62-808: Saslong is a World Cup downhill ski course in Italy just above Val Gardena/Gröden . Located on the Langkofel in the Dolomites , the race course made its World Cup debut in February 1969 . The ski course is named after the mountain Saslonch ( German : Langkofel , Italian : Sassolungo ) with an adapted spelling. Difficult jump short after the start, into the steepest section (56.9% gradient ), then virtual change direction in mid-air to compression. A forty-metre (130 ft) jump which takes skiers into
124-494: A given season are marked "NA"): Updated: 24 November 2024 As of 23 November 2024. Based on ski-database super ranking system (since 1966), this scoring system is calculated using points from three categories: Olympic Games , World Championships , and World Cup (overall titles, discipline titles and individual top ten results). Parallel slaloms from 1976 to 1991 counted for Nations Cup. There were no limitations regarding
186-409: A hard plastic/resin shell with inner padding. Modern ski helmets may include many additional features such as vents, earmuffs, headphones, goggle mounts, and camera mounts. The protective gear used in alpine skiing includes: helmets, mouth guards, shin guards, chin guards, arm guards, back protectors, pole guards, and padding. Mouth guards can reduce the effects of a concussion and protect the teeth of
248-399: A normal downhill ski which would most likely sink into the snow. Freestyle skis are used by skiers who ski terrain parks. These skis are meant to help a skier who skis jumps, rails, and other features placed throughout the terrain park. Freestyle skis are usually fully symmetric, meaning they are the same dimensions from the tip of the ski to the backside (tail) of the ski. All-mountain skis are
310-433: A number of points for each place in a race, but the procedure for doing so and the often-arcane method used to calculate the annual champions has varied greatly over the years. Originally, points were awarded only to the top ten finishers in each race, with 25 points for the winner, 20 for second, 15 for third, 11 for fourth, 8 for fifth, 6 for sixth, 4 for seventh, then decreasing by one point for each lower place. To determine
372-453: A run on either course. The best combined times moved the fastest racer to the second round through bracket preference protocols. From the second round, skiers the head-to-head competitions were held over one run only, with the faster skier from the previous round granted course selection between the 'red-right' or 'blue-left' course. At about one-third the time of a standard GS event, top performers/finalists were able to make multiple runs without
434-560: A total of two races (one in the men's category and one in the women's category) and it was in 2002/03 season. The points were added together with slalom races. Introduced by the International Ski Federation to the World Cup as a spectator-friendly event in late 2015, the parallel giant slalom competition, or shortened parallel-G , joining the parallel slalom, is intended to lure more speed specialists into
496-402: Is a device used to connect the skier's boot to the ski. The purpose of the binding is to allow the skier to stay connected to the ski, but if the skier falls the binding can safely release them from the ski to prevent injury. There are two types of bindings: the heel and toe system (step-in) and the plate system binding. Ski boots are one of the most important accessories to skiing. They connect
558-467: Is from Norwegian dialects slalåm meaning a trail ( låm ) on a slope ( sla ). In Telemark in the 1800s, the steeper and more difficult trails were called ville låmir (wild trails). Skiing competitions in Telemark often began on a steep mountain, continued along a logging-slides ( tømmerslepe ) and was completed with a sharp turn ( Telemark turn ) on a field or frozen lake. This type of competition used
620-447: Is made of plastic and contains the buckles. Most ski boots contain a strap at shin level to allow for extra strength when tightening the boots. Ski poles, one in each hand, are used for balance and propulsion. Ski helmets reduce the chances of head injury while skiing. Ski helmets also help to provide warmth to the head since they incorporate an inner liner that traps warmth. Helmets are available in many styles, and typically consist of
682-438: Is measured by percent slope, not degree angle. A 100% slope is a 45-degree angle. In general, beginner slopes (green circle) are between 6% and 25%. Intermediate slopes (blue square) are between 25% and 40%. Difficult slopes (black diamond) are 40% and up. Although slope gradient is the primary consideration in assigning a trail difficulty rating, other factors come into play. A trail will be rated by its most difficult part, even if
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#1732772707163744-429: Is rotated onto its edge, the pattern cut into its side causes it to bend into an arc. The contact between the arc of the ski edges and the snow naturally causes the ski to tend to move along that arc, changing the skiers direction of motion. This is an advanced form of speed control by increasing the pressure on one inside edge (for example the right ski), then releasing the pressure and shifting immediately to increasing
806-404: Is the stem, angling the tail of the ski off to the side, while the tips remain close together. In doing so, the snow resists passage of the stemmed ski, creating a force that retards downhill speed and sustains a turn in the opposite direction. When both skis are stemmed, there is no net turning force, only retardation of downhill speed. Carving is based on the shape of the ski itself; when the ski
868-593: Is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France (Honore Bonnet) and the USA ( Bob Beattie ). It was soon backed by International Ski Federation president Marc Hodler during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1966 at Portillo, Chile , and became an official FIS event in
930-425: Is typically practiced at ski resorts , which provide such services as ski lifts , artificial snow making , snow grooming , restaurants, and ski patrol . " Off-piste " skiers—those skiing outside ski area boundaries—may employ snowmobiles , helicopters or snowcats to deliver them to the top of a slope. Back-country skiers may use specialized equipment with a free-heel mode, including 'sticky' skins on
992-710: The Alps in Europe, with regular stops in Scandinavia , North America, and east Asia, but a few races have also been held in the Southern Hemisphere. World Cup competitions have been hosted in 25 countries around the world: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy , Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and
1054-557: The World Championships in 1970 , which also counted for 1970 World Cup season points and wins/podiums statistics. On 23 March 1975 , Saslong hosted the first parallel slalom in history, Gustav Thöni won in front of 40,000, beating Ingemar Stenmark in the final. World Championships, also counted for World Cup. Not part of classic Saslong competition. It only replaced Lake Louise (2001), Beaver Creek (2022) In 1986, elite Club5
1116-736: The World Championships , and the Winter Olympics . Broadly speaking, competitive skiing is divided into two disciplines: Other disciplines administered by the FIS but not usually considered part of alpine are speed skiing and grass skiing . The triple crown of alpine skiing consists of winning all three World Cup titles in one season or all three Gold medals at the Winter Olympic Games in Slalom , Giant slalom , and Downhill skiing events. Only two people have ever accomplished
1178-477: The combined , employs the downhill and slalom. The World Cup originally included only slalom, giant slalom, and downhill races. Combined events (calculated using results from selected downhill and slalom races) were included starting with the 1974–75 season, while the Super G was added for the 1982–83 season. The current scoring system was implemented in the 1991–92 season. For every race points are awarded to
1240-464: The stem christie in Christiania (Oslo) in 1868, the technique was originally called christiania turn (norwegian: christianiasving or kristianiasving ) after the city (first printed in 1901 in guidelines for ski jumping). The telemark turn was the alternative technique. The christiania turn later developed into parallel turn as the standard technique in alpine skiing. The term "slalom"
1302-475: The 1st Camel Hump with top speed at 130 km/h (81 mph). The Camel Humps represent the most spectacular section of the Saslong. They were named by the late and former Austrian FIS TD Sepp Sulzberger. Uli Spiess from Austria was the first athlete to attempt and succeed in jumping all three Humps at the same time instead of taking each jump separately. Since Spiess' premiere, skiers today mostly absorb
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#17327727071631364-522: The NorAm and Europa Cup. The Chief Race Director of the inaugural event at Alta Badia, Markus Waldner, on 20 December 2015 stated that "great performances" and "head-to-head fights" between the best giant slalom racers is the goal of the competition. The course for the first race was very compact at about 20–22 seconds duration, or about one-third of a normal GS run. The pace and cadence was the same as Giant slalom, not standard Slalom. Gates were set at roughly
1426-520: The Nucia jump into the final schuss following the exit from Ciaslat. The jump owes its name to the new tunnel that runs below the Final schuss and is part of the new street by-passing St.Christina which was opened in 2009. The first downhill winner in February 1969 was Jean-Daniel Dätwyler from Switzerland, and this annual ski event is part of the prestigious Saslong Classic competition. Saslong hosted
1488-971: The United States. Lower competitive circuits include the NorAm Cup in North America and the Europa Cup in Europe. Multiple individual overall World Cup winners are marked with (#). The following skiers have at least three overall alpine World Cup titles. The following skiers have at least three overall alpine World Cup titles. Combined crystal globes were officially awarded from 2007 to 2012. Here are counted all season titles, official and unofficial. The records for most World Cup titles in each discipline are as follows: Only four men's racers have ever managed to win small crystal globe in four or more different alpine skiing disciplines during their career, as listed in
1550-422: The World Cup points valuation ( i . e ., Grenoble 1968 and Val Gardena 1970 ); this was abandoned after 1970, mainly due to the limited number of racers per nation who are permitted to take part in these events. Beginning with the 1971–72 season (the sixth season), the number of results counted was increased to five in each discipline. The formula used to determine the overall winner varied almost every year over
1612-482: The athlete. Shin guards, pole guards, arm guards and chin guards are mainly used in slalom skiing in order to protect the body parts having impact with the gates. Back protectors and padding, also known as stealth, is worn for giant slalom and other speed events in order to better protect the body if an athlete were to have an accident at high speeds. Elite competitive skiers participate in the FIS World Cup ,
1674-404: The best 5 results in the original disciplines ( slalom , giant slalom , and downhill ) plus the best three results in combined . When Super G events were introduced for the 1982–83 season, the results were included with giant slalom for the first three seasons, before a separate Cup for the discipline was awarded starting in 1985–86 and the top 3 Super G results were counted toward
1736-406: The bindings to be more closely matched to the fit of the boot, and offer improved performance. The new plastic model contained two parts of the boots: an inner boot and an outer shell. The inner part of the boot (also called the liner) is the cushioning part of the boot and contains a footbed along with a cushion to keep a skier's foot warm and comfortable. The outer shell is the part of the boot that
1798-913: The bottoms of the skis to stop them sliding backwards during an ascent, then locking the heel and removing the skins for their descent. Alpine ski racing has been held at the Winter Olympics since 1936 . A competition corresponding to modern slalom was introduced in Norway at Oslo in 1886. As of 2023, there were estimated to be 55 million people worldwide who engaged in alpine skiing. The estimated number of skiers, who practiced alpine, cross-country skiing , and related snow sports, amounted to 30 million in Europe, 20 million in North America, and 14 million in Japan. As of 1996, there were reportedly 4,500 ski areas, operating 26,000 ski lifts and enjoying skier visits. The predominant region for downhill skiing
1860-483: The day prior at the same venue. Overlapping qualifications allowed the sponsors to invite lower ranked participants to fill in gaps, as needed, and to replace individuals who declined to participate. Points were awarded and accumulated according to current standards for the race season in all relevant categories: the GS discipline, Overall and Nations Cup. The field was filled with thirty-two first round participants, each getting
1922-431: The fall line without gaining speed. The snowplough turn is the simplest form of turning and is usually learned by beginners. To perform the snowplough turn one must be in the snowplough position while going down the ski slope. While doing this they apply more pressure to the inside of the opposite foot of which the direction they would like to turn. This type of turn allows the skier to keep a controlled speed and introduces
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1984-417: The fall line, across the hill instead of down it, will accelerate more slowly. The speed of descent down any given hill can be controlled by changing the angle of motion in relation to the fall line, skiing across the hill rather than down it. Downhill skiing technique focuses on the use of turns to smoothly turn the skis from one direction to another. Additionally, the skier can use the same techniques to turn
2046-476: The faster of the two technical disciplines, along with attracting their fans to watch the races at the venue, on-line, and on television. Few venues offer the slope and conditions required to host an extremely short Giant slalom course that can be readily viewed in its entirety by a compact gallery of fans. Modified or not, the Federation has not suggested that they will push the format to lower-level tours like
2108-403: The fatigue of a longer event. The course was methodically set with lasers, and a GPS-equipped Snowcat , to guarantee that both courses on the hill were as identical as possible to ensure equity and a fair competition. The Race Director suggested the difference between the two lanes were within "1–to–2 centimeters" tolerance of one another. The World Cup scoring system is based on awarding
2170-548: The feat: In most ski resorts, the runs are graded according to comparative difficulty so that skiers can select appropriate routes. The grading schemes around the world are related, although with significant regional variations. A beginner-rated trail at a large mountain may be more of an intermediate-rated trail on a smaller mountain. In the United States and Canada, there are four rating symbols: Easy (green circle), Intermediate (blue square), and Difficult (black diamond), and Experts Only (double black diamond) Ski trail difficulty
2232-418: The first jump (a.k.a. "Girardelli Line") and leap from the second over the third. The record jump belongs to Austrian skier Michael Walchhofer who leaped 88 metres (289 ft) reaching a height of 4–5 meters in 2003. Ciaslat with its corrugated ripples and bumps is where the race is often decided. In this technically very demanding section of the course racers face overall 17 different ripples. Skiers take
2294-521: The giant slalom ranking. The World Cup is held annually, and is considered the premier competition for alpine ski racing after the quadrennial Winter Olympics . Many consider the World Cup to be a more valuable title than the Olympics or the biennial World Championships , since it requires a competitor to ski at an extremely high level in several disciplines throughout the season, and not just in one race. Races are hosted primarily at ski resorts in
2356-415: The idea of turning across the fall line. Modern alpine skis are shaped to enable carve turning, and have evolved significantly since the 1980s, with variants including powder skis, freestyle skis, all-mountain skis, and children's skis. Powder skis are usually used when there is a large amount of fresh snow; the shape of a powder ski is wide, allowing the ski to float on top of the snow, compared to
2418-464: The knee, head, neck and shoulder area, hands and back. Ski helmets are highly recommended by professionals as well as doctors. Head injuries caused in skiing can lead to death or permanent brain damage. In alpine skiing, for every 1000 people skiing in a day, on average between two and four will require medical attention. Most accidents are the result of user error leading to an isolated fall. Learning how to fall correctly and safely can reduce
2480-415: The most common type of ski, and tend to be used as a typical alpine ski. All-mountain skis are built to do a little bit of everything; they can be used in fresh snow ( powder ) or used when skiing groomed runs. Slalom race skis, usually referred to as race skis, are short, narrow skis, which tend to be stiffer because they are meant for those who want to go fast as well as make quick sharp turns. The binding
2542-491: The natural and typical terrain in Telemark. Some races were on "bumpy courses" ( kneikelåm ) and sometimes included "steep jumps" ( sprøytehopp ) for difficulty. The first known slalom competitions were presumably held in Telemark around 1870 in conjunction with ski jumping competitions, involving the same athletes and on slopes next to the ski jump. Husebyrennet from 1886 included svingrenn (turning competition on hills),
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2604-425: The next decade, with some seasons divided into two portions with a fixed number of results in each period counting toward the overall, while in other seasons the best three or four results in each discipline would count. Starting with the 1979–80 season (the 14th season), points were awarded to the top 15 finishers in each race. After 1980–81 , the formula for the overall title stabilized for several years, counting
2666-434: The number of athletes who could enter the competition, but each main event was limited to 32 competitors. Parallel city event is a version of parallel slalom where only Top16 ranked are allowed to compete. Length of the track and course/gates setting are also different from classic parallel slalom, and as of 2019/20 season, they are completely replaced with normal parallel races with qualification run. There were
2728-428: The other inside edge (the left ski). Then repeat if necessary. Each increased pressure slows the speed. Alternating right and left allows the skis to remain parallel and point ahead without turning. The increase and release sequence results in the up and down motions of the upper body. Some skiers go down the top of moguls and control the speed by checking at the tops. This is how they can practically go straight down
2790-425: The overall title. From the beginning to 1971–72 , discipline titles were awarded with medals. Statistically, those titles have the same value as the small crystal globes, which first appeared for discipline titles in slalom , giant slalom and downhill in the 1977–78 . In super-G , the small globe has been awarded since 1985–86 . For super-g races in the three seasons previous, points were added and calculated in
2852-598: The overall. The formula for the overall was changed yet again the following season , with the top four results in each discipline counting, along with all combined results (although the combined was nearly eliminated from the schedule, reduced to one or two events per season). Alpine skiing Alpine skiing , or downhill skiing , is the pastime of sliding down snow -covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings , unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country , Telemark , or ski jumping ), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for recreation or for sport , it
2914-455: The rest of the trail is easy. Ski resorts assign ratings to their own trails, rating a trail compared only with other trails at that resort. Also considered are width of the trail, sharpest turns, terrain roughness, and whether the resort regularly grooms the trail. In 2014, there were more than 114,000 alpine skiing-related injuries treated in hospitals, doctor's offices, and emergency rooms. The most common types of ski injuries are those of
2976-467: The risk of injury. According to a 2004 Harvard Medical School study, alpine skiing burns between 360 and 532 calories per hour. Winter season lengths are projected to decline at ski areas across North America and Europe due to the effects of global warming . In the United States, winter season lengths are projected to decline by more than 50 percent by 2050 and by 80 percent by 2090 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at current rates. About half of
3038-416: The same distances as GS and on a slope of about the same pitch. The field of thirty-two were drawn following an invitational format. The top four men in the overall World Cup rankings were automatic invitees, if they chose to compete. Another 16 racers were selected from the top of the current GS start list rankings, and the final twelve competitors were selected from the 1st run efforts at the standard GS event
3100-410: The second compression. Fifteen-to-twenty-metre (49 to 66 ft) jump in the air, followed by a flat, yet intense, left-right-left gate combination ending at the 1st Mauer ("Wall"). Skiers jump approximately 35 metres (115 ft) directly to the 1st Mauer and have to sway to the right to the 2nd Mauer. The jump on the 2nd Mauer contemporaneously serves as the entry into the flat section leading to
3162-430: The ski away from the direction of movement, generating skidding forces between the skis and snow which further slow the descent. Good technique results in a fluid flowing motion from one descent angle to another one, adjusting the angle as needed to match changes in the steepness of the run. This looks more like a single series of S's than turns followed by straight sections. The oldest and still common type of turn on skis
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#17327727071633224-399: The skier to the skis, allowing them full control over the ski. When ski boots first came about they were made of leather and laces were used. The leather ski boots started off as low-cut, but gradually became taller, allowing for more ankle support, as injuries became more common . Eventually the tied laces were replaced with buckles and the leather boots were replaced with plastic. This allowed
3286-580: The spring of 1967 after the FIS Congress at Beirut , Lebanon. The inaugural World Cup race was held on 5 January 1967 in Berchtesgaden , West Germany , a slalom won by Heinrich Messner of Austria. Jean-Claude Killy of France and Nancy Greene of Canada were the overall winners for the first two seasons. Competitors attempt to achieve the best time in four disciplines: slalom , giant slalom , super G , and downhill . The fifth event,
3348-480: The table below. As of 2 March 2024 A common measurement of how good individual skiers are is the total number of World Cup races won during their skiing career. The following skiers have won at least 20 World Cup races: update: 17 March 2024 As of 2 March 2024 As of 10 March 2024 Only a few racers have ever managed to win races in all five classic World Cup alpine skiing disciplines during their career, as listed in
3410-406: The table below. Marc Girardelli ( 1988–89 ), Petra Kronberger ( 1990–91 ), Janica Kostelić ( 2005–06 ) and Tina Maze ( 2012–13 ) are the only skiers to have won all five events in a single season. Bode Miller is the only skier with at least five World Cup victories in all five disciplines. The following skiers have won at least ten World Cup races in a single season (events not available in
3472-577: The term slalåm had not been introduced at that time. Slalom was first used at a skiing competition in Sonnenberg in 1906. Two to three decades later, the sport spread to the rest of Europe and the US. The first slalom ski competition occurred in Mürren , Switzerland in 1922. A skier following the fall line will reach the maximum possible speed for that slope. A skier with skis pointed perpendicular to
3534-413: The top 30 finishers: 100 points to the winner, 80 for second, 60 for third, winding down to 1 point for 30th place. The racer with the most points at the end of the season in mid-March wins the cup, represented by a 9 kilogram crystal globe. Sub-prizes are also awarded in each individual race discipline, with a smaller 3.5 kg crystal globe. Since 1967 , the big crystal globe has been awarded for
3596-458: The winner for each discipline World Cup, only a racer's best three results counted, from a typical six to eight races in each discipline (consistent with the then-current classification of skiers as amateurs, who couldn't be expected compete all the time). For the overall Cup, only these best three results in each discipline were included. Until 1970, the results of Winter Olympic Games races and Alpine World Ski Championship races were also included in
3658-413: The winter when they froze over. Skiing was an integral part of transportation in colder countries for thousands of years. In the 1760s, skiing was recorded as being used in military training. The Norwegian army held skill competitions involving skiing down slopes, around trees and obstacles while shooting. The birth of modern alpine skiing is often dated to the 1850s, and during the late 19th century, skiing
3720-514: Was Europe, followed by Japan and the US. The ancient origins of skiing can be traced back to prehistoric times in Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway where varying sizes and shapes of wooden planks were found preserved in peat bogs . The word ski is related to the Old Norse word skíð , which means "split piece of wood or firewood." Skis were first invented to cross wetlands and marshes in
3782-558: Was adapted from a method of transportation to a competitive and recreational sport. Norwegian legend Sondre Norheim first began the trend of skis with curved sides, and bindings with stiff heel bands made of willow . Norheim also trended the slalom turn style. The wooden skis designed by Norheim closely resemble the shape of modern slalom skis. Norheim was the champion of the first downhill skiing competition, reportedly held in Oslo, Norway in 1868. Norheim impressed spectators when he used
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#17327727071633844-596: Was originally founded by prestigious classic downhill organizers: Kitzbühel , Wengen , Garmisch , Val d’Isère and Val Gardena/Gröden , with goal to bring alpine ski sport on the highest levels possible. Later over the years other classic longterm organizers joined the now named Club5+: Alta Badia , Cortina , Kranjska Gora , Maribor , Lake Louise , Schladming , Adelboden , Kvitfjell , St.Moritz and Åre . 46°33′22″N 11°43′48″E / 46.556°N 11.73°E / 46.556; 11.73 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup
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