Alpine skiing (sport)

Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pasttime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing (cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping) which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for recreation or sport, it is typically practiced at ski resorts, which provide such services as ski lifts, artificial snow making, snow grooming, restaurants, and ski patrol.

"Off-piste" skiers—those skiing outside ski area boundaries—may employ snowmobiles, helicopters or snowcats to deliver the them to the top of a slope. Back-country skiers may use specialized equipment with a free-heel mode for hiking up slopes and a locked-heel mode for descents.

Alpine skiing has been an event at the Winter Olympic Games since 1936.

As of 1994, there were estimated to be 55 million people worldwide, who engaged in Alpine skiing. The estimated number of skiers, who practiced Alpine, cross-country skiing, and related snow sports, amounted to 30 million in Europe, 15 million in the US, and 14 million in Japan. As of 1996, there were reportedly 4,500 ski areas, operating 26,000 ski lifts and enjoying skier visits. The preponderant region for downhill skiing was Europe, followed by Japan and the US.

A skier following the fall line will reach the maximum possible speed for that slope. A skier with skis pointed perpendicular to the fall line, across the hill instead of down it, will accelerate more slowly. The speed of descent down any given hill can be controlled by changing the angle of motion in relation to the fall line, skiing across the hill rather than down it.

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Wikipedia