how to ski a gs course

by Icie Sauer 6 min read

To control a GS Race ski, keep your legs strong-race skis require a lot of energy to bend. Use and develop your core strength and skeletal structure. Imagine “skiing on your bones” instead of relying only on your muscles.

Part of a video titled Basic GS Rules - YouTube
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Full Answer

What makes a good GS ski training course?

 Emphasis is on elements training – jumping and gliding skills  Course setting should be appropriate for skiers on GS skis  Recommended distances between turns range from 22-32m Competition

How many runs does it take to ski a GS course?

The technical events are normally composed of two runs, held on different courses on the same ski run. The vertical drop for a GS course must be 250–450 m (820–1,480 ft) for men, and 250–400 m (820–1,310 ft) for women.

How should skiing courses be set?

As the athletes gain in competitive experience and technical/tactical skiing skills, courses should change correspondingly, resulting in greater difficulty, frequent speed and rhythm variations, and the creative use of terrain. Set by feel (experience) as much as by science

What is the minimum radius of a GS ski?

Beginning with the 2007–08 season, the minimum radius for GS skis was increased to 27 m (89 ft) for men and 23 m (75 ft) for women. Additionally, the minimum ski width at the waist was increased from 60 to 65 mm (2.36 to 2.56 in), and the maximum stand height for all disciplines was reduced to 50 mm (1.97 in).

What is a GS turn in skiing?

Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G.

How many g's do skiers pull?

Olympic skiers subject their bodies to as much as 3.5 g's--more than space shuttle astronauts endure during launch--and to velocities that would earn them speeding tickets in most states.

How do you set up a slalom ski course?

The general rules for setting the slalom courses are: *a number of direction changes are 30 to 35% of vertical drop (+/- 3 direction changes). *the gradient of the slalom course should be from 33% to 45%.

Can you use slalom skis for GS?

U14 GS skis Rules for U14 giant slalom skis dictate a minimum ski radius of 17m and a maximum ski length of 188cm. Every major manufacturer has a ski that meets this need. The Rossignol Hero FIS GS Pro race ski is a popular ski with U14 ski racers.

What does 4.7 g feel like?

From a medical standpoint, at 4 G's, you will start to lose color vision, which is why it is called “graying out” — 4.5 G's and you may lose vision all together. Higher G's and your lungs start to collapse, your esophagus stretches, your stomach drops and blood pools significantly in your legs.

How many Gs do ski racers experience?

World Cup ski racers are fighting around five g-forces per turn, or about 900 pounds of pressure, for up to 90 turns.

How long is a GS course?

Resorts have the option to set single or dual courses and courses can be either Giant Slalom (GS) or Slalom (SL). GS race courses should be about 350 meters in length. Each course is essentially a modified GS course with gates that are set with 18-22 meters of space between gates vertically and 4-8 meters of offset.

How many buoys are in a slalom course?

There are a total of 26 buoys on a competition slalom course. Six buoys are used to mark the turns that the skier must follow. These buoys are known as turn buoys. Another 4 buoys mark the entrance and exit of the course for the skier to begin the run.

Whats the difference between super-G and downhill?

In super-G, also known as super giant slalom, skiers also go at high speed but not as fast as downhill. They have to go through widely set gates, which requires more turning. Athletes also only have one chance to get the fastest times.

What makes a good GS ski?

Giant Slalom, or GS skis, are skied longer than SL skis. As a guideline, GS skis should be of a length that is from mid-forehead to 2-3 inches above the racer's head. The better the skier, the longer ski he/she can handle. These skis typically have less side cut than SL skis, but their shape is still fairly pronounced.

What skis are used for Super G?

Since the advent of the FIS sidecut rule, many masters racers have had success using men's FIS GS skis for super-G, which are just under 200cm long with a ≥35m radius.

What is the difference between slalom and GS skis?

Classic GS skis are stiffer and narrower than other types of skis and feature less sidecut. They are considerably longer than slalom skis and always exceed the skier's body height, making them stable and chatter-free but at the same time harder to turn.

How long is a giant slalom ski?

In an attempt to increase safety for the 2003–04 season, the International Ski Federation (FIS) increased the minimum sidecut radius for giant slalom skis to 21 m (69 ft) and for the first time imposed minimum ski lengths for GS: 185 cm (72.8 in) ...

When did the GS change to one day?

The world championships changed to a one-day format for the giant slalom in 1974, but the Olympics continued the GS as a two-day event through 1980. Also scheduled for two days in 1984, both giant slaloms became one-day events after repeated postponements of the downhills.

What is a giant slalom?

Giant slalom. Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles ( gates) spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G . Giant slalom and slalom make up the technical events in alpine ski racing.

Where was the first giant slalom?

The first giant slalom was set in 1935 on the Mottarone in Italy, over the Lake Maggiore, near Stresa, on January 20. After one month, the second giant slalom was set on the Marmolada in Italy's Dolomite mountains, by Guenther Langes.

When was the giant slalom added to the world championships?

The giant slalom was added to the world championships in 1950 at Aspen, Colorado, and debuted at the Winter Olympics in 1952 at Oslo, Norway, run at Norefjell. The GS has been run in every world championships and Olympics since. Originally a one-run event, a second run was added for men at the world championships in 1966, run on consecutive days, ...

Is the GS a one day event?

Following the extra races added to the program in 1988, the GS has been scheduled as a one-day event at the Olympics. Upon its introduction, giant slalom briefly displaced the combined event at the world championships; it was absent in 1950 and 1952.

How wide should a ski gate be?

The general rules for setting the poles are: *if the gate is made of two poles then the gate width must be from 4 to 6 meters. *consecutive gates must alternate in blue and red.

How many combinations are there in a slalom?

Rules for gates combinations: *each slalom must contain from one to three vertical combinations. *slalom must contain at least three hairpin combinations. *slalom must contain at least one but a maximum of three delay gate combinations.

How many poles are there in a giant slalom?

Gate in Downhill, Super G, and Giant Slalom consists of four slalom poles and two gate panels. Two poles hold each gate panel. The skier has to cross an imaginary line that connects the two gates. Downhill, Super G, Giant Slalom Gates. The difference is in the width of the gates.

How wide is a gate in slalom?

In Downhill, it has to be at least 8 meters, in Super G from 6 to 8 meters for open gates (from 8 to 12 meters for vertical gates), and in Giant Slalom, the width must be from 4 to 8 meters, and the distance between the turning poles of successive gates has to be at least 10 meters.

What is the purpose of a pole plant in skiing?

Forces the athletes up and over their skis  Forces the athlete to bring shape and direction to the gate  Teaches the athlete to stand on their skis with power  In many cases forces a pole plant to release the edge and start a new turn

How to develop comfort at speed?

 Develop comfort at speed  Give the athlete time to develop movements  Easily bring shape and direction to the gate Movement over terrain is forgiving  Teaches athletes to let it go, let it rip, drive the turn deep and carry speed

Do coaches set quick?

Coaches tend to set quick  Athletes tend to inspect quick  All in an effort to get started as quick as possible and get in as many runs as possible

How to drive pressure on a ski?

Drive pressure onto the tip of your outside (downhill) ski by flexing hard at the ankle against the inside corner of your ski boot tongue. After you feel the tip engage, then allow pressure to build under your foot. Bill McCollom of Bethel, Vermont, speeds down a giant slalom at the U.S. Alpine Masters Championships.

Why do skiers keep their hands forward?

The result in both cases is a slow skidding ski. Fast racers keep their hands forward, and if they get thrown off their line, they drive their hands forward to regain their balance.

How to stop skis from chattering?

Apply forward pressure. All modern skis need to engage the tip at the top of each turn to start the ski carving and to prevent chatter. If you slam all your weight into the middle of the ski, your edges may bite briefly but you won’t be fast.

How to do a wand shin?

Bring your shins close to the wand, then bend your knees and coil your body like a cheetah about to pounce. On “go,” push forward using your legs, core, and upper body as you open the wand. Continue pushing until you no longer accelerate forward from the effort or until you reach the first gate. Look ahead.

Where do the Masters take place?

Masters races, for adults age 18+, take place at many ski areas in Vermont and the United States throughout the winter. Photo by Jack Ballard. Keep your hands forward. Another common mistake is dropping the hand closest to the gate as you pass by, or worse, dropping both hands.

How much of your turn should you look at a gate?

In general, you should place two-thirds of your turn above the gate, which is only possible if your eyes are focused down the hill.

Is there ski racing in Vermont?

There are ski races every day in Vermont during the winter. Whether you’re competing for beer league bragging rights or a NASTAR (National Standard Race) gold, chasing points as a junior, or trying to cuts 10ths off your time on the masters circuit, everyone who enters a race feels the need for more speed.

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Who Sets The Rules

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International Ski Federation (FIS) is the organization that sets the rules for all ski competitions. Its ski competition rules state requirements for all ski disciplines. The 134 pages material includes all the details from the course’s length, insurance policy requirements, the position of microphones or digital timers, to the penaltie…
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The Length of FIS Alpine Skiing Courses

  • The official rulebook does not set the exact length of competition courses. However, it states the minimum and maximum vertical drop of each discipline for men and ladies competitions. Vertical Drop for FIS World Cup, World Ski Championship, and Olympic Winter Games
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Number of Runs

  • The World Cup competitions are either one or two runs events. See in the table below every discipline and number of runs. In Slalom and Giant Slalom, thirty best skiers from the first run qualify for the second run. They start the second run in reverse order. The thirtieth from the first-run starts as the first one in the second run. The best skier from the first-run starts like the last o…
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Gates

  • The setting of the gates is easy to understand in Downhill, Super G, and Giant Slalom. However, it is a bit more complicated in Slalom.
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Who Sets The Course?

  • Coaches of different skiers set the individual courses. The list of coaches (and skiers they represent) picked for creating runs is available at the FIS documents library here.
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Summary

  • Now you have enough information to present yourself as an expert when watching FIS World Cup on TV. We hope that our short excerpt of the most important issues from the rules helped you. Suppose you want to know more, feel free to consult with full International Ski Competition Rules as published by FIS. They can be found hereor below in pdf reader. Click to access ICR_0207202…
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