Simone Origone from Italy showed his top speed on March 31, 2014, according to France Ski de Vitesse. This record is 252.454 km / h. The athlete competed in the "Flying Kilometer" race for alpine skiing "speed skiing". The second place was taken by his brother Ivan (248.61 kilometers per hour). In third place was Bastien Montes from France (248.15 kilometers per hour). He was able to perform, although he allowed a fall in training.

Origone comes from Italy, the city of Champoluc. He has 8 world cups and five prizes on his account. He works as a ski instructor and tour guide.

In 2006, he already set a world record on the descent - 251,400 kilometers per hour. Then everyone thought that no one could surpass these figures. In 2014, Simone managed to improve this record at the Chabrieres circuit in Vare, France. Who knows, maybe a little more time will pass, and an Italian or another athlete will be able to break this record.

The track in Vara has an average gradient of 65 percent. It is almost vertical at the exit.

For athletes descending, the Flying Kilometer track on March 31, 2014 is practically Formula 1. After all, it is the fastest non-motorized sport. The figures shown by the athletes are amazing. Formula 1 cars accelerate to 200 kilometers per hour in four seconds. Alpine skiers achieve this in five seconds.

Maximum skiing speed: how to achieve it?

Alpine skiing sport "speed skiing" is not yet included in the program of the Winter Olympics. It is the fastest non-motorized land sport. It is a downhill skiing down a straight mountain slope. It is noteworthy that the skydiver in free fall reaches a maximum of 190 km / h. Skiers, in turn, fly along the track with a maximum speed of over 200 km / h.

Track

Athletes compete on special tracks. Their length is 1 km, there are about 30 similar routes on the planet. To reduce air resistance, high mountains are chosen for such routes.

There are three zones on the track. The first zone is for the athlete to pick up speed. On average, it is 400 meters. The second section is 100 meters, time is measured here. The remaining 500 meters are needed for the athlete to slow down and stop.

Professionals often say that some time after the start (on average, forty minutes) it becomes more difficult to ride, the snow becomes looser. Lost about two or three kilometers per hour.

Equipment

The riders have special sealed latex gear and aerodynamic helmets. The suit is made of PVC fabric, it should tightly fit the athlete's body so that there are no folds. This minimizes air resistance. If the rider falls, this outfit still provides some protection.

Skis for such races have special parameters: 240 cm in length, no more than 10 cm in width, weight no more than fifteen kg. Such skis are produced only by the manufacturer Atomic. To get great results, you must use. The special position in the wind tunnel, which is obtained during descent, also helps.

A helmet for speed races is also special. It is large enough to allow air to move easily. The absence of a turbulence zone minimizes friction.

There are now only fifty people on the planet who are constantly engaged in high-speed skiing from the mountains.

The history of "speed skiing": how the maximum speed increased

Downhill skiing has a rich history. The first competitions were already in 1930. The fastest record of 139 kilometers per hour was shown by Leo Gasperl from Austria. In the 1960s, athletes took a fancy to the track in Cervinia, Italy. The best racers began to come here every year. They set more and more records. Luigi di Marco from Italy set a record of 175 kilometers per hour, and Morishito from Japan - one hundred and eighty.

In the 1970s, interesting tracks appeared, followed by new records. In Chile on the Portillo circuit in 1978, Steve McKinney from America flew at a speed of more than 200 km / h.

In the 1980s, Les Arcs in France became a new favorite destination for racers. Here and on the Var track, the world figures have been beaten many times. Now the record for men is set, as we wrote above, by Simone Origone, and for women - by the Swedish Sanne Tierstrand. Its maximum speed is 242.590 kilometers per hour.

In 1992, in Les Arcs, France, speed skiing performances were shown during the Albertville Olympics. But until now this discipline has not been included in the official program of these important competitions. Perhaps, in the future, "speed skiing" will be perceived by ordinary people as a fairly familiar sport, for example, like hockey.

In downhill racing, the theoretical speed limit is record speeds set on specially prepared straight slopes. Until recently, the most famous was the slope of the mountain in Cervinia (Italy), similar to the landing of a giant springboard with the greatest steepness of 60% (31 °). There, at an altitude of 3500 meters above sea level, on the days of July, the firn snow cover is most favorable for sliding. The result is determined on a 100 meter segment. Without going into the history of setting records in detail, I can only say that the record was first recorded in 1930. It was equal to 105.675 km / h. It happened in St. Moritz. These days, this speed is sometimes less than the average speed shown on normal downhill tracks in World Cup competitions, world championships or the Olympic Games.

It took almost 50 years to overcome the 200 km line. It happened in 1975. The author of the record - 200,111 km / h - was the American Makkinen. And in March 1984 in the rocky mountains of Canada, starting at an altitude of 4333 meters, Austrian Franz Weber overcame the control segment at a speed of 203,155 km / h.

There are not so many athletes in the world who are fond of high-speed races - several dozen. They have their own specifics, and few of the ski elite take part in setting records. However, there is a definite benefit for any sportsman-skier to “blow through”, as if in a wind tunnel, at a speed close to at least 150 km / h. Having felt it, the athlete behaves much more confidently on ordinary downhill tracks, and even more so in giant slalom and slalom. For children, the mountain of landing any springboard, and even more so a sports 70- and 90-meter, is an excellent "simulator" in organizing classes on a direct downhill.

It is difficult to enumerate all the qualities that an athlete must possess when deciding to be successful in downhill skiing. These include, in particular: a subtle sense of balance and softness in the performance of all movements; lightning-fast reaction to sudden changes in the situation; lack of fear, paralyzing the athlete, and at the same time a sober assessment of the situation, taking into account the degree of risk; freedom in the choice of techniques and perfect mastery of them; courage, supported by high physical development and will; balance of character. And in technical terms, the main thing is the ability to slide, without which it is impossible to achieve high results (Fig. 96).

Figure: 96. The basic downhill stance requires well developed muscles in the hips, back and neck. The back is rounded, the trunk is parallel to the skis, the head is raised for a better view. The skis are set to the width of the pelvis

Descenders, like all athletes, differ from each other in the above qualities, but the strongest among them are in many ways similar to each other. They are distinguished by an athletic build, rather tall, at the same time, they are agile and agile, like lightweights. To conquer high positions in this sport requires a long, systematic training, a large volume of descents on different routes, amounting to thousands of kilometers, at high intensity. Success depends largely on the athlete himself - to what extent he can develop tactical thinking in himself.

On modern downhill slopes, there are fewer natural obstacles, the tracks are widened, smoothed, the turns indicated by the control gates are better calibrated. The shortcut is not always the fastest. To select the path that allows you to go through the entire route in the shortest possible time, the rules of the competition provide for official training organized by the panel of judges.

There is no need to talk about deliberate ski braking on such downhill tracks. Speed \u200b\u200bregulation is carried out partly by changing the aerodynamic characteristics of the skier's stance, partly by the choice of the path and the nature of the ski gliding in the turns. The skier's stance plays a big role. But the ability to ski, achieving the best glide, remains his main concern. Neither the sudden increase in pressure due to inflexible leg work, nor the incorrect position of the torso on bumps and broken areas, nor excessive edging of the skis should interfere with good glide. No matter how broken the track is, a good skier should always feel the interaction of skis with snow and feel confident at the same time, remaining in control of the situation. A sufficient supply of strength will allow him not to "stiffen" in one position, be flexible and adapt to changing terrain conditions (Fig. 97 and 98).

Figure: 97. They try to maintain a good aerodynamic stance in turns, even when sliding on one outer ski

Figure: 98. It is not uncommon for turns on hard sport tracks to be choppy when the skis lose grip on the snow. The inner stick acts as an additional support

The quickness of assessing the situation and maintaining a low stance without excessive muscle tension is achieved by training on tracks, the complexity of which should always correspond to the level of the athlete's training. The principle of gradualism comes to the fore here in order to avoid mental trauma, not to mention physical.

Taking into account the increased speeds in downhill competitions (for men, average speeds within the range of 100-110 km / h have become common, for women - 90-100 km / h), the requirements for the quality of snow cover preparation and installation of safety barriers have increased accordingly. The equipped track looks like an ice stadium with seats for spectators behind the fence. Competitions are becoming more and more expensive. Therefore, it is so important that they are held on tracks with parameters and slope profiles that meet modern requirements, where athletes can demonstrate real skill and courage.

There are not so many tracks in the world that meet high requirements. One of them is the men's track in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany). It hosted the 78th World Championship and annually hosts one of the World Cup stages. Its width in some places reaches 14 and even 9 meters. But the athlete goes straight there, and in the event of a fall, nothing threatens him. The widest sections, where the control gates for bends are located, reach 50 meters. The length of the entire track is 3320 meters with a height difference from 1700 meters at the start to 780 meters at the finish. During the World Cup, there were 32 gates on it. This track can be considered a classic one. In the category of the best, the men's slope in Sarajevo, on the Belashnitsa mountain, can also be attributed. Its parameters: length 3070 meters, drop 803 meters, average slope 16 °.

Especially for the World Cup-85 in the Italian high-mountainous town of Bormio, a new 3-kilometer downhill track with fifteen bends and seven sections was built, on which athletes were forced to fly. The presence of many high-speed corners and bumps speaks of the revival of the tendency to choose slopes with difficult profiles, which was why they began to move away due to increased speeds.

Unfortunately, I am not able to give the characteristics of any of our tracks that meet international standards - they simply do not exist. Even the oldest track in Chimbulak near Alma-Ata has not yet been fully profiled and equipped with protective fences.

The placement of control gates on the downhill slope is the most crucial moment. Their width is 8-12 meters. They are put open. The most experienced specialists are involved in setting the gate, having an idea of \u200b\u200bmodern technology and the capabilities of athletes and anticipating the dangers that lie in wait for them. Particular attention is paid to the protection of the outer side of the turns - when the athlete falls, he is carried out tangentially to the arc. It is not by chance that we focus our attention on this, since the facts of recent years indicate that we are not doing well in this matter.

As for the technique of descending at high speeds, the slope profile is decisive in the choice of the rack. When the descent is on a flat slope, the problem of stability is solved quite simply - the basic, low stance of downhill descent, developed by athletes and tested over decades, allows you to maintain balance well at any speed (see Fig. 96). Legs bent at the knees and a bent body with curved ski poles pressed against it with parallel skis at a distance of 30-40 cm (depending on the structure of the body) - such a stand, with a good view of the track, makes it possible to save strength, and most importantly, to descend with minimal resistance air.

When entering a fine-wavy area, the legs are slightly unbent while maintaining a strong tilt of the body - this allows the legs to absorb irregularities with less fatigue and with a slight deterioration in aerodynamics. At the same time, the skis retain grip on the snow, although sometimes they vibrate a lot.

In areas with abrupt changes in profile, the skier loses contact with the slope at high speed in one way or another and flies. And if, when learning to overcome irregularities in slalom, the main attention was paid to various shock-absorbing techniques, then at high speeds, if it is necessary to combine the trajectories of the body's center of gravity with the slope profile, the skier is forced to use the advanced jumping technique. Most of them take place in a grouping (Fig. 99). But circumstances do not always allow to smoothly fit into the profile of the mountain, and the athlete, in order to avoid impact upon landing in flight, straightens up in order to bend and absorb the impact later (Fig. 100). The grossest mistake in all cases will be flying with the legs extended forward - upon landing, a fall on your back is guaranteed. In fig. 101 shows what needs to be done to avoid this (for example, try to maintain support at least with the heel of the ski).

Figure: 99. Different ways to overcome recessions:
a - by extension-flexion without loss of contact with the slope; b - flight over the decline; c - leading jump

Figure: 100. Above a short, steep roll-off in flight, it is advisable to straighten and soften the landing by bending.

Figure: 101. In order to avoid skewing and falling on his back, the skier found support with the back of the ski

Figure: 102. One of the typical positions of the grouping in flight

Flight measurements show that sometimes they reach 20 meters or more. They lead to falls only when they are performed ineptly and against the will of the athlete. In the same cases, when the athlete is prepared for the flight and actively performs it himself, good stability during landing is guaranteed.

In fig. 102 shows the typical position of the group in flight - all conditions have been created to increase the incline by the time of landing on the steep part of the drop. But not always it is possible to do everything before the moment of separation, and the athlete must remember that all the rotations that were available at that moment will continue in flight. To reduce their harmful effects, it must arbitrarily change its position in the air in order to increase or, conversely, reduce the moment of inertia of the body relative to the corresponding axis of rotation. In fig. 103 reproduces one of such episodes, when the skier, in order to reduce rotation around the longitudinal axis, spread his arms and legs as wide as possible.

Figure: 103. In a critical situation, in order to avoid falling, the athlete made a complete ungrouping and a stick prick.

He lands on the right, in this case, the inner ski, which will be under the center of gravity of the body.

Such situations are not uncommon. Franz Klammer was distinguished from other athletes precisely by his “cat's” ability to land on his feet in the most difficult situations.

The ability to manipulate various parts of the body during flights is developed with special exercises. It is good if there are various profiles in the area of \u200b\u200bthe training slopes. If they are not there, they are created artificially. In fig. 104, 105, 106 show a series of exercises performed on different profiles. Exercises can be performed both in classical performance on narrow skis, and in various versions: in tuck, with body straightening, with arms raised with sticks up, as well as with opposite work of arms and legs. One of the popular exercises is flying with legs and arms extended to the sides.

Figure: 104. Training profiles for learning take-off, rotation in flight and determining the permissible acceleration speed


Figure: 105. Training profile for practicing flight in a grouping with an advance push depending on the acceleration speed


Figure: 106. Landing Accuracy Training Profile

Flying in the turn phase is a very difficult element of downhill skiing. Mastering it will help to practice the exercise on a hillock with a turn at high speed. The athlete must firmly know and remember that when the skis are lifted from the snow in the turning phase, all types of body rotation are preserved, and the translational movement continues in a straight line (!) In one vertical plane tangent to the arc at the separation point. I emphasize this especially, because I observed severe injuries in athletes who “forgot” about this law of mechanics and believed that they were “flying in an arc”.

The most difficult is the turn, during which the athlete makes several forced flights. In this case, one should not lose self-control and find support as early as possible with at least one ski, be it external or internal.

We do not introduce a special section devoted to the analysis of the supergiant's technique, since it differs from the downhill only in that there are no straight sections in it, and the track is marked with a gate 8-10 meters wide so that the athlete almost always has to slide along arcs of small curvature with speed of about 80-90 km / h with flat-cut skis - the same as in downhill.

/ Skier speed

Skier speed

Skiing Is skiing down a steep mountain. Athletes who practice it are the most injured. Therefore, skiing is rightfully one of the extreme sports.

Alpine skiing skis have a special structure. They are considerably longer and narrower than regular skis. The rear boot is fixed with a tension fastener, the toe is clamped in an iron clip. For an even distribution of a person's weight over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe skis, smooth deflections (weight deflections) are made. To maintain balance during movement, a special groove passes through the center of each ski.

In order to increase the strength of the ski, it is made from a combination of several layers of wood of different species - ash, beech, birch or hickory. For better grip on snow, the edges of the skis are edged with dense types of wood (oak) and thin sheets of iron. Special high and hard plastic boots are attached to the skis.

Among the methods of performing the descent from the mountain are distinguished:

“Telemark” - when one of the legs is strongly bent and moved forward. She acts as a "rudder". The other leg rests the toe and knee on the ski. Hands are widely spaced, keeping balance. At high speed, the method is unreliable.

"Christianity" - during the descent, the athlete squats strongly to the side, while one of his hands slides on the snow, performing the function of a "rudder".

This technique allowed athletes to develop high speeds during descent, reaching 150-200 kilometers per hour. Currently, the speed record belongs to the French athlete Philippe Guatchel. He managed to reach a record speed of 250.7 kilometers per hour.

/ Skier speed

Ivan Oregon set a record for the speed of movement on alpine skiing - now it is 254.958 km / h. A new record was set on the alpine slopes of the French resort of Wars.

The influence of winter is still very strongly felt in the northern hemisphere, especially in its mountainous regions, where the ski season is still in full swing. And when some ski enthusiasts enjoy unhurried runs, others, quickly going down the slopes, feel with pleasure how the frosty wind blows over a hot face.

So the Italian fan of downhill skiing Ivan Oregon, together with his brother Simon and the Frenchman Billy Simon, took their equipment and went to try their luck on the slopes of Wars. And all three managed to overcome the speed threshold of 250 km / h (155.37 mph). But the first of them was Ivan, who established the world.

Watching how Ivan Oregon took the start on the slope, it seems that it is not difficult at all. However, watching the video filmed from the helicopter convinces of the opposite. The sight of a very steep descent inevitably makes you shudder. As it became known, the steepness of the downward slope allows you to achieve insane acceleration, comparable to that which develops.

It took Ivan only five and a half seconds to develop a speed from 0 to 200 km / h (124.3 mph). But the athlete, unlike the F1 pilots, who are securely fixed in their places, is open to the wind and snow rushing towards. At the same time, he should try to stay on his feet, being in a position that provides the best.

Skiing - one of the types of skiing. It is a descent from the mountains on special devices (skis) along previously prepared routes. It is extremely popular as one of the outdoor activities, especially during the winter. Alpine skiing disciplines are distinguished:

Downhill (English downhill - "down the hill") - passing a specially prepared track (which is laid along the natural relief of the slope, and provides for passing through guide gates, overcoming jumps, turns, hillocks, ridges, etc.) in the shortest possible period of time ... The track is marked on both sides with colored lines in the snow or bright flags, there are guiding gates on it - double poles with rectangular flags in red and blue. In some cases, athletes can reach speeds of up to 140 km / h, the length of the flight when jumping can be from 40 to 50 m. This type of skiing is included in the program of the Winter Olympic Games.

Slalom (from Norwegian "downhill trail") - the fastest skiing downhill, in which the athlete must pass through all the gates (if the skier missed the gate or crossed them with only one ski, he is eliminated from the number of competitors). The length of the track is from 450 to 500 m, the height difference between the start and finish points is from 60 to 150 m; the width of the gates installed on the track is from 3.5 to 4 m, the distance between them can vary from 0.7 to 15 meters. Skiers reach speeds of up to 40 km / h, while summing up the results, the results demonstrated by athletes during the descents on two different tracks are taken into account. Since 1931, slalom and downhill skiing for men and women has been included in the program of the World Alpine Skiing Championships.

Giant slalom (giant slalom) and super giant - skiing downhill is carried out in compliance with the slalom rules. The difference is that the length of the track is from 800 to 2000 m, the height difference between the start and the finish is 200-500 m, the width of the gates installed on the track is 8 meters. Overcoming the distance, skiers can reach speeds of up to 65 km / h, when summing up the final results, the results of two descents (for male athletes) or one (for women) are taken into account.

Mogul (from the word mugl, which means "small hill" in the Viennese dialect of German) is one of the types of freestyle skiing - descending from a rather steep hilly slope and performing ski jumps. Bumps (moguls) on the slopes are formed in the process of skiers making small-radius turns (most often on tracks that cannot be aligned due to steepness, obstacles, small width, etc.) or are specially built using technical means (for example, snowcat) for competitions. Mogul has been included in the Winter Olympics program since 1988.

Ski acrobatics - the founder of ski freestyle - performing tricks on skis. Olympic sport since 1994.

New School (from the English new school "new school") is one of the freestyle areas that emerged in the late 90s of the last century. In style, this type of skiing resembles snowboarding, and, unlike freestyle, is free from the limitations of the complexity of the elements performed. At first, representatives of this direction rode exclusively in snowboard parks, later they moved to specially prepared tracks and even to city streets (riding on handrails, boxes, walls (volrides, from the English wall - "wall" and rclasse - "ride") and rails ( from the English rails - "railings, hedges").

Nowadays, New School is divided into the following subspecies:

Halfpipe (English half-pipe - "drainage chute") - rolling in a U-shaped half-pipe;

Bigair (from the English big-air - "big air") - an athlete accelerates and makes a jump from a springboard, while performing various tricks. The flight length is from 5 to 30 m;

Slopestyle (from the English slope - "slope, mountain for skiing" and style - "style") - a competition consisting in the virtuoso performance of jumps and acrobatic stunts on a specially equipped track (jumps, pyramids, railings, counter-slopes, etc. .);

Ski cross (from the English ski - "skis" and cross - "cross") - a ski race on a specially equipped track (jumps, waves, bends, etc.). At the first stage of the competition (qualification), the skiers pass the track one by one. In accordance with the results shown, they are divided into groups of 4 people to participate in the final race, held according to the Olympic scheme (with elimination);

Speedskiing (from the English speed - "speed" and ski - "skis") - competitions in downhill skiing on a straight, well-prepared track. The goal is to cover the distance at maximum speed. Features of equipment - lead plates are placed on the toes of the skis, handles are installed in front of the mounts, which make it easy to maintain the position of a deep squat, an inflatable fairing is fixed on the athlete's shoulders. The maximum speed developed by a skier in this type of descent was recorded in 1999 - 248.105 km / h. This achievement belongs to the athlete from Austria, Harry Egger.

Telemark (from English Telemark - "turn with a lunge on skis") is a type of skiing that originated in the province of Telemark (Norway) thanks to the efforts of Sondre Norheim (Aversen), who managed to systematize the knowledge and techniques of descent from the mountains. Apart from traditional skis with telescopic poles, telemark equipment includes a special pole (lurg).

Freeride (from the English free rclasse - "free ride") - downhill skiing outside the prepared trails (best on untouched snow). The main dangers of this type of skiing are the danger of avalanches and difficulties in providing medical care in case of injury. Therefore, a freeride athlete must not only be well prepared physically, but also appropriately equipped, familiar with the rules of behavior on the mountain slope. In some cases, the services of an experienced guide are required.

Types of skiing:

Lightweight freeride - athletes climb the mountain on lifts, after which they descend on untouched snow;

Backcountry (from the English back country - "remote area") - descent on virgin snow, which is preceded by the ascent to the mountains, not equipped with a lift;

Ski tour (from the English ski - "skis", tour - "travel, hike") - a hike that provides for periodic ascent to the mountains and descent on virgin snow on special lightweight skis;

Heli-skiing (from the English heli - "helicopter" and ski - "skiing") or heliboarding (from the English heli - "helicopter" and board - "board") - skiers are thrown to the top of the mountain by helicopter. In some places this type of freeride is prohibited;

Snowmoboarding - skiing on the snow using a snowmobile (motorcycle) as a draft (water skiing principle).

The following skiing styles are also distinguished:

Tourist skiing (Allround - English "universal", Recreation - English "rest, recuperation, entertainment") - is not divided into levels, is not characterized by clearly expressed techniques. Most often, people who choose this style of skiing do not strive to achieve sports results, but simply try to get the maximum benefit and pleasure from the very process of skiing from a sparkling white snow-covered slope;

Freeride - skiing off the prepared tracks. There are two directions of freeriding: freeride proper, which involves skiing in any conditions (on soft and hard snow, ice, stones, etc.) and "powder" (from English powder - "powder") - descent on deep fluffy snow. Sometimes, in the process of descent, freeriders not only make jumps from various kinds of heights, using them as springboards, but also perform various acrobatic stunts;

Fancarving or extreme carving (from the English carving - "to cut") - descent from the mountain on special carving skis, which includes sharp turns (not only to the sides, but also in a circle). Differences in technique - strictly cut turns, wide skis with a deep inclination inward, refusal to use ski poles.

New School freestyle, "new school" freestyle, modern freestyle - skating, involving the performance of various kinds of tricks, jumping from trampolines, skating in a gutter (halfpipe), skating on rails and rails.

Alpine skiing is the most traumatic sport, especially for children. No, in children's alpine skiing, injuries are extremely rare, since experienced coaches choose the right equipment and young athletes go down the slope one by one (which eliminates the potential for a collision with another skier). At a higher level, older athletes do have injuries. There are several reasons: incorrectly selected and configured ski mounts (after all, most often amateurs do this on their own, considering themselves to be quite competent, the result is dislocations and fractures after falls); overestimation of one's strength; poor organization of movement on the slope, as a result of which the skaters collide at full speed. That is why both novice athletes and professionals are required to comply with the FIS rules: be attentive to other skiers; control the speed and method of descent, as well as choose the right trajectory of movement; avoid stopping in poorly visible narrow places, pay attention to signs. At the same time, according to statistics, alpine skiing is much less traumatic than, for example, hockey or football.

Slalom originated in Norway. Indeed, downhill skiing has been extremely popular in Norway since ancient times - for a long time, locals competed among themselves in the skill of downhill skiing in Hopmenkollen near Christiania (now the city of Oslo). At the competitions, which were held in 1767, 4 prizes were awarded among skiers, who were faced with the task: to walk along a slope overgrown with bushes and trees, trying not to fall and not break the skis. For 6 more prizes daredevils fought, descending the steep slope without the aid of ski poles. At that time, there was no distinction between skiing and alpine skiing - the technique of alpine skiing began to take shape somewhat later, in the Norwegian province of Telemark. In 1875, in the same Norwegian Christiania, the world's first ski club was founded, and in 1877 a ski school was opened at the club. In 1879, the first alpine skiing competition was held on Mount Goosby near Christiania. However, some experts believe that the founders of alpine skiing were the inhabitants of Austria - after all, it was in the Alps that from 1905 official competitions in this sports discipline began to be held.

Freestyle skiing appeared at the beginning of the last century. Indeed, 1930 is considered to be the date of birth of this type of skiing - it was then that Norwegian skiers began to include acrobatic stunts in the training program for cross-country and alpine skiing. However, some researchers insist that the first acrobatic ski jump was performed as early as 1860. To this we can add that Stein Erickson developed ski acrobatics in the 50s of the last century, and freestyle competitions, as an alternative to traditional alpine skiing disciplines, began to be held in the early 60s. In 60-70s ski freestyle (at first called "hot dogging") continued to develop, and soon from one discipline, involving the demonstration of technique and performing tricks of one's own choice, three modern trends emerged - mogul, ski acrobatics and ski ballet.

First, a new style of riding appeared - carving, and then - the corresponding equipment. This is not true. At first, skis with a new (carving) geometry were created, and only a little later did people appear who tried to use all the possibilities of a new model of a special shape, sometimes equipped with lifter plates, which allow raising the boot above the snow surface by 8-10 cm, which is ideal for extreme carving.

A skier's outfit is extremely expensive. Of course, professional athletes spend quite an impressive amount on equipment. And for a beginner skier, it is enough to buy a strong helmet, high-quality ski boots (maximum 100 €) and comfortable warm clothing. Skis, poles, bindings, etc. at first you don't need to buy - all this is provided in sports schools and sections. Over time, gaining experience, you can purchase your own inventory, the cost of which is about 250 €, and if the set is used, then 50 € can be met.

It is best to start skiing at the age of 11-12. There is no age limit in this sport. You can start at 4-6, 11-12, and 14-15 years old. And the retirement age is by no means a hindrance to skiing.

Only healthy people with great physical strength and endurance can go in for skiing. Of course, if we are talking about extreme skiing, you cannot do without good preparation. And for mastering the basics of this sport, physical data are not important (in some cases, people with almost completely atrophied muscles, of a rather respectable age, got up on skis and achieved considerable success) - intelligence is much more important. In ski schools, as a rule, everyone is accepted, and it depends only on the person himself how much he will advance in mastering all the subtleties of this sport.

Downhill skiing is for the rich. On the contrary, it is one of the most democratic sports. In many ski schools and sections, trainings are free or not so expensive (although in some "promoted" places the prices are really exorbitant), and all the pupils go to summer camps in the mountains, regardless of the thickness of their parents' wallet. True, the official sports schools are not always conveniently located, but the sparing schedule of classes allows you to put up with this problem. The only negative is that in order to ride all year round, you really should have a fairly large amount of money. If there is none, you have to get used to seasonal breaks in training.

The most prestigious are sports skis. Of the whole variety of sports skis (slalom, giant slalom, super giant, downhill, freestyle) skis for giant slalom are suitable for amateurs, although with appropriate training, skiers who prefer high speeds and are not afraid of hard slopes can use slalom skis and skiing for mogul (hill descent). At the same time, it should be remembered that sports skis are designed, as a rule, for high speeds, icy tracks, therefore skating on them will not bring pleasure to a non-professional. The easiest way is to purchase universal skis that have all the sports attributes in the design (for example, the inscriptions competition, equip, racing, etc.). Products of this kind are easy to control, allow to develop a fairly decent speed during descent and, at the same time, serve as a means of satisfying the owner's ambitions.

For amateur skiers and novice athletes, tourist skis are suitable. This is true, however, it should be noted that this type of sports equipment is divided into several groups:

skis for children and juniors - they are highly controllable at low speeds and easy to make turns;

skis for advanced skiers are designed specifically for aggressive skiers, whose goal is self-improvement in this sport;

expert skis are suitable for skiing on various slopes with different snow conditions. They are highly obedient, stable in turns, and designed for fairly experienced skiers;

skis for recreational athletes and skis for downhill slopes are characterized by good handling (even on hard snow) and less sensitivity to technical errors compared to sports models. However, on icy trails, at high speeds, such skis perform worse than sports skis;

special types of alpine skis - specially designed maximum lightweight products for ski trips (ski tour), for extreme descents on steep slopes (ski extreme), for descents on virgin slopes and for telemark technology.

When choosing skis, you need to take into account the length, stiffness and product specification, the other parameters do not matter. This is not entirely true. To avoid some annoying misunderstandings in the future, in addition to the aforementioned parameters, you should pay attention to the radius of the side cutout, which is most acceptable for your chosen riding method.

For radical carving, it is best to purchase skis with a minimum side cut (preferably about 10 m), the ideal choice is skis for krav-slalom, radical carving, or a softer model, the geometry of which generally corresponds to skis for special slalom. Ski poles are almost unnecessary in this sport, but gloves with a Kevlar-reinforced palm are very useful;

For ski cross, slalom, giant slalom, you should opt for a product with a sidecut radius of at least 15 meters (unless, of course, you aim to pass slalom turns at maximum speed - in this case, you will have to use skis with a radius of 10-12 m). And in order to achieve the width and smoothness of the outline of the arcs, you need to buy a model with a radius of 16-18 m.It is good, of course, to purchase the latest, improved model, but keep in mind that such skis are extremely demanding on the track and in order to ride them, you should have enough high level of skill;

If your choice is a snowpark or New School, when buying skis, give preference to a model with curved heels and a minimum own radius. However, it should be noted that the smaller the radius, the more difficult it is to land after a jump;

For universal skiing on broken, uncivilized slopes (freestyle) outside specially paved tracks, freeride skis and universal carving models (for example, allmountain - from the English "ski for the whole mountain") are best suited. The radius of the side cutout of the model should not exceed 20 m, so that when moving to a prepared slope you do not have to change skis;

For mogul, preferable (but by no means mandatory) mogul skis with a fairly soft toe, medium level of rigidity, narrow, with a sidecut radius of 20 to 25 m.

It is best to give preference to shorter skis at the beginning of training. Not necessary. When choosing skis, in addition to the level of training of a skier (beginner, intermediate, athlete), his complexion and constitution (strong and stocky or thin and tall), age, gender, and also intentions are taken into account. For example, short skis (mini) are best suited for evolutionary (sequential) training, involving frequent ski changes from 100-135 cm to 160 cm.

Skis compact (compact), the length of which ranges from 150 to 190 cm, are distinguished by high maneuverability even in deep snow, a narrow waist, which gives many advantages when cornering, and therefore are ideal for mastering cut sliding. In addition, it should be noted that the shortest skis are the most controllable, but when descending on a hard icy slope at high speeds, longer skis are preferred.

When choosing the length of skis, be sure to take into account the manufacturer's recommendations. In accordance with the nomogram, you can easily determine the length of the product you need, simply by drawing a line through the indicators corresponding to your height and weight. In this case, an amendment should be made to the level of preparedness (a beginner skier should opt for a product located one line below, experienced and aggressive - one line higher than the obtained parameters) and gender (for women, skis are suitable for two lines below those indicated in the nomogram for their growth and complexion).

The most expensive skis are sports skis. More often than not, this is true. However, sometimes the price of tourist skis of the "expert" class, in the creation of which the latest achievements in the production technology of this type of sports equipment are used, can be higher.

For the first steps in the development of freeriding, specialized "entry-level" skis are suitable. This is not entirely true. The success of the process of mastering freeriding largely depends on the quality of the equipment used. And high-quality equipment for this type of skiing, in particular, junior freeride models, are not very suitable for training, and for ordinary skiing on prepared slopes. Therefore, at the initial stages, you should opt for freeride freestyle skiing (FR / FS), which are quite suitable for mastering the art of off-piste skiing, and for simple skiing. Moreover, it is recommended to choose skis of a smaller size than indicated in the nomogram for your physical parameters - it will be easier for a beginner to cope with them.

The stiffness of the skis is the same along the entire length of the product. In fact, the stiffness is distributed along the length of the ski in different ways, depending on the type and purpose of sports equipment. For example, slalom and sport skis have a softer center (ridge) than giant slalom skis. And for tourist skis, the central part is stiffer, and the toe and heel are softer than that of sports skis. Such design features are due to the specifics of the slopes on which certain skis will be used (for example, tourist skis are designed for skiing on softer snow cover, sports skis are designed to slide on a harder, well-tamped surface of a specially prepared track). And the softer heel and toe of the snow park skis are designed to make landing after a jump as comfortable as possible.

It is difficult for an inexperienced skier to determine the quality of the skis and choose the right stiffness of the product. Indeed, at first it is best to turn to an experienced instructor in a section, a ski club or at a tourist base. But there are ways to check the quality of a product, and even a novice athlete must know about them. First, the skis must be flat and not deformed. If a dull sound is heard when the skis are sharply pressed against each other by sliding surfaces, then you have a good quality product. The ski softness is also easy to check. To do this, put them vertically with sliding surfaces to each other and try to squeeze the skis in the central part with the thumb and forefinger of one hand. Usually, with normal rigidity, this force is sufficient to bring the products into contact. However, it should be remembered that in this way it is impossible to determine the distribution of stiffness along the length of the ski, and it is this factor that affects their maneuverability. For example, soft skis (especially those equipped with a soft toe) are more maneuverable, while harder skis are just a godsend for the energetic skier.

Experienced athletes can feel even a slight difference in ski construction. It really is. It has been established that a good specialist is quite capable of sensing even such changes as 5% stiffness, 2% length and 4% width of the product. Indeed, with a decrease in the length of the ski by 10 cm, its weight decreases by almost 130 grams, the width decreases by 1 mm, and the rigidity increases by 3%. However, the difference between quality and mediocre products can be felt even by novice skiers.

All skis are bent only in front. No, there are twin tips, which are similar in design to a snowboard and are curved at both the front and back. This design feature allows you to slide both your face and back forward. Most often, the twin type is used in the mogul and some types of freestyle.

Buying the most expensive skis is the key to success in mastering the skills and abilities of alpine skiing. This is not true. For money, you can buy good equipment and hire a professional trainer, but knowledge, skills and abilities come in the process of practical training, and for quite a long time.

You can ski in any clothing, as long as it is comfortable and warm. In the initial stages of learning, you can really dress as you like. However, later, when the increased level of skill will allow you to devote to alpine skiing for quite a long time, you should make sure that such classes are held in the most comfortable conditions, which directly depends on the correct selection of equipment. For example, cotton underwear is good at absorbing sweat and therefore remains damp for a long time. This leads not only to discomfort, but also to hypothermia. But underwear made of synthetic fabrics (Polartec, polyester) is less hygroscopic, therefore, more suitable for skiers and snowboarders. When choosing socks, it is also best to give preference to products made of polyamide, polypropylene, polyacrylic or a combination of wool and elastane (lycra). In addition to the above items of equipment, you should purchase a warm fleece jacket, and when buying a suit, make sure that the lining is made of WindBlok or WindStop material - in this case, you will be reliably protected from the cold wind.

Skiing in the Alps is very expensive, so you should give preference to the ski resorts of the Caucasus. Indeed, a visit to Dombai will cost you about half the price of an equivalent trip to the Alps. However, let's take into account the difference in service. After all, any skier, whether professional or amateur, goes to the mountains, by and large, for one thing - to ride. Therefore, accommodation and riding time should be paid. How do things stand at different ski resorts? At alpine resorts, the athlete's time will be distributed approximately like this: 10% - standing in line, 45% - climbing the slope, 45% - descending. And in the Caucasus, because of the huge queues for the lift, the time is distributed as follows: standing in line - 30 minutes (i.e. 60%), ascent - 10 minutes (20%), descent - 10 minutes (20%). From all of the above, we conclude: in the Alps, the time of pure skiing is almost twice as long as that in the ski resorts of the Caucasus. To this it is also worth adding a variety of alpine tracks and highly organized service for children, which, alas, domestic resorts cannot yet boast of.

While staying in a ski resort, you need to start skiing from the very first day. This is not true. Keep in mind that the air in the mountains is thinner, so you should wait at least one day, giving the body the opportunity to adapt to the lack of oxygen. In addition, be sure to arrange for yourself days of relaxation, devoting them to excursions or visits to wellness procedures.

If you regularly visit the gym or fitness club, you will not feel discomfort at the ski resort - after all, the muscles are thoroughly prepared for the expected loads. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The fact is that when playing sports, some muscle groups are trained, and when a person gets on skis (snowboard), others, most often not particularly trained muscles, are included in the work. Therefore, on the second day after skiing, body pains are observed in many novice athletes. To minimize the aforementioned pain effect, you should ride for no more than 60 minutes on the first day, and on the following days, extend the time spent on the slope by 30-50 minutes. If pain still occurs, some medications will help. For example, "AE-Vit", which detoxifies substances that cause muscle pain. A visit to the sauna or taking a hot bath with sea salt, followed by rubbing the body and applying an anti-inflammatory ointment ("Finalgon", "Fastum-gel", etc.) will also have a positive effect. The above methods will help to eliminate pain in the muscles in a maximum of 2 days.

For those who do not know how to ski, there is no need to go to the mountains. Like any other resort, skiing, in addition to skiing, provides vacationers with a fairly wide range of additional services: ice skating and sledging, horseback riding and walking tours, spa treatments, etc. In addition, a few days in the fresh air, among the picturesque nature, will help you improve your health, get rid of stress, forget about anxiety and everyday problems, and harmonize your daily routine.