Alpine Downhill
Skiing
Downhill skiing is truly an excellent winter sport.
The wonderful fact is that this sport is accessible to everyone.
Downhill skiing is a sport enjoyed by millions of skiers
across the globe. Downhill skiing or alpine skiing as it
is sometimes referred to was pioneered as a sport in the
early 1900's by British born Sir Arnold Lunn. Sir Arnold
traveled to Switzerland and used the existing railway lines
around Interlaken as upward access to the mountains, thus
negating the need for cross country or telemark skis to
ascend the slopes.
The equipment used for downhill skiing has progressed enormously
from these early days when skis were made purely of wood,
ski boots were leather and held to the skis with cables.
One of the biggest changes came with metal edges, which
allowed the skier to grip on harder snow. The advent of
plastic ski boots further enhanced the control a skier had,
giving a quicker response and more stability when downhill
skiing in any snow conditions.
Today skis consist of many different materials including
carbon, resin and wood. The most popular ski development
in recent times is the carving ski which has a wider tip
and tail and is narrow in the middle. This allows the skier
to turn with a smaller radius and with less effort than
a traditional straight ski. Some would claim it has revolutionised
the sport of downhill skiing for recreational skiers and
racers alike. These ski's have their limitations of use.
People learn downhill skiing at all stages in life. Although
fairly demanding physically it is possible to learn downhill
skiing with a moderate fitness level. There is a typical
progression that is taught by all ski schools and ski instructors
around the world and the emphasis is always on safety, enjoyment
and learning. Once beginners master the art of stopping
and changing direction they can progress quickly to longer
and more challenging downhill skiing slopes. In Europe,
the most popular place to go downhill skiing is in the major
premier alpine regions.
Downhill skiing is the number one winter sport in mountain
areas. The pinnacle of the sport being the World Cup and
Olympic downhill skiing events. Downhill ski racers compete
against each other in timed descents of a marked course
typically lasting up to 2 minutes for the men and a little
less for the women. Downhill ski racers reach speeds of
up to 120 kilometres per hour that places enormous physical
pressure on their bodies. The downhill ski racer will try
and stay in a low position as much as possible. This is
often referred to as a tuck position and is used to increase
speed, as it is an effective aerodynamic shape.
Learning to downhill ski from scratch is fun and easy.
