Skiing is a sport wherein the skiers glide
over snow with the help of skis made out of wood
planks or fiberglass strapped on the feet. Over the
period of years have been many alterations to the
original sports like the cross-country variant and
downhill variant. The alterations are Alpine Skiing,
Telemark Skiing, and Nordic Skiing. Skiing is also
used by the military as a means of transportation
and training in ski warfare.
Originally skiing was used as a means of
transportation in an ice packed area. Sondre Norheim,
from Norway was the father of modern skiing as he
developed slalom form of skiing in the 19th century.
His ideas were later worked on and Telemark Skiing
was developed in 1970s. Mathias Zdarsky from Austria
invented the Alpine or downhill skiing. He developed
the firmer bindings to help skiers to better anchor
their feet. Some time after that, Hannes Schneider
of Austria invented the Arlberg technique, according
to which the body is rotated to steer the skis.
Not only there are different versions of skiing, but
also there are many competitions, which are held
every year for the fans of skiing. Skiing is a big
part of the Winter Olympic games, too. The regions,
which are ideal for skiing, are some parts of
Scandinavia and Alaska. Many of the ski resorts have
been constructed in these areas and some of them are
specifically meant for Alpine Skiing.
The visitors have to buy warm clothing, ski, ski
poles, and ski boots. After getting all dressed up,
the skiers can take the gondola lift or the chair
lift to reach the summit. From there the skiers ski
downwards along a marked path called piste or trail
or slope. If the skier is interested in off-piste
skiing, he can take the unmarked area and ski in
between trees, which is also known as glade skiing.
Skiing outside the boundaries of the resort is
called out of bounds skiing and is not allowed in
some resorts. This can be very dangerous as there
can be a possibility of falling avalanches, which
can be a threat to life. Its advisable to take
avalanche training, carry necessary equipments and
to hang out with experienced skiers. In case of
emergency, insurance is a must otherwise the cost of
search and the skier himself should bare rescue
service. It is highly recommended that the skiers
inform the ski patrol before going out to ski and
check out for bad weather.
It takes a long while to master the art of skiing
and the help of ski schools can be taken to overcome
this. Initially trained instructors ask the leaner
to keep the skiing speed low. The terrains and steep
slopes are better avoided. Advanced skiers are made
to ski on steep terrains and the risks taken are
much more dangerous than the beginners.
Two basic types of downhill skiing are alpine skiing
and telemark skiing. Telemark skiing involves
flexible ski boots and the heels aren't locked to
the skis. Alpine skiing involves harder ski boots.
Even people with disabilities with the help of
outriggers have practiced downhill skiing; sit skis,
ski tip retention devices, ski guides, colored guide
bibs and audible clues. The dangers that can be
faced in these sports are avalanches, collisions,
hypothermia, and other illnesses and sometimes even
death.
