downhill skiing

downhill skiing
downhill skier.
the sport of skiing down a slope, usually making turns and various maneuvers. Cf. cross-country skiing.

* * *

▪ winter sport
      ski (skiing) race for speed on an adjusted downhill course that is marked by gates formed by paired poles, set at least 8 m (26 ft) apart, through which the racer must pass. Contestants make at least one timed practice run, then compete singly in an order set by previous performance and starting at one-minute intervals. The one who completes the course in the shortest time, without missing any gates, is the winner.

      Downhill was, with the slalom, one of the original Alpine (Alpine skiing) disciplines. In 1930 it was recognized by the world governing body of skiing, the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS), as an official sport; the first downhill world championships were held the following year. Downhill debuted at the Olympics (Olympic Games) in a combined event (featuring both a downhill and a slalom race) in 1936 at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Ger. It was first held as an Olympic (Olympic Games) medal event in 1948 at St. Moritz, Switz.

 For men's international championship events, the downhill course is typically 2.4 to 5 km (1.5 to 3 mi) long, with a vertical descent of up to 1,000 m (3,281 ft) and terrain of a steepness and difficulty appropriate to the skill and endurance of the competitors. For women the course is 1.6 to 2.5 km (1 to 1.5 mi) long, with a maximum vertical drop of 700 m (2,297 ft). Courses are characterized not in terms of length but of time—e.g., a two-minute downhill. The average winning speed of downhill events is 64 to 80 km/hr (40 to 50 mph). Speeds over 200 km/hr (100 mph) are achieved on special short courses, but these events are not rated as official downhill races. (See speed skiing.) During straighter portions of a course, skiers go into a tuck position in order to be more aerodynamic and thus increase their speed. A unique, curved ski pole, which allows for a tighter tuck, is used in the downhill event. Since the turn of the 21st century, professional and recreational skiers alike have made ever greater use of parabolic skis, also called shaped skis, which have wider tips and tails and shorter lengths than conventional skis. The shorter length allows for better control and style on difficult terrain. Parabolic skis also provide greater stability during turns.

      The FIS recognizes the dangers of traveling at such high speeds and takes great efforts to ensure the safety of its skiers. Competitors are required to wear crash helmets. Each competition is moderated by a race jury who has the right to remove skiers it deems weak or unprepared for a particular course. In addition, race organizers can add more gates to slow the descent of the hill as they see fit. The downhill probably demands the most courage of all Alpine events.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • downhill skiing — downhill skier. the sport of skiing down a slope, usually making turns and various maneuvers. Cf. cross country skiing …   Useful english dictionary

  • downhill skiing — катание на горных лыжах she is a crack at skiing она отличная лыжница …   English-Russian travelling dictionary

  • Downhill mountain biking — Downhill Mountain Biking …   Wikipedia

  • Downhill cycling — Downhill biking (DH) is a gravity assisted time trial mountain biking event. Riders race against the clock, usually starting at intervals of 30 seconds (seeded from slowest to fastest), on courses which typically take two to five minutes to… …   Wikipedia

  • Downhill Slalom — is a 3D downhill skiing game for the PC developed by independent games development company Tuna Technologies. The game features single and multiplayer modes, and features three main modes of play. A slalom race, a coin collecting mode, and a… …   Wikipedia

  • Downhill (disambiguation) — Downhill may refer to: Down a hill Downhill skiing (and other sports) Downhill cycling Downhill (film), a 1927 film by Alfred Hitchcock Downhill, County Londonderry, a village in Northern Ireland Downhill House, a ruined mansion in Northern… …   Wikipedia

  • Alexander Ivanov (downhill skiing) — Alexander Ivanov (born June 26, 1991 in Moscow, Russia) is an amateur freestyle, and racing downhill skier. He began skiing at the age of two and began competing with the US ski team since 2003. He has received many contract sponsorships from… …   Wikipedia

  • downhill — 1590s (n.); 1650s (adv.), 1727 (adj.), from DOWN (Cf. down) (adv.) + HILL (Cf. hill). Meaning “a downhill skiing race” is from 1960 …   Etymology dictionary

  • skiing — /skee ing/, n. the act or sport of gliding on skis. [1890 95; SKI + ING1] * * * I Sport and mode of transportation involving moving over snow on a pair of long flat runners (skis) attached to shoes or boots. Skiing was born in northern Europe;… …   Universalium

  • Skiing — This article is about snow skiing. For water skiing, see water skiing. For other related articles, see ski (disambiguation). Alpine skier carving a turn Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”