Speed skiing
Encyclopedia
Speed skiing is the sport
of skiing
downhill in a straight line as quickly as possible. It is one of the fastest non-motorized sports on land. (The fastest non-motorized sport without land contact is speed skydiving, in which divers can reach speeds of over 500 km/h..) The current world record for skiing is 251.4 km/h (156 mph), held by Simone Origone. Speed skiers regularly exceed 200 km/h (125 mph), which is even faster than the terminal velocity
of a free-falling skydiver; about 190 km/h (120 mph) in the belly-to-earth position. Speed skiers wear dense foam fairings on their lower legs and aerodynamic helmet
s to increase streamlining
. Their ski suit
s are made from air-tight latex
or have a polyurethane
coating to reduce wind resistance, with only a mandatory back protector to give some protection in the case of a crash.
The special ski
s used must be 2.4 metres (94.5 inches) long and maximum 10 cm wide with a maximum weight of 15 kg for the pair. Ski boot
s are attached to the skis by bindings
. The ski pole
s are bent to shape around the body, and must be a minimum of 1 m long.
Speed skiing is practised on steep, specially designed courses one kilometre long. There are approximately thirty of these courses worldwide, many of them at high altitudes to minimize air resistance. The first 300 or 400 metres of the course (the launching area) is used to gain speed, the top speed is measured in the next 100 metres (the timing zone) and the last 500 metres (the run-out area) is used for slowing down and coming to a stop. The start point in FIS
races is chosen so that, in theory, skiers should not exceed 200 km/h, hence competition is aimed at winning a particular event, not breaking world speed records. At Pro races, there is no maximum speed and the speed attained is determined by conditions and safety.
Speed skiing was a demonstration sport
at the Albertville
1992 Winter Olympics
in the Les Arcs
2 kilometre course.
) 251.4 km/h (156.2 mph); Les Arcs
, France, April 2006
(Australia
) 213.65 km/h (132.76 mph); circa April 20, 2006
), 242.59 km/h (150.74 mph); Les Arcs
, France, April 20, 2006 http://www.pocski.com/?m=3&n=2006-04-20
), 222 km/h (138 mph); Les Arcs
, France, April 21, 2000
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
downhill in a straight line as quickly as possible. It is one of the fastest non-motorized sports on land. (The fastest non-motorized sport without land contact is speed skydiving, in which divers can reach speeds of over 500 km/h..) The current world record for skiing is 251.4 km/h (156 mph), held by Simone Origone. Speed skiers regularly exceed 200 km/h (125 mph), which is even faster than the terminal velocity
Terminal velocity
In fluid dynamics an object is moving at its terminal velocity if its speed is constant due to the restraining force exerted by the fluid through which it is moving....
of a free-falling skydiver; about 190 km/h (120 mph) in the belly-to-earth position. Speed skiers wear dense foam fairings on their lower legs and aerodynamic helmet
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
s to increase streamlining
Streamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
. Their ski suit
Ski suit
A ski suit is a suit made to be worn over the rest of the clothes when skiing. A ski suit made for more casual winter wear outdoors may also be called a snowsuit....
s are made from air-tight latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
or have a polyurethane
Polyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
coating to reduce wind resistance, with only a mandatory back protector to give some protection in the case of a crash.
The special ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
s used must be 2.4 metres (94.5 inches) long and maximum 10 cm wide with a maximum weight of 15 kg for the pair. Ski boot
Ski boot
Ski boots are specialized footwear that are used in skiing to provide a way to attach the skier to skis using ski bindings. This ski-boot-binding combination is used to effectively transmit control inputs from the skier to the snow....
s are attached to the skis by bindings
Ski binding
A ski binding is an attachment which anchors a ski boot to the ski. There are different types of bindings for different types of skiing.-Universal designs:...
. The ski pole
Ski pole
Ski poles are used by skiers to improve balance and timing. Early ski poles were simply sticks, then bamboo , then steel . In 1958, Ed Scott invented the aluminium ski pole...
s are bent to shape around the body, and must be a minimum of 1 m long.
Speed skiing is practised on steep, specially designed courses one kilometre long. There are approximately thirty of these courses worldwide, many of them at high altitudes to minimize air resistance. The first 300 or 400 metres of the course (the launching area) is used to gain speed, the top speed is measured in the next 100 metres (the timing zone) and the last 500 metres (the run-out area) is used for slowing down and coming to a stop. The start point in FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
races is chosen so that, in theory, skiers should not exceed 200 km/h, hence competition is aimed at winning a particular event, not breaking world speed records. At Pro races, there is no maximum speed and the speed attained is determined by conditions and safety.
Speed skiing was a demonstration sport
Demonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...
at the Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
in the Les Arcs
Les Arcs
Les Arcs is a ski resort located in Savoie, France, in the Tarentaise Valley town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Initially created by Robert Blanc and Roger Godino...
2 kilometre course.
Official world records
The following are the records under the F.S.V. (France Ski de Vitesse) rules. As of April 29, 2005, there were 328 speed skiers who had skied faster than 200 km/h.Men
Simone Origone (ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) 251.4 km/h (156.2 mph); Les Arcs
Les Arcs
Les Arcs is a ski resort located in Savoie, France, in the Tarentaise Valley town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Initially created by Robert Blanc and Roger Godino...
, France, April 2006
Disabled men
Michael MiltonMichael Milton
Michael John Milton, OAM is an Australian Winter Paralympic skier and cyclist. He lost a leg to bone cancer when he was nine years old...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) 213.65 km/h (132.76 mph); circa April 20, 2006
Women
Sanna Tidstrand (SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
), 242.59 km/h (150.74 mph); Les Arcs
Les Arcs
Les Arcs is a ski resort located in Savoie, France, in the Tarentaise Valley town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Initially created by Robert Blanc and Roger Godino...
, France, April 20, 2006 http://www.pocski.com/?m=3&n=2006-04-20
Bicycle
Eric Barone (FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), 222 km/h (138 mph); Les Arcs
Les Arcs
Les Arcs is a ski resort located in Savoie, France, in the Tarentaise Valley town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Initially created by Robert Blanc and Roger Godino...
, France, April 21, 2000
External links
- FIS Rules (PDF)
- http://www.SpeedSki.com
- www.kl-france.com
- One-legged skier breaks disabled speed ski & Aussie open record