Slalom skiing

Slalom is a fast and exciting way to race on skis.

In this sport, skiers must make very quick and short turns. They race through a course made of pairs of poles called gates. These gates often have alternating red and blue colors. A man's course usually has 55 to 75 gates. A woman's course is a bit shorter, with 40 to 60 gates. The goal is to be the fastest person to reach the finish line.

To complete a course, a skier must pass between the two poles. Both the tips of the skis and the skier's feet must go between them. If they do not, the racer commits a fault. In the past, gates were made of stiff bamboo. This forced skiers to move their whole bodies around each pole. Today, gates are made of hard plastic and are hinged at the bottom. This allows a technique called cross-blocking. A racer can use their hands, arms, or shins to knock the gate out of the way.

The word slalom has roots in Norway. It comes from the Norwegian words "slalåm." The word "sla" means a hillside that inclines slightly. The word "låm" means a track left by skis. Long ago, people used different names for trails based on how hard they were. A "slalåm" was a trail for children. An "uvyrdslåm" was a much harder trail with many obstacles. In 1866, a race in Oslo included jumping and slalom. Back then, skiers even got points for having good style and posture.

Modern rules for slalom changed how the sport works. A man named Arnold Lunn developed these rules in 1922. He created them for the British National Ski Championships. These rules were later used at the 1936 Winter Olympics. Lunn decided that gates should be pairs of flags. He also decided that winning should be based only on time. This was different from older races where style also mattered. Now, slalom is a major event at the Olympic Winter Games.

Equipment has changed a lot over the years. Around the turn of the 21st century, new shaped skis became popular. These skis were much shorter than older models. For example, many skiers used much longer skis in the 1980s. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, most racers used skis that were 165 centimeters or less. Because short skis can be harder to control, the FIS set minimum length rules. For the 2003–2004 season, the minimum length was 155 centimeters for men and 155 centimeters for women.