Aleksander Aamodt Kilde on the Streif in Kitzbühel

Skiing

Alpine ski races: These are the disciplines

Slalom, downhill, super-G: these are just 3 of the 6 disciplines in the Alpine Ski World Cup. But where are the races at their fastest and which races are all about technique? We explain!

By Sebastian Ring

7 min readPublished on 02/01/2024 · 7:01 PM UTC

All ski racers have two boards under their feet and ski down a steep piste with gates - but that's all the alpine ski disciplines have in common. In the World Cup, World Championships and Winter Olympics, races are now held in six disciplines, which are divided into technical and speed disciplines. The former include the slalom and the giant slalom, while the latter include the downhill and the super-G. There are also parallel competitions and the combination.

The course is marked with red and blue gates for all formats. With the exception of the slalom, where individual poles with tilting technology are used, a gate always consists of two poles with a kind of flag between them. The racers have to drive round these gates in a specified order and on the correct side, otherwise they will be disqualified.

We start with the two technical disciplines slalom and giant slalom - and then we get faster with each discipline!

The slalom

Switzerland's Daniel Yule knocks a slalom pole away with his hand.
© Samo Vidic / Red Bull Content Pool

Technique plays the main role in the slalom. It is the slowest discipline in skiing, and there is a simple reason for this: the gates follow each other more closely than in any other format. This requires frequent changes of direction so that the athletes cannot simply let their skis run and are slowed down by the numerous bends. Nevertheless, it is a spectacular and exciting discipline, as tens of thousands of spectators prove, for example, at the annual night race in Schladming.

Characteristics of the slalom:

The racers ski very close to the poles and knock them away with their hands or shins in order to stay in the fall line as much as possible.
Tilting poles are used to minimize the risk of injury.
The riders complete two runs in one race on one day; the course is set differently for the second run.
Only the top 30 from the first heat qualify for the second heat; they then start in reverse order, i.e. the slowest first.
The rider with the fastest total time in both runs is the winner.
The distance from one pole to the next must be no less than six metres and no more than 13 meters.
The height difference is between 180 and 220 meters for men and between 140 and 200 meters for women.
The slope gradient should usually be between 33 and 45 per cent.
Best-known races: Schladming/AUT (Planai), Kitzbühel/AUT(Ganslern)

The giant slalom

In the giant slalom, skiers descend the mountain at a higher speed as there are fewer gates and they are further apart than in the slalom. This means that the skier has to make fewer turns. Nevertheless, perfect skiing and cornering technique is of great importance: standing well on the edges and making the right turns is the be-all and end-all for staying ahead.

Characteristics of the giant slalom:

Athletes ski less closely to the gates and, if at all, push them away with their shoulder rather than their hand.
The gates are therefore stiffer than in slalom.
The racers complete two runs in one day; the course is set differently for the second run.
Only the top 30 from the first run qualify for the second run; they then start in reverse order.
The rider with the fastest total time in both heats is the winner.
The distance from one gate to the next must be at least ten meters.
The difference in altitude is between 250 and 450 meters for men and between 250 and 400 meters for women.
No specific gradient is prescribed, but the terrain should be undulating and hilly and the course should be around 40 meters wide.
Best-known races: Adelboden/SUI (Chuenisbärgli), Alta Badia/ITA (Gran Risa)

The Super-G

Ester Ledecká on her first super-G victory. — Ester Ledecká on her first Super-G victory.
© Erich Spiess / ASP / Red Bull Content Pool

The super-G is one of the younger disciplines and a hybrid between downhill and giant slalom. The first World Cup race took place in 1982; the word is an abbreviation for "Super Giant Slalom."

Characteristics of the Super-G:

The racers only complete one run.
There is no training on the course beforehand, there is only one course inspection.
The distance from one gate to the next must be at least 25 meters.
The difference in altitude is between 400 and 650 meters for men and between 400 and 600 meters for women.
The terrain should be undulating and hilly and the course should be approximately 30 meters wide.
Best-known races: Cortina d'Ampezzo/ITA (Olimpia delle Tofane), Beaver Creek/USA (Birds of Prey)

The downhill

An image of skier Lindsey Vonn skiing the Streif in Kitzbuhel, Austria in 2023. — Lindsey Vonn on the Streif in Kitzbühel
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

For many, the downhill is the supreme discipline in alpine skiing. In addition to muscle-bound thighs, it really does take a lot of courage to hurtle down the mountain at speeds of up to 160 km/h, as on the Lauberhorn in Wengen. In addition, there are meter-wide jumps that make the races particularly spectacular. Because as the FIS itself so beautifully defines it: "A downhill run is determined by the six components of technique, courage, speed, risk, physical condition and judgement."

Characteristics of the downhill:

Riders only complete one run.
At least one training run is completed on the course beforehand.
The distance from one gate to the next must be at least 25 meters.
The difference in altitude is between 750 and 1100 meters for men and between 450 and 800 meters for women.
The course must be able to be traveled at different speeds from start to finish and be approx. 30 meters wide.
Best-known races: Kitzbühel/AUT(Hahnenkamm/Streif), Wengen/SUI (Lauberhorn), Val Gardena/Gröden/ITA (Saslong), Garmisch-Partenkirchen/GER(Kandahar), Bormio/ITA (Pista Stelvio)

The combination

Who is the most versatile or most complete skier? An exciting question that will be decided in the combined competition. Because both technique and speed are required here. In this format, the all-rounders complete two runs. The first is a downhill run or a super-G - so it's all about letting the skis run and plunging down a steep course with only a few gates as bravely as possible. The second run then takes place on a slalom course - narrow, with lots of gates, where the technique has to be right in order to reach the finish line as quickly as possible. In the end, victory is decided by adding up the times from both runs.

Features of the combination:

The racers do two runs: first on a downhill or super-G course, then on a slalom course.
The technical rules of the slalom, downhill or super-G apply.
The FIS provides for three formats: the Alpine Combined, the Classic Combined and special forms.
In the classic combined, the speed run is always a downhill, in the alpine combined either a downhill or a super-G.
As part of the special forms, competitions are permitted that consist of combinations of either three or four competitions in the disciplines of slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill.
The FIS can even authorize competitions that combine one or more of the four ski disciplines mentioned with competitions in Nordic skiing, swimming or sailing.

The parallel competition

Alexis Piturault has already stood on the podium five times in parallel races. — Alexis Piturault has already stood on the podium five times
© Samo Vidic / Red Bull Content Pool

In parallel competitions, which can be held as a parallel slalom or parallel giant slalom, skiers duel simultaneously on two courses that are as identical as possible and located next to each other. The layout and preparation of the snow should match as closely as possible to ensure a fair competition. This is also ensured by the rule that the athletes complete two runs man against man and swap courses in the second run - so if skier A competes on the blue course in the first run, he skis the red course in the second run.

Features of the parallel competitions:

The height difference should be between 80 and 100 meters.
The course should have 20 to 30 gates.
The running time should be between 20 and 25 seconds.
A maximum of 32 riders compete against each other in the final. If more are entered, qualifying runs against the clock will take place beforehand.
The knockout format applies, i.e. the rider with the faster overall time from both heats advances to the next round.