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History Skiing probably evolved gradually from snowshoeing and originally was a practical way of getting quickly from place to place in snowy climates. Early forms of skiing resembled today's Nordic, or cross-country, style. Sondre Norheim is often called the "father of modern skiing". In the 19th century, Sondre Norheim invented bindings that enabled the skier to do turns while skiing down hills. This form of skiing was called Slalom (sla låm, Norwegian dialect expression for a difficult track) by Norheim and his contemporaries. This form of skiing is now referred to as Telemark skiing or telemarking. The invention of firmer bindings to anchor the skier's feet to the ski, likely by Austrian Mathias 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, Austrian Hannes Schneider pioneered the idea of rotating the body to help steer the skis. Soon this Arlberg technique, named for his home region, spread around the world and helped make skiing a popular recreational activity. Types of skiing
Skiing for people with disabilities Downhill skiing for people with disabilities is both a recreational pastime and a competitive sport open to those with any manner of cognitive and/or physical disabilities. Adaptations include the use of outriggers, ski tip retention devices, sit-skis like monoskis and bi-skis, brightly colored guide bibs, ski guides, and inter-skier communication systems or audible clues for blind skiers. Recreational skiing programs for people with disabilities exist at mountains across the globe. In the northeastern United States, Maine Handicapped Skiing is one of the largest, operating at Sunday River ski resort. In the western part of the United States, the National Sports Center for the Disabled at Winter Park Resort near Denver, Colorado attracts both first-timers and world-class disabled athletes from Europe, Asia, and North America. Currently the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Ski Federation (FIS) sanction a number of regional, national, and international disabled skiing events, most notably a World Cup circuit, a Disabled Alpine Skiing World Championships, and the Paralympic Winter Games. Skiing for people with disabilities became popular after World War II with the return of injured veterans. 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. European ski resorts, in contrast, have more available lodging options which encourages a wider demographic of visitors. The term "ski bum" has been used to classify people who live in ski towns, don't work very hard, and spend the majority of their time on the slopes. The term "bum" is actually a misnomer since many resort employees make a good living and have a roof over their heads. Many resorts have developed an economy outside of tourism to support the growing community of year round residents. Other broad groups of visitors include "weekend warriors" and business travellers. Weekend warriors are residents of nearby towns who drive to resorts for a day or two. Business travel to ski resorts has also become increasingly popular and makes up a good portion of skiers. Since the 1980s when snowboarders began to share hills with downhill skiers, a small rivalry between skiers and boarders has developed both on and off the slopes, though it has usually remained friendly and has increased the notoriety of both sports. Skiers have often called boarders human moguls as the rest state for boarders is a sitting stance with the board perpendicular to the slope. This is because it is difficult to balance on one edge of the snowboard while stationary. Certain restrictions have polarized this rift. Ajax mountain in in Aspen, for example, does not allow snowboarders on the mountain. North America
Europe In Europe, pistes are classified by a similar, colour-coded system, although shapes are not used (all ratings are circles). The ratings are: Green: Learning or 'baby' slopes. These are usually not marked trails, but tend to be large open, gently sloping areas at the base of the ski area. Blue: An easy trail, similar to the North American Green Circle, and are almost always groomed, or on so shallow a slope as not to need it. Red: An intermediate slope. Steeper, or narrower than a blue slope, these are usually groomed, unless the narrowness of the trail prohibits it. Black: An expert slope. Steep, may or may not be groomed, or may be groomed for moguls. It is worth noting that 'Black' can be a very wide classification, ranging from a slope marginally more difficult than a 'Red' to very steep avalanche chutes like the infamous Couloirs of Courchevel. Yellow: In recent years, many resorts reclassified some black slopes to yellow slopes. This signifies a skiroute, an ungroomed and unpatrolled slope which is actually off-piste skiing in a marked area. Famous examples are the Stockhorn area in Zermatt and the Tortin slopes in Verbier. In Austria, skiroutes are usually marked with orange squares instead. Alpine slope classification in Europe is less rigidly tied to slope angle than in North America. A lower angle slope may be classified as more difficult than a steeper slope if, for instance, it is narrower and/or requires better skiing ability to carry speed through flatter sections while controlling speed through sharp hairpin turns, off-camber slope angles or exposed rock. Japan Japan uses a color-coded system, but shapes do not usually accompany them. Some resorts, mainly those catering to foreigners, use the North American or European color-coding system, adding to the confusion. When in doubt, check the map legend. The usual ratings are: Green: Beginner slopes. These are usually near the base of the mountain, although some follow switchback routes down from the top. Red: Intermediate slopes. At most ski areas in Japan, these constitute the majority of the slopes (40° to 60°, depending on how the slopes are accounted). Black: Expert slopes. These are the steepest and most difficult slopes at the ski area. The difficulty of these compared to like-classified slopes at other ski areas is heavily dependent on the target audience. Japan has more than 600 ski areas (108 in Nagano Prefecture alone), many of them small and family-oriented, so comparisons between slope classifications in Japan and "equivalent" slopes in Europe or North America are minimal. Snow and weather Skiers and snowboarders can encounter a wide range of snow and weather conditions, in part due to the location of specific resorts and global weather patterns at the time. Natural snow ranges in consistency from very light and fluffy to dense and heavy, depending upon atmospheric conditions as it falls. Snow is often measured by moisture content, or the amount of water in a given volume of snow. Some areas of the United States' Rocky Mountains, for example, can receive considerable amounts of snow with moisture content as low as three to five percent; in the Northeastern United States and the Alps, moisture content is more typically 15 percent or more. Snow made by mechanical snowmaking often has moisture content of 35 percent or more. Temperatures play a critical role in snow moisture content, but other atmospheric conditions are also relevant. Air currents and other factors determine snow crystal shape; obviously, the farther apart given snow crystals are, the more air is contained in the newly settled snow, resulting in lower net moisture content in a given volume of snow. Snow produced mechanically typically has high relative moisture content and low amounts of loft because the crystal structure resembles small, dense pellets. Even the fluffiest snow has mass, and snow typically settles under its own weight after time. This is one reason why untouched snow measuring 20 cm on the day it falls might be measured at 15 cm the day following. Snow is also subject to sublimation - a process by which water can go directly from a frozen state to a gaseous state without first melting. It is this same process that ultimately makes ice cubes shrink in a freezer. There are other factors that impact snow beyond its moisture content and crystal shape, however. Snow is impacted by wind, sunlight, skier traffic, ambient air temperature, relative humidity and grooming equipment; all of these factors combine to change snow crystal shape and density over time. Thus, skiers and snowboarders typically encounter a wide range of snow conditions over the course of a season. Some of the more common conditions include: New developments The combination of kiteboarding technology with skiing has led to the creation of a new sport, snowkiting. Harnessing the pull of the wind with a kite, snowkiters are able to make very large jumps and travel uphill. Trivia Skiing is one of the few words in the English language that contains two "i"s in a row. Types of skiing Turning techniques Equipment Competition events Alpine events Nordic events Skiing organizations International organizations: National organizations: Ski safety Skiing is a winter sport that everyone can enjoy, but there are a few things you should consider before hitting the slopes. Here are some valuable tips to consider before going out skiing with your friends and family. First, you should be fit for this activity because injury may occur if you’re not fit enough. Just like other sports before you go out you should do some warm ups. This will lessen the probability that injury will occur. Ask for assistance, if you feel you’re not good enough to hit the slopes you should consider skiing with an expert or instructors by your side. Skiing is prone to injury so it’s a must that you know your skiing fundamentals. Knowing your limitations is the first step in NOT getting injured. Safe skiing equipment is a must. Make sure all your equipment is in good condition; especially the ski bindings make sure they are properly adjusted to suit your needs. Here are some tips on what to bring before you go skiing. 1. Wear ski gloves or mittens which will help to keep your hands warm and protect from the cold. 2. Goggles or sunglasses to protect your eyes from harm. Because flying particles may enter your eyes tearing can occur from the cold if you’re not wearing any eye protection. 3. Fleece top or sweater; the mid-layer or insulating garment. 4. Parka, anorak, or shell; in other words, your outer layer garment. 5. Poles which are correct for your height. 6. Thermal underwear and ski socks. 7. Wear a Helmet to avoid head injuries. 8. Boots which are sized properly when worn over one pair of warm socks. 9. Water-resistant and windproof pants or salopettes. 10. Skis that are the right length for your height and ability, mounted with ski bindings properly adjusted for your height/weight and ability. Ski resorts Ski lifts Other Health and injuries Ski videos and movies Skiing and snowboarding video and movies as a genre, emerged with such classics as Otto Lang (film producer) Ski Flight, Warren Miller, Dirk Collins, and XCZONE.TV leading Nordic Skiing Producers. Related sports | |||||||||||||
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