Skiing, Alpine. Encyclopedia of World Sport

Alpine skiing developed as a way to ski down the
wooded mountain sides of the Alps, and has diversified
into several styles. It is now practiced internationally
for recreation and in competition and is a major recreational activity in North America and Europe.
History
The name alpine derives from the Alps, but long before
skiing was introduced to the Alps, Norwegians had
skied fast down their own hills (see Skiing, Nordic).
Norwegians, though, were used to their open, sloping
highlands. When they visited the Alps in the late 19th
century, they told their hosts that these mountains with
their wooded and steep sides were no place to ski. Even
so, Germans,Austrians, Swiss, Italians, and later French
skiers persevered and attracted a following of wealthy
enthusiasts who crossed passes and even climbed
mountains on skis.
Even before World War I, wealthy Europeans began
to spend winter vacations in the mountains. People
learned the Arlberg crouch, with a lift and swing of the
body; Hannes Schneider’s Arlberg technique became
standard. The rich also traveled to Murren, where
Arnold Lunn (1888–1974) headed the development of
the new alpine disciplines of downhill and slalom, originally intended to help mountaineers descend from
peaks safely. From Schneider’s and Lunn’s ski schools,
students dispersed around the globe, spreading the
techniques they had learned to Australia, the United
States, Japan, and India.
During the 1920s, most of the mountainous countries of Europe realized that winter tourism offered
vast new economic opportunities. Switzerland, with its
stunning vistas, well-established health resorts, and
summer tourist season, adapted easily. Germany popularized the Bavarian Alps successfully enough that the
1936 Olympic Games were staged at GarmischPartenkirchen. Only Austrians showed surprisingly little interest in accommodating the new sport.
As World War II approached, the military in several
countries sought to take advantage of their skiers’
skills. Mussolini and Hitler aimed for total control of
skiing in their respective countries. The winners of the
men’s and women’s alpine events in the 1936 Olympics
were both Germans, seeming proof that the “new order” was fit enough to conquer the world. In Finland,
skiers defended their homeland against the Soviets at
the start of World War II, a deed that spurred the formation of the ski troops of the 10th Mountain Division
of the U.S. Army. The Finnish ski defense was accomplished entirely by cross country skiers, though, and
the men who joined the American 10th were virtually
all alpine skiers. But it hardly mattered, since very little
fighting was done on skis in World War II.
After the war, alpine skiing became more popular,
and wartime experiments with over-the-snow vehicles,
cable lift construction, and strong, light metals and alloys were adapted to the slopes. Wooden skis gave way
to more durable and faster metal skis, now designed
specially for either downhill or slalom. Nylon and other
new synthetic materials replaced cotton and wool in
winter clothing—and at the same time created new
opportunities for fashion designers. Some of today’s
best-known destination resorts—Aspen, for example—were established during this period.With the rise
of international air travel, once-elite alpine skiing was
taken up by the middle classes as well.
Rules and Play
Downhill and slalom are the two principal alpine skiing events. Both originated in the idea that following
the conquest of a mountain peak, an accomplished
skier cut a track straight down the side of the mountain. These straight runs were possible above treeline,
and up to the end of the 1920s, races were often called
straight races. But once a skier reached the trees,
straight running became impossible. Out of this problem grew the slalom, which Lunn named for the Norwegian slalaam, a race that required turning around
natural obstacles. Lunn defined the downhill and
slalom tracks with flags, put a premium on speed, and
from 1922 on, rules were published for alpine events.
Downhill and slalom events for men and women
became official in 1931, when they came under Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) jurisdiction, and have been part of the Olympic program both for men and
women since 1936. Giant slalom, experimental as early
as 1935, was sanctioned in 1972 and a Super-G in 1987.
In giant slalom, the control gates for the course (the
poles the skiers must go around in fast turns) are
spaced farther apart than on a slalom course. Giant
slalom and Super-G combine elements of both downhill and slalom. Downhill is essentially a race down a
mountain with control gates used only to check unsafe
speeds or to guide racers around dangerous obstacles.
Three other varieties of alpine skiing have developed: freestyle, speed skiing, and snowboarding. The
FIS governs international skiing and now has committees working on these once marginal techniques.
Freestyle skiing comprises two disciplines: mogul skiing and aerials. Speed skiing began as the kilometre
lance in 1931 in Switzerland, when Leo Gasperl
achieved 136.319 kilometers (84.723 miles) per hour.
After the war, speed skiing excited a flurry of interest.
In the interest of safety, the FIS has now established a
maximum speed of 229.3 kilometers (142.5 miles).
Speed skiing appeals to only a handful of athletes and
attracts few spectators.
U.S. ski areas now vie with European alpine resorts
in popularity. But the ease of global travel also had a
negative effect on alpine skiing. The skier who skis
three continents in one season will find the resorts
everywhere much the same.
—E. JOHN B. ALLEN

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