Skiing - Definition


Skiing - Definition

Skiing is the activity of gliding over snow using skis (originally wooden planks, now usually made from fiberglass or related composites) strapped to the feet with ski bindings. Originally used primarily for transportation, skiing evolved into a popular recreational and competitive activity during the 20th century.

Contents

1 History

2 Types of skiing

3 Skiing for people with disabilities

4 Skiing and society

5 Safety

6 Skiing topics

6.1 Types of skiing
6.2 Turning techniques
6.3 Equipment
6.4 Competition events

6.4.1 Alpine events
6.4.2 Nordic events

6.5 Skiing organisations
6.6 Ski safety
6.7 Ski lifts
6.8 Other
6.9 Health and injuries
6.10 Related sports

History

Main article: History of skiing

Although skiing probably evolved gradually from snowshoeing, Norwegian Sondre Norheim is often called the "father of modern skiing". Skiing originally was a practical activity which resembled today's Nordic, or cross-country, style.

The invention of more firm bindings to attach the skier's feet to the ski, likely by Norway's Matthias Zdarsky, enabled the skier to turn more effectively and led to the development of Alpine, or Downhill, skiing. Shortly thereafter, in the early 20th century, Austrians Johannes and Hannes Schneider pioneered the idea of rotating the body to help steer the skis. Shortly thereafter, this Arlberg technique, named for their home region, spread around the world and helped make skiing a popular recreational activity.

Types of skiing

Many different types of skiing are popular, especially in colder climes, and many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Ski Federation (FIS), and other sporting organizations. Skiing is most visible to the public during the Winter Olympic Games where it is a major sport.

In skiing's traditional core regions in the snowy parts of Scandinavia, both recreational and competitive skiing is as likely to refer to the cross-country variants as to the internationally more well-known downhill variants.

For many people, "skiing" means recreational downhill skiing in which one visits a ski resort, purchases a lift ticket, dons cold-weather clothing, skis, ski boots and ski poles, and embarks on a chairlift, gondola lift, or means mechanical uphill transport. Upon reaching the summit, the skier disembarks from the ski lift and travels downhill, propelled by gravity. Skiing technique is very difficult to master and accordingly there are ski schools that teach everything from the basics of turning and stopping safely to more advanced carving and mogul techniques. All skiers must take care to know the limits of their abilities, as the speed and technical difficulty associated with the sport can often lead to crashes or collisions and serious injury.

Many non-skiers wonder why skiers are willing to risk injury. Skiers have a variety of answers to this question, but a common explanation is that it simply feels good, rather like flying, and that, when done carefully, it poses no greater risk of injury compared to other sports. Of course, there is some possibility of danger but curiously, this is also part of the appeal of the sport. Skiing can also be the fastest means of land transport possible without mechanical assistance. Many skiers have had experiences where they have achieved a union of the mind and the body by practicing this sport where the mind trusts the body to perform in an exceptional manner and the body trusts the mind not lead it off a cliff. A sense of harmony and of peak experience can result resulting in a feeling of wholeness of self.

In addition to their role in recreation and sport, skiing is also used as a means of transport by the military, and many armies train troops for ski warfare. Ski troops played a key role in retaining Finnish independence from Russia during the Winter War, and from Germany during the Lapland War, although the use of ski troops was recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century. The sport of Biathlon was developed from military skiing patrols.

Skiing was pronounced "she-ing" at the start of the 20th century, after the Norwegian pronunciation, and was usually written "ski-ing".

Skiing for people with disabilities

People who use wheelchairs or who only have one leg can ski with special equipment, including skis which allows the skier to sit and ski using the arms or the one working leg. People with epilepsy can be strapped to their chairs on chair lifts in order to avoid falling off chairs during a seizure. Blind people can ski by using guides, who often tell them through voice command or the sound of their skis when to turn and stop.

Skiing is a competition in the Paralympic Games and there are some skiing competitions for blind people and people in wheelchairs.

Skiing and society

In some places, particularly in the United States, skiing is often associated with wealth. Some resorts, particularly several in the American state of Colorado, are known as places where the affluent go on vacation.

The term "ski bum" has been used to classify skiers who want to spend the entire skiing season at the resort, engaging in their favorite sport; in reality, however, many different types of people engage in skiing. Some people take days off of work occasionally, go after work, after school, or on the weekends, for short trips if the ski resort is near their home, even if it is almost more than they can afford.

Recently, skiers and snowboarders have engaged in rivalry on and off the slopes, which is usually friendly and increases the notariety of both sports; Snowboarders often share hills with downhill skiers.

Safety

When a major celebrity dies in a skiing accident, or someone dies in an avalanche, the public is often made aware of some of the dangers of skiing. In early 1998, when Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono died within a few days of each other in skiing accidents, there was a major movement to get people to wear helmets.