Skiing

The things you need:

Boots- Reinforced plastic boots are specific to the competition discipline. Raising of the boot sole is permitted to increase the ability to pressurize the ski. The maximum distance between boot sole and foot is regulated, presently at 50mm for men and 45mm for women.

Gloves- Made of leather or synthetic material. Slalom gloves also have a plastic forearm guard for protection when skiing through the gates.

Goggles- Ski goggles protect the eyes against weather, glare and the effects of speed on the eyes. Goggles can be worn with a variety of lens colors to maximise contrast and visibility.

Helmet- A helmet is compulsory for downhill and super-G and is often worn in slalom and giant slalom. Some skiers choose to attach a chin guard.

Poles- In the downhill and super-G, poles are curved to fit around the body to reduce air resistance. In the slalom events, poles are straight and often have plastic guards covering the knuckles to help skiers knock the slalom poles out of their path.

Skis- Skis are generally made of various material (wood, composite fibres) specially adapted to the wear and tear they undergo during a race. Their "performance" on the snow depends also on their length, width and shape which vary, depending on the course, and the speed. Metal edges on the skis are sharpened for every race to make the ski hold during the turn on the icy surface.

Suit- skin-tight racing suits are worn to reduce air resistance and suits must meet minimum requirements for air permeability. Padding may be worn under the ski suit a plastic back protector is usually worn in downhill. In slalom events, pads are frequently worn on the arms, knees and shins.

Bindings- Bindings are the link between the boots and the skis. Safety bindings will release when the torsion or impact is strong enough. The maximum height (distance between the bottom of the running surface of the ski and the ski boot sole) is regulated at 55mm.

In downhill, a skier must master speeds of up to 90 mph on various combinations of ice and snow while managing turns, steeps and flats. Although crashes are uncommon (only two skiers did not finish the downhill course in 2006), they can be spectacular. Downhill is the only discipline where skiers are allowed training runs. Three training runs are scheduled on the Olympic slope prior to race day; each skier must start at least one of those runs. The start order is determined by the results and points from World Cup events leading up to the Games. Based on a pre-race draw, the skiers ranked in the top 15 will receive a start number 8-22, while the skiers ranked 16th through 30th will receive a start number 1-7 or 23-30. They are followed by the rest of the field, starting with the skiers with the most World Cup Start List (WCSL) points, then FIS points. The last time the time difference between the gold- and silver-medal winners was more than one second in the Olympic downhill was 1964. Ski fragments discovered in Russia have been carbon-dated back to circa 8000-7000 BC. It is virtually certain that a form of skiing has been an integral part of life in colder countries for thousands of years.
 * Downhill**

Skiing changed its from a method of transportation into a sporting activity during the late 19th century. The first non-military skiing competitions are reported to have been held in the 1840s in northern and central Norway. The first national skiing competition in Norway, held in the capital Christiania (now Oslo) and won by Sondre Norheim, in 1868, is regarded as the beginning of a new era of skiing enthusiasm. A few decades later, the sport spread to the remainder of Europe and to the US, where miners held skiing competitions to entertain themselves during the winter. The first slalom competition was organised by Sir Arnold Lunn in 1922 in Mürren, Switzerland.

 Alpine skiing and those are Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, and Slalom. That way this works is that in Downhill there is a course and that requires speed up to 90 miles per-hour. The second rule is Super-G and that stands for giant slalom; an event that combines the speed of downhill with the more precise turns. That means there is one slope with two different courses on it so two skiers shall go down it. Another rule for this sport is slalom and that requires features the shortest course and the quickest turns. This sport Alpine skiing; has been a part of the winter Olympics since 1924 so that is around 21 years. The most successful Alpine skiing athlete is Alice Mcknnis.( ADD WHO WON MOST GOLD MEDLE) She has broken out with 10 place finish line at Lake Louise that earned enthusiastic praise. She has been claimed best one on the U.S team, and she planes to keep her name as a prized position. People are excepting for her to win the 2010 winter Olympics. So sit down on that nice warm couch of yours, and grab a blanket and watch the 2010 Winter Olympics especially Alpine skiing **
 * Many people have an eager mind set on watching the 2010 Winter Olympics. There are so many sports or activities set for the 2010 Olympics; like hockey, skating, and snowboarding, but the most (?) one of all is Alpine skiing. There is a huge history and that is when the sport Alpine skiing was created in 1840's. Skiers form all around came to see this winter Olympic sport. There are various combinations obstacles like snow and ice along with crazy turns and steep mountains. There are three runs and those are scheduled prior to the Olympic slope race each day;** **Athletes are not allowed to take training runs through the courses** **; each skier must start at one of those runs. There are some major rules in