About Skiing
It was not long before man worked out how to move quickly through deep snow in the wilder parts of the world, as paintings discovered in the 1930s clearly portray. Of the ancient artifacts, which were found in Russia and are thought to be at least 6000 years old, a hunter on rudimentary skis is clearly identifiable alongside reindeers. It is virtually certain that a form of skiing has been an integral part of life in colder countries since that time.
Obviously the principal use of skis until recently was for the transportation of good and people or for the swift movement of soldiers patrolling remote, icy borders. Horses were clearly not much use in three meters of snow, so other methods had to be developed and skis quickly became as natural an accoutrement of everyday life as hats and gloves.
The Olympic Winter Games present five disciplines of skiing: Alpine, Cross Country, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle as well as Snowboarding. To compete in these various disciplines one needs to master speed, endurance, dexterity, and determination.
About Alpine Skiing
People began strapping skis to their feet as far back as 5000 years ago. It is believed that Norwegians were the first - they used skis as a way of hunting across snow-covered terrain. From Norway, skiing spread throughout Scandinavia and Russia as a mode of winter transportation and eventually as a sport similar to cross-country skiing. Alpine skiing evolved from cross-country skiing. The first alpine skiing competition, a primitive downhill, was held in the 1850s in Oslo. A few decades later, the sport spread to the remainder of Europe and to the United States, where miners held skiing competitions to entertain themselves during the winter.
The first slalom was organized in 1922 in Murren, Switzerland, and two years later such a race became the first Olympic Alpine event. The Arlberg-Kandahar, a combined slalom and downhill event, is now referred to as the first legitimate Alpine event - the race that planted the seed for Alpine's inclusion in the Olympic program. Alpine skiing became part of the Olympic program at the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Games with a men's and women's combined event.
Alpine Skiing Competition
The Olympic Alpine competition consists of ten events: five for women and five for men. The rules are the same for men and women, but the courses differ. In all cases, time is measured to 0.01 seconds and ties are permitted.
Alpine Skiing Events:
Downhill:
The downhill features the longest course and the highest speeds in Alpine skiing. Each skier makes a single run down a single course and the fastest time determines the winner.
Super-G:
Super-G stands for super giant slalom, an event that combines the speed of downhill with the more precise turns of giant slalom.
The course is shorter than downhill but longer than a giant slalom course. Each skiier makes one run down a single course and the fastest time determines the winner.
Giant Slalom:
Also known as the GS. It is a similar version to the slalom, with fewer turns and wider, smoother turns. Each skier makes two runs down two different courses on the same slope. Both runs take place on the same day, usually with the first run held in the morning and the second run in the afternoon. The times are added, and the fastest total time determines the winner.
Slalom:
The slalom features the shortest course and the quickest turns. As in the giant slalom, each skier makes two runs down two different courses on the same slope. Both runs take place on the same day. The times are added and the fastest total time determines the winner.
Combined:
The combined event consists of one downhill followed by two slalom runs. The times are added together and the fastest total time determines the winner. The combined downhill and the combined slalom are contested independently of the regular downhill and slalom events, and the combined courses are shorter than the regular versions. In 2002, for the first time at an Olympic Winter Games, the entire combined event is being held on a single day at the same venue. Also, the combined slalom is held on the lower part of the combined downhill slope, which has not always been the case.
About Cross Country Skiing
There is evidence that primitive skis were used in Norway over 5000 years ago. As early as the 10th century, vikings used skis for transportation. It wasn't until the 19th century however, that ski competitions came into existence, starting in Norway. The famous Holmenkollen ski festival was started in 1892. At first, the main focus of these Nordic festivals was the Nordic combined event – cross-country skiing and ski jumping. In 1900, a separate cross-country race was held at the Holmenkollen.
Cross Country Skiing Competition
At the Olympic Winter Games, cross-country consists of twelve events. Women compete in the 1.5km sprint, 10km classical, combined pursuit, 15km freestyle, 30km classical, and 4x5km relay. Men compete in 1.5km sprint, 15km classical, combined pursuit, 30km freestyle, 50km classical and 4x10km relay.
The 1.5km sprint:
The 1.5km sprint is the shortest event on the cross-country program, and any style of skiing is permitted. The sprint events are
different from the other cross-country events in that they are contested in a series of elimination rounds.
The combined pursuit:
The combined pursuit features two separate races on the same day. The first part of the event is 5 kilometers ski-classical style. The second part is a 5 kilometer freestyle race. Competitors start the freestyle portion staggered according to their finish in the classical portion. The athlete who crosses the finish line first is the winner.
The classical races:
In the classical races, skiers use the traditional straight-striding technique (called a "diagonal stride") and do not deviate from distinct parallel tracks. The form required for classical skiing resembles the form used on a typical cross-country exercise machine.
The freestyle technique:
The freestyle technique, which is often referred to as "skating", has no restrictions. the athletes do not keep their skis within narrow tracks but instead push off with both legs in a motion that resembles skating.
The relay event:
For the relay event, each team is composed of four skiers, each of whom skis one of the four 5km or 10km relay legs. the first two legs of the relay are classical style. The final two are freestyle.
About Freestyle Skiing
Freestyle skiing is a product of America in the 1960s, when social change and freedom of expression led to new and exciting skiing techniques. Originally a mix of alpine skiing and acrobatics, freestyle skiing developed over the decades into the present-day Olympic sport.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) recognized freestyle as a sport in 1979 and brought in new regulations regarding certification of athletes and jump techniques in an effort to curb the dangerous elements of the competitions. The first World Cup series was staged in 1980 and the first World Championships took place in 1986 in Tignes, France, featuring moguls, aerials and ballet.
Freestyle skiing , where skiers perform aerial maneuvers while skiing downhill, was a demonstration event at the Calgary Games in 1988. Mogul skiing was added to the official program of the Albertville Games in 1992 and aerials were added at the Lillehammer Games in 1994.
Freestyle Skiing Competition
Moguls:
The moguls competition consists of a run down a heavily moguled course with two jumps. The Olympic format is a one-run elimination round followed by a one-run final of 16 women and 16 men. In the finals, competitors ski in the reverse order of their finish in the elimination round. The skier with the highest score in the final round wins.
Aerials:
The Olympic aerial format consists of a two-jump elimination followed by a two-jump final. Aerialists are divided into two groups depending on their World Cup ranking, with those seeded lower jumping first. The combined scores from the two jumps in the elimination round determine who moves to the finals, with 12 men and 12 women advancing to the finals. Scores from the elimination round do not carry over to the finals.
About Nordic Combined
Nordic combined has its 5000 year-old roots in Norway. It involves ski jumping, which requires physical strength and technical control, and cross-country skiing which demands endurance and strength.
Nordic combined individual events have been included since the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix Mont Blanc in 1924
Nordic Combined Competition
All three Nordic combined events consist of a ski jumping competition and a cross-country skiing competition. For the individual and team events, ski jumping takes place on the normal hill (90 meters). For the spring event, ski jumping takes place on the large hill (120m). The cross-country portion of the individual event as 15km race, the sprint event has a 7.5km race, and the team event has a 4x5km relay.
Individual:
Each competitor in the individual event takes two normal hill jumps during the first day of competition. Each jump is scored for length and style. On the second and final day of competition, each competitor participates in the 15km cross-country event. The start order for this race is determined by the ski jumping results. The leader after the jumping portion will start first, with others starting according to the Gundersen table.
Sprint:
The sprint event also is contested over two days, with the large-hill competition on the first day and the 7.5km cross-country race on the second day. Unlike in the individual and team events, the jumping portion of the sprint event is performed on the large hill and includes on jump instead of two. On the second day and final day of competition, each competitor will compete in the 7.5 cross-country event. The start order for this race is determined on the basis of ski jumping results. The leader after the jumping portion will start first, with others starting according to the Gundersen Table.
Team:
Each team consists of four jumpers who take two jumps off the normal hill on the first day of competition. The team's score in the jumping portion is the total score of the eight jumps. the same skiers who participate in the jumping must compete in the 4x5km relay, which is held the day after the jumping portion of the team event. As in the individual and sprint events, the Gundersen Method is used to determine the start times in the relay. The winner is the team whose final skier crosses the finish line first, and each skier is timed to a tenth of a second.
About Ski Jumping
Ski jumping is one of the most spectacular disciplines at the Olympic Games. It has its roots in children playing on skis in Northern Europe. Legendary Norwegian Nordic athlete Sondre Nordheim is credited with the first officially measured ski jump in 1860. The first ski jumping contest was held in Trysil, Norway in 1862. Throughout the mid-1800s, ski jumping was part of ski carnivals in Norway, but the sport gained added prestige when, in 1892, the Norwegian royal family decided to donate the "King's Cup" trophy to the winner of the annual meet held in Holmenkollen.
Ski Jumping has been part of the Olympic Winter Games since the first Games at Chamonix Mont-Blanc in 1924
Ski Jumping Competition
Three ski jumping events are held at the Olympic Games
Individual Normal Hill:
The only ski jumping event from the normal hill, which is 90 meters high. Each athlete takes two jumps, and the one with the greatest total score is declared the winner.
Individual Large Hill:
This event is contested on the large hill, which measures 120 meters. Each athlete takes two jumps, and the one with the greatest score is declared the winner.
Team Large Hill:
This event is contested on the large hill, which measures 120 meters. There are four members on each team, and each athlete takes two jumps. The team with the highest total score over the eight jumps is declared the winner.
About Snowboarding
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Winter Games, snowboarding was introduced as an official skiing event with Giant Slalom and Halfpipe featured at the Nagano Games.
Snowboarding was developed in the United States in the 1960's as people across the country began to seek out new winter activities. Over the next decade, different pioneers boosted the production of boards and the overall interest in snowboarding. Surfers and skateboarders became involved, and by 1980, snowboarding was a nation-wide activity. Competition was the next logical step.
Competition and national and international federation influence began in the 1980s. The United States held its first national championships in 1982 and hosted the first World Championships in 1983. In 1987, a four-stop World Cup tour was established, with two stops in the United States and two in Europe. The International Snowboarding Federation (ISF) was formed in 1990 to govern international competition and the International Ski Federation (FIS) followed suit in 1994, making snowboarding an officially sanctioned discipline eligible for the Olympic Games. The FIS pushed for snowboarding's inclusion in the 1998 Games and remains the International Federation for the sport.
Snowboarding Competition
There are four snowboard events: men's halfpipe, women's halfpipe, men's parallel giant slalom and women's parallel giant slalom. Both halfpipe events were staged at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games, where the sport of snowboarding debuted. The parallel giant slalom events appeared on the Salt Lake City Olympic program for the first time, replacing the two giant slalom events that were contested in Nagano.
Halfpipe:
The halfpipe competition takes place in a half-cylinder-shaped course dug deep into the hill. Using speed gained on the slope, snowboarders come up over the rim of the pipe and perform acrobatic aerial tricks.
The object of the halfpipe is to perform difficult tricks with perfect form.
Alpine - Parallel Giant Slalom:
An exciting version of Alpine snowboarding, parallel giant slalom features head-to-head matches on the mountain. After the qualification round, a 16-person tournament is established and competitors battle it out on two side-by-side courses until there is a winner.