It is the downhill ski racing competition of the winter Olympics. You watch a ski racer zoom down the slope manoeuvering through the ski gates. However, you notice that something is missing.
The type of alpine skis you use can affect your performance. Length is a vital consideration when buying. Longer skis are best for heavy and experienced skiers, and shorter ones are ideal for novices. Your alpine skis must also be flexible to give you maximum control in different land terrains. Here's a guide on exactly what to look for in skis of alpine skiing.
Amidst the accolade, prestige and glamour of the international ski circuit, the highlight of a successful career as a professional skier must be to take home a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. An achievement that the aforementioned Jean-Claude Killy famously (and controversially in the case of the slalom) pulled off in all three of the men's events at the 1968 Olympiad held in Grenoble, France.
Whoever invented travel over snow using skis must have been an explorer. It is obvious that the earliest skiers were people who lived in areas where snow was a predominant feature and travel was essential for survival. Cross-country skiing is thought to have originated in Scandinavia and may have even been prevalent among Native Americans. The credit for introducing this kind of skiing as a sport to North America goes to Norwegian emigrants, Snowshoe Thompson and Jackrabbit Johannsen. Today Scandinavian countries, especially Finland, ensure that their army is equipped to travel on skis in winter. As a winter sport, this is very popular in Northern Europe and Canada.
Read about the events that will happen at the 2010 Olympics in Whistler. Learn and get a complete definition of all the Whistler Olympic sports.
Pioneer Sondre Norheim, from Telemark, has often been called the father of modern skiing for inventing the equipment and techniques that led to modern skiing as we see it today. However, originally skis were used as a practical item, used primarily for travel in a climate that received an abundance of snow.
Downhill skiing, also known as Alpine skiing, has become quite a popular recreational activity in snow covered areas. This activity involves using narrow skis attached to the bottom of your feet in order to slide down a snow covered slope. Whether being done as a family activity, or as a pastime hobby, many










