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History
History
Skiing is not a modern concept. Cave drawings in Central Asia suggest that man used skis during the last Ice Age. The exact origins of skiing and who invented skiing still need to be clarified. However, skiing was initially designed to create movement, to get from A to B for hunting and transportation. The first community believed to have skied was the Sami, the only native to Scandinavia throughout the Middle Ages. The Sami are widely credited with being the inventors of the ski.
Olympic Skiing
Olympic Skiing
In 1924, the first Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France. To begin with, the games did not feature downhill/alpine skiing. Only the more established Nordic Skiing was featured. The growing love of alpine skiing was becoming apparent, and it was soon included in the 1936 Winter Games hosted in Germany.
Equipment and Clothing
Skiing requires specialized equipment like skis, ski boots, goggles, a helmet, and ski poles. They help a skier go down snowy slopes effortlessly.
The ski gloves or mittens, a base layer, a sweater or a fleece jacket, a ski jacket, and pants protect the body from the frigid cold temperatures in the snowy mountains. The jacket and pants should be waterproof and insulated to keep you warm.
Skis
The word “Ski” (derived from the old Norse word skíð ) means “cleft wood” or a “stick of wood”. Much like the activity itself, the structure and construction of skis have undergone extensive changes over time.
Wood reigned as the classic ski material for years. Today, skis are made from fiberglass or aluminum. But a ski isn't simply a shaped piece of one of those materials; it has many components, which vary in style or size depending on the model and the event they are used for.
Parts of the Ski
Nose/Tip refers to the tip of the ski in front of your toes. This area isn’t entirely flat. It noticeably curves upward, much like an elf’s shoe. Since the nose strikes the snow first while skiing, the upward curve allows a ski to ride over the snow effortlessly.
Tail refers to the tip of the ski behind your heel when you wear one. It is generally straight-cut with well-rounded corners. In skis made for free-style skiing, however, where skiers often ski backward, the tails curve upwards like the nose to allow smooth movement in both directions. The distance between the nose and tail of a ski is the length of the ski.
The base is the area below your ski that comes in contact with the snow. The deck is the area on the top where your boots attach.
Camber and contact points: The skis aren't perfectly flat. When you place your ski on the floor, you might notice a slight gap between the center of the ski and the floor. This gap is known as the camber. Think of it as the arch in your foot. The front and back parts of the ski that are in contact with the ground are known as contact points.
Note: When careening down the slopes on your skies, the entire base of the ski eventually comes in contact with the ground.
The edges of the ski between your feet are known as the inner edges, and the ones on the outside are called the outer edges. The inner and outer edges are made of metal, which helps a skier make turns on the snow. The sharper the edge, the more pronounced the turn.
A ski's sidecut refers to how the ski is shaped from nose to middle. Imagine a ski as a perfectly rectangular board. The sidecut refers to the amount of material cut out of the sides of that board, creating the familiar, gently curved ski shape. A more dramatic sidecut produces a rounder ski that helps a skier to make sharper turns.
A ski varies in width, and the widest part of the ski is called the shovel, near the front of the ski. The waist width is the narrowest point.
Ski Binding: The ski binding refers to the section of the ski on the deck where your ski boot goes in.
The toe binding is the tip of the binding closer to the nose of the ski. It is a cup-like structure into which the toe of your ski boot is placed.
The heel binding is the tip of the binding that is closer to the tail of the ski. This is the cup in which the heel of your snow boot goes. The heel binding also comes with a lock that clicks into place when you push your weight through your heel, thereby securing your ski boot to the ski.
All modern skies are designed to pop off from the feet when a skier falls down the slope. This reduces the chances of injury. When your boot is out of your binding, a section of the binding immediately digs itself into the snow, stopping the skies from sliding down. This section is known as the brake arm.
Ski poles
Ski poles help with balance, rhythm, and push-off. For this, they need to be sturdy, not too heavy; they should be able to withstand some forces and not sink too deep into the snow.
Any ski pole consists of five main parts: the shaft, the grip, the strap, the basket, and the tip.
Exercise
Parts of the ski. Name the term.
It refers to the tip of the ski in front of your toes. It noticeably curves upward.
This is the area below your ski that comes in contact with the snow.
It refers to how the ski is shaped from nose to middle. Imagine a ski as a perfectly rectangular board. It refers to the amount of material cut out of the sides of that board
This is the area on the top where your boots attach.
The section of the binding that digs itself into the snow, stopping the skies from sliding down.
The edges of the ski between your feet are known as ............ edges.
The widest part of the ski, which is near the front, is called the ...............
It refers to the tip of the ski behind your heel when you wear one. It is generally straight-cut with well-rounded corners.
It refers to the section of the ski on the deck where your ski boot goes in.
The front and back parts of the ski that touch the ground are known as .............
When you place your ski on the floor, you might notice a slight gap between the center of the ski and the floor. We call it a ..........
The edges on the outside of the ski are called ............ edges.
The narrowest point of the ski is known as ...........
a. sidecut
b. ski binding
c. deck
d. tail
e. inner
f. shovel
g. brake arm
h. waist
i. base
j. camber
k. contact points
l. nose
m. outer
Olympic Skiing Events
Nowadays, Olympic ski events fall under five primary categories: Alpine, Ski jumping, Freestyle, Cross country, and Nordic combined, all of which have multiple races called events. Some racers compete in various events within a category. The disciplines of the Winter Olympics are categorized into three main categories: (1) Ice Sports, (2) Alpine - Skiing and Snowboarding Events, and (3) Nordic Events. In each of these sports categories, there are more specific events. Most of them exist for both men and women.
Alpine Skiing Events
Alpine Skiing Events
Alpine events are timed races on slopes of varying lengths and grades. In all five alpine events, speed is the name of the game. It’s not unusual for the top times to be differentiated by .001 of a second. Some of the best-known names in the ski racing world, like Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn, compete in these events.
Downhill: As the name suggests, skiers must ski down a predetermined slope, with minimal turns and maximum speeds, to reach the finish line. Skiers can reach speeds of 130 km/h. Each competitor is allowed one ski down the course, and the fastest to cross the line is deemed the winner.
Video - Alpine skiing - Downhill
Slalom: Competitors ski down a slope with a vertical drop of 180m to 220m for men or 140m to 180m for women. Skiers pass through alternating pairs of blue and red plastic poles called ‘gates’. Skiers often knock over the poles to find the fastest route. Slalom skiers have to pass through two courses. Eliminations take place after the first course based on timings. The competitor with the lowest combined time across the two courses is declared the winner.
Video - Alpine skiing - Slalom
Giant slalom: Similar to the Slalom, Giant slalom also involves skiing down a slope and passing through gates with turns. However, in Giant slalom, the vertical drop for skiers is between 250-450m for men and 250-400m for women, and the course is longer. Skiers get two runs down the slope, and the fastest cumulative time determines the winner.
Super-G: The Super-G, as the Super Giant Slalom is known, is considered a speed event, and each skier makes only one run. The course is longer than the one for the Giant Slalom with a higher vertical drop. Athletes still have to navigate their way through a series of gates on the way downhill—more gates than they do in the Giant Slalom—but the gates are further apart to account for the speed. They also have to stay within the boundaries of the course except in a few allowed spots. Each competitor gets one shot at the course.
Super combined: Skiers race for the fastest combined times on one downhill and one slalom run.
Freestyle
Freestyle
In the six freestyle events, skiers test their skill and style through feature-filled courses.
Aerials: Athletes perform various in-air tricks. In aerials, athletes ski down a steep slope towards a take-off ramp. The take-off ramp propels the athletes up in the air, where they perform various moves like flips and twists.
Moguls: Racers compete on a mogul- and jump-filled course for the best time and technique.
Ski cross: Four racers at a time head down a course with natural and man-made features like jumps and banks, all looking to cross the finish line first.
Halfpipe: Competitors perform a series of tricks while going down the pipe.
Slopestyle: Skiers ride on a course with different types of obstacles: rails, boxes, and jumps. Competitors can chart their own route, hitting whichever features they choose.
Big Air: the skier performs tricks after launching off very large jumps. It is an extreme version of slopestyle.
Nordic Events
Nordic Events
Ski Jumping
Ski Jumping
Event in which contestants ski down a steep ramp that curves upward at the end - a takeoff point. Skiers leap from the end, trying to cover as much horizontal distance in the air as possible. Skiers get two jumps, where they’re scored on distance jumped and style, not time. Their aggregate score is their ultimate score.
Individual normal hill: Racers compete for the farthest jump off a 90m hill.
Individual large hill: Racers compete for the farthest jump off a 120m hill. Men only.
Team large hill: Teams of four compete on the large hill for the highest aggregate score. Men only.
Cross-country
Cross-country
Cross-country ski racing is endurance-focused. Racers ski up and down hills. Some races employ classic style cross-country skiing, and others use freestyle or 'skate' style. In all Olympic cross-country ski events, the fastest skier (or team in a relay) wins.
Cross-country ski racing is endurance-focused. Racers ski up and down hills. Some races employ classic style cross-country skiing, and others use freestyle or 'skate' style. In all Olympic cross-country ski events, the fastest skier (or team in a relay) wins.
Nordic combined
Nordic combined
The three events in this category combine ski jumping and cross-country racing.
Normal hill Gunderson: Racers take to the 90m normal ski jump hill and then head into a 10k cross country race.
Large hill Gunderson: Same as above, but the ski jump is the 120m large ski jump hill.
Team Gunderson large hill: Same as the large hill Gunderson, but team members complete a 4x5km relay for the cross country portion.
Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Athletes race around a closed course carrying a rifle strapped to their backs. The courses range from a 10K sprint (7.5K for women) to a 20K individual (15K for women).
Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Athletes race around a closed course carrying a rifle strapped to their backs. The courses range from a 10K sprint (7.5K for women) to a 20K individual (15K for women).
Exercises
Exercises
Exercise 1.
Answer the questions
What were the skis used for initially?
Who is credited with being the inventor of skiing?
What did the first skis look like?
Name the first event included in the Olympics in Chamonix.
What is the equipment needed for skiing?
What is the recommended clothing?
What are the skis made from nowadays?
What are the ski parts?
What are the parts of the ski poles?
Name the main sports categories at the Winter Olympic Games.
Which are the Alpine skiing events?
Which are the Nordic events?
Exercise 2.
Match the event with its explanation
a. slopestyle
b. ski jumping
c. nordic combined
d. biathlon
e. ski cross
f. cross-country skiing
g. downhill
h. moguls
In this event, skiers must ski down a predetermined slope, with minimal turns and maximum speeds, to reach the finish line. Each competitor is allowed one ski down the course, and the fastest to cross the line is deemed the winner.
Racers compete for the best time and technique on a bump- and jump-filled course.
Skiers ride on a course with different obstacles: rails, boxes, and jumps.
This event is endurance-focused. Racers ski up and down hills. Some races employ classic style skiing, and others mandate freestyle or 'skate' style.
Four racers at a time head down a course with natural and artificial features like jumps and banks, all looking to cross the finish line first.
Event in which contestants ski down a steep ramp that curves upward at the end - a takeoff point. Skiers leap from the end, trying to cover as much horizontal distance in the air as possible.
It combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting
This category includes three events that combine ski jumping and cross-country racing.
Exercise 3.
Fill in the gaps using the words below.
Text 1:
gates / the lowest / knock over / slope / timings / pass / the fastest
Competitors ski down a (1)............... with a vertical drop of 180m to 220m for men or 140m to 180m for women. Skiers pass through alternating pairs of blue and red plastic poles called (2)............. Skiers often (3)................ the poles to find (4)................ route. Slalom skiers have to (5).............. through two courses. Eliminations take place after the first course based on (6)................. The competitor with (7)............... combined time across the two courses is declared the winner.
Text 2:
one / vertical / boundaries / speed / Giant Slalom / apart / shot / navigate
The Super-G, as the Super Giant Slalom is known, is considered a (1)............... event, and each skier makes only (2)................ run. The course is longer than the one for the Giant Slalom with a higher (3)............... drop. Athletes still have to (4)............... their way through a series of gates on the way downhill — more gates than they do in the (5)............... — but the gates are farther (6).............. to account for the speed. They also have to stay within the (7)................ of the course except in a few allowed spots. Each competitor gets one (8).............. at the course.
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