Skiing

Skiing info, ideas, and photos

Opening Weekend - Whistler Blackcomb
Photo: Andre Charland, through a Creative Commons Attribution License

Skiing is the sport of sliding downhill on snow on skis. While much skiing takes place at ski areas with mechanized ski lifts and groomed trails, as ski areas become more crowded and as technological advances result in lighter equipment, more and more skiing is done in the backcountry.

A ski can be many of many different materials, but modern skis are usually made with a fiberglass outer layer over a core of foam, metal, and/or wood, with metal edges, and a special polymer bottom, known as P-tex.

Hundreds of thousands of skiers learn to ski at thousands of different ski areas around the world each year. There are over 7 million skiers in the U.S. alone.

The pinnacle of skiing for many skiers is newly-fallen snow, known as powder. Powder skiing is literally like floating on air and provides a euphoric experience for skiers. As a result, skiers watch the weather forecasts and ski reports to time their trips to coincide with major storms.

Many different branches of the sport of skiing exist:
Alpine Skiing or Downhill Skiing: Alpine skiing, involves skiing on fixed heel boot usually using ski lifts for transport up the hill. Alpine ski racing involves four different events including Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, and Downhill.

Backcountry Skiing: Also known as ski mountaineering, ski touring, or randonee, backcountry skiing allows skiers to access steeper more wild slopes without lifts or vehicle under their own power. Using heavier equipment than cross country skiing, either telemark skiing gear or alpine touring gear, backcountry skiers often spend nights out in the backcountry either in wilderness huts or in four-season tents.

Heli Skiing or Cat Skiing: Helicopter or cat skiers use helicopters or snow cats to access backcountry areas for skiers who want to have the ultimate powder skiing experience.

Telemark skiing: Telemark skiing has become very poplar both on the lifts and in the backcountry, especially with resort locals who have the time to learn. Telemark turns are done on specialized "free heel" telemark gear resembling a heavy duty cross country binding with boots that closely resemble alpine but have an extended tongue.

Alpine Touring or Randonee: Alpine Touring gear, which looks like regular alpine ski gear, but allows the heel to move freely for traveling uphill and also allows the heel to be locked down for downhill, is used by some backcountry skiers.

Freestyle Skiing, or Freeskiing (a.k.a. New School): Freestyle skiers in the 1970's competed in ballet, mogul skiing, and aerials, and moguls and aerials continue on as olympic sports. Freeskiing, popularized by the X-Games and the advent of the twintip ski, includes events like halfpipe, big air, slopestyle, and skier cross.

Big Mountain Skiing: Also known as Extreme Skiing, Big Mountain Skiing involves skiing steep, scary lines on big mountains, either using a lift, helicopter, ski plane, or snow cat, or on foot with skis on one's back. La Grave, France and Silverton Mountain in Colorado are both lift served Big Mountain Ski Centers.

Cross Country Skiing: Cross Country Skiing is done on specially groomed tracks at cross country ski areas, on snow covered roads, on golf courses, or farms. Equipment is extremely lightweight, with a light flexible boot, lightweight binding that hinge at the toe, long, skinny skis, and long, light poles, allowing x-c skiers achieve fast speeds over long distances.

Powder Skiing: Powder Skiing is an aspect of all kinds of skiing in which skiers ski in untracked often freshly-fallen snow. For many skiers powder is the pinnacle of skiing.

Speed Skiing: Speed skiers are focused on achieving speeds over 125 mph on specially designed tracks using high tech gear to minimize wind resistance.

Nordic Ski Jumping: Nordic ski Jumping and ski flying are olympic ski sports in which skiers jump on huge ramps and fly extremely long distances using long, wide skis attached to boots with bindings that hinge at the toe.

Ski Joring: Skiing while being towed behind a horse or a snowmobile.

Skiing can kill you. Dangers do exist in skiing, including avalanches, altitude sickness, collisions with other skiers, or with snow grooming equipment or fixed objects like trees and lift towers. The skiing deaths of several high profile celebrities over the past 10 years, is a major reason for the increasing use of helmets.

Contrary to what many ski area PR departments would have you believe, the green track record for some ski areas has been absolutely atrocious over the years. For a rundown of who's been green and who's not been so green, take a look at The Ski Area Citizens Coalition Report Card.

The New Guide to Skiing: A Step-by-Step Guide in Color, Revised Edition by Martin Heckelman

Climb to Conquer: The Untold Story of WWII's 10th Mountain Division Ski Troops by Peter Shelton

Harald Harb's Essentials of Skiing (Includes Free DVD) by Harald Harb

Two Planks and a Passion: The Dramatic History of Skiing by Roland Huntford

Instant Karma: The Heart and Soul of a Ski Bum by Wayne and K. Sheldrake

The Other Side of the Mountain by Evans G. Valens

All-Mountain Skier : The Way to Expert Skiing by R. Elling

The Story of Modern Skiing by John Fry

Ski the Whole Mountain: How to Ski Any Condition at Any Time by Eric Deslauriers, Rob Deslauriers, and Hank Devre

SkiNet.com - Ski and Skiing Magazines

GoSki.com - Skiing Website

International Olympic Committee - Skiing

Skiing Travel Guide - New York Times Travel

SKI REPORT; New, Newest Thing Is Freeskiing on Slopes - New York Times

Skiing - Denver Post

Celebrity Skiing Death Highlights Risks - ABC News

Out of Order; LI Skiing Plan: First, Buy the Outfit - New York Times

Skiing vs snowboarding - The Guardian

Sonny Bono, 62, Dies in Skiing Accident - New York Times

Son of Robert Kennedy Dies In Colorado Skiing Accident - New York Times