Skiing is the use of to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
History
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 the Old Norse word "skíð" which means to "split piece of wood or firewood".[Caprona, Yann de: Norsk etymologisk ordbok. Oslo: Kagge forlag, 2014. .]
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 the long ski supporting the weight of the skier was treated with animal fat in a similar manner to modern .
Early skiers used one long pole or spear. The first description of a skier with two 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 a recreation and sport.[Saur, Lasse (1999): Norske ski - til glede og besvær. Research report, Høgskolen i Finnmark.] Military ski races were held in Norway during the 18th century,[Bergsland, Einar (1946): På ski. Oslo: Aschehoug.] and ski warfare was studied in the late 18th century.
Types
Alpine
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.
, including
chairlifts, bring skiers up the slope. Backcountry skiing can be accessed by
heliskiing,
snowcat,
hiking and
snowmobile. Facilities at resorts can include
night skiing, après-ski, and
glade skiing under 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
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.
Ski skins are temporarily attached to 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.
Nordic
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 is practiced in certain areas that are reserved exclusively for ski jumping.
Telemark
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 the same width as Alpine skis.
Competition
The following skiing disciplines are sanctioned by the FIS. Many have their own world cups and are included in the Winter Olympic Games.
-
Cross-country – Encompasses a variety of formats for cross-country skiing races over courses of varying lengths. Races occur on homologated, groomed courses designed to support classic (in-track) and free-style events, where skate skiing may be employed. The main competitions are the FIS Cross-Country World Cup and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (held only in odd-numbered years), and various cross-country skiing events have been incorporated into the Winter Olympics since its inception in 1924. The discipline also incorporates: cross-country ski marathon events, sanctioned by the Worldloppet Ski Federation; cross-country ski-orienteering events, sanctioned by the International Orienteering Federation; and biathlon, a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting sports. Paralympic cross-country skiing and paralympic biathlon are both included in the Winter Paralympic Games.
-
Ski jumping – Contested at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (odd-numbered years only), the FIS Ski Jumping Grand Prix, and the FIS Ski Flying World Championships. Ski jumping has also been a regular Olympic discipline at every Winter Games since 1924.
-
Nordic combined – A combination of cross-country skiing and ski jumping, this discipline is contested at the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (odd-numbered years only), and at the Winter Olympics.
-
Alpine skiing – Includes downhill, Slalom skiing, giant slalom, Super-G (super-G), and para-alpine events. There are also combined events where the competitors must complete one run of each event, for example; the Super Combined event consists of one run of super-G and one run of slalom skiing. The dual slalom event, where racers ski head-to-head, was invented in 1941 and has been a competitive event since 1960.
-
Speed skiing – Dating from 1898, with official records beginning in 1932 with an run by Leo Gasperi, this became an FIS discipline in the 1960s. It is contested at the FIS Speed Ski World Cup, and was demonstrated at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.
-
Freestyle skiing – Includes mogul skiing, aerials, ski cross, half-pipe, and slopestyle. The main freestyle competitions are the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup and the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships (held in odd-numbered years). The discipline was first demonstrated at the 1988 Winter Olympics and was added to the Olympic programme in 1992. It became an Olympic sport in the 2014 Sochi Olympic games when the Slopestyle and Half-pipe skiing events were introduced.
-
Telemark skiing – Named after the Telemark region of Norway, this discipline combines elements of Alpine and Nordic skiing. A relatively new competitive sport, Telemark racing is contested at the FIS Telemark World Cup and the FIS Telemark World Championships.
-
Grass skiing – Originally developed as an alpine skiing training method, skiing on grass has become established as a skiing discipline in its own right. It is contested at the FIS Grass Skiing World Cup and the FIS Grass Ski World Championships.
Equipment
Equipment used in skiing includes:
Technique
Technique has evolved along with ski technology and
ski geometry. Early techniques included the
Telemark skiing turn, the stem, the
stem Christie,
snowplough turn, and
parallel turn.
New parabolic designs like the Elan SCX have enabled the more modern carve turn.
On other surfaces
Originally and primarily an outdoor
winter sport on snow, skiing is also practiced on synthetic "dry" ski slopes, on
Sand skiing,
indoor skiing and with
. With appropriate equipment,
grass skiing and
roller skiing are other alternatives which are not performed on snow.
Gallery
File:Wilmot-ski-racer-cmsc.jpg|Giant Slalom Ski Racer
File:Freestyle skiing jump2.jpg|Freeskiing switch 720 mute grab
File:Calgary.jpg|A ski jumper using the V-style
File:Priit Narusk at Tour de Ski.jpg|Cross country skiing—free-style or skate-skiing
File:Danplastic.jpg|Dry slope racing
File:Vail Veterans monoski.jpg|A skier with a disability on a sit-ski, using two outriggers.
See also
-
Glossary of skiing and snowboarding terms
External links
