practiced on groomed trails or in undeveloped backcountry areas. Ski jumping
99-403: The long ski supporting the weight of the skier was treated with animal fat in a similar manner to modern ski waxing . Early skiers used one long pole or spear. The first description of a skier with two ski poles dates to 1741. Troops in continental Europe were equipped with skis by 1747. Skiing was primarily used for transport until the mid-19th century but, since then, it has also become
110-543: The same width as Alpine skis. The following skiing disciplines are sanctioned by the FIS . Many have their own world cups and are included in the Winter Olympic Games . Equipment used in skiing includes: Technique has evolved along with ski technology and ski geometry . Early techniques included the telemark turn, the stem , the stem Christie , snowplough , and parallel turn . New parabolic designs like
121-478: The supervision of the ski patrol and the ski school . Alpine skiing branched off from the older Nordic type of skiing around the 1920s when the advent of ski lifts meant that it was no longer necessary to climb back uphill. Alpine equipment has specialized to the point where it can now only be used with the help of lifts. Alpine Touring setups use specialized bindings which are switchable between locked and free-heel modes. Climbing skins are temporarily attached to
SECTION 10
#1732779736302#301698