Wintersports
Skiing
Skiing world records: The most incredible achievements on the slopes
Skiing has a long history of firsts and bests, and those feats help tell the story of its evolution and progression.
It took freestyle skier Jesper Tjäder six years and more than 120 attempts before he finally set the world record for the longest rail slide at 154.49 meters in 2022.
“I’ve done a lot of tricks on rails before, but never near such a long rail as this,” Tjäder said after he broke the previous record of 128.7 meters.
9 min
The world’s longest rail
Watch Olympic freeski medallist Jesper Tjäder set a new world record by completing the world’s longest rail.
In this article, we will review the world records set by other modern day skiers and what type of training it takes to achieve these amazing feats.
01
Speed Records
The world records for speed fall into two categories:
- S1 class: This is the top class of speed skiing, and requires specific speed skiing equipment.
- S2 class: This is the second class of speed skiing, which is performed using gear that is suited for standard alpine skiing.
Top S1 speed skiers
Men: The record for the fastest speed reached on skis was set in March of 2023. Frenchman Simon Billy peaked at a speed of 158.8 mph (255.5 km/h)
Women: The fastest speed for women skiers was set by Valentina Greggio in 2016 at the Vars track. Her top speed was 153.5 mph (247.1 km/h)
Top S2 skiers
Men: The S2 men’s speed record was set by Gregory Meichtry of Switzerland in 2014. His top speed was 131.1 mph (211.0 km/h)
Women: The S2 women’s speed record was also set by Valentina Greggio back in 2013. Her top speed was 125.9 mph (202.6 km/h).
Locations and techniques used to set speed records
Location: All of the skiing speed records above were measured at a course specifically tailored to produce speed records in Chabrières in Vars, France. It has a 98% slope, and is the fastest active track in the world.
Techniques: When preparing to set a world record for speed, skiers take time to study the course. A few specific steps they will take include:
- Inspecting the course on practice runs
- Trying to find a route that maximizes speed and minimizes air time
- Tuning skis to match the course, such as tightening the flex for hard-packed snow
02
Distance Records
These records are usually set at Vasaloppet, the longest and oldest ski race in the world.
Men: The fastest men’s time ever for the event was set in 2021 by Norwegian Tord Asle Gjerdalen with a time of 3:28:18.
Women: The fastest women’s time ever was set in 2022 by Norwegian Astrid Øyre Slind with a time of 3:50:06.
Locations and techniques used to set distance records in skiing
Locations: Vasaloppet, also known as the Vasa race, takes place in Sweden and dates back to 1922. The race is 56 miles (90.1 kilometers) long. Racers have 12 hours and 15 minutes from the start of the race to reach the finish line.
Techniques: Cross-country skiing requires endurance above all else. “My recommendation is: Ski and train all you can. That will both make the training more fun and the race easier,” said Gjerdalen after he won Vasaloppet in 2021.
He also added, “I would recommend to avoid skipping the nutrition in the chase for a better time. Try to eat and drink whenever it is possible instead - 50-100 [grams of] sugar per hour.”
Finally Gjerdalen noted that there is only so much a skier can do in the face of difficult conditions. “Skiers never talk about records, because it is 90% depending on the conditions and 10% on the skier’s effort. We just fight against each other’s.”
03
Vertical Feet Records
The record for most vertical feet skied was set by 55 year-old Canadian Pierre Marc Jette in 2015 when he logged 6,025,751 feet in less than one year, in an effort to raise awareness for the British Columbia Alzheimer Society.
Locations and techniques used to set distance records in skiing
Locations: Jette set his record on the slopes of Whistler Mountain in British Columbia, although others have attempted similar feats in various snowy regions from Killington, Vermont to Breckenridge, Colorado.
Techniques: Skiers attempting to set a record for vertical feet keep a tight and consistent schedule, usually skiing 6 days a week, sometimes up to 15 hours a day.
“I would say, 95 per cent of the days I have been [skiing] this year, I was first in line,’ says Jette. “A lot of the time, I ski from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some days, when I want to do a lot of mileage, I would even eat on the chairlift,” Jette said when he set the record.
Jette logged his distance with a GPS tracker, the resort’s electronic pass, and a GoPro camera that he turned on for each run. He also had an iPhone app tracking his distance and kept his own records as back up!
04
Trick Records
To set a trick record in freestyle skiing means that the skier executed a trick for the first time or added a new element to the trick for the first time.
Andri Ragettli at Red Bull PlayStreets in Austria on February 10, 2023
© Lukas Pilz / Red Bull Content Pool
Quad cork 1800: In March 2017, Swiss freestyle skier Andri Ragettli became the first person ever to hit this trick on skis. The then-teenager performed four off axis backflips (corks) while spinning 1800 degrees (five full rotations) in the air. Ragettli has racked up tons of titles and trophies including a 2nd-place finish at Red Bull PlayStreets 2023.
Alex Hall at Red Bull infinite lines in Avoriaz, France in March 2023
© Morgan Bodet / La Clef Production / Red Bull Content Pool
Double cork 2160: At X Games Aspen 2022, American Alex Hall hit the first-ever Double cork 2160 in the Men’s Ski Big Air event. This incorporates two off axis backflips with six full rotations in the air. This was also the first ever 2160 done on skis.
Triple-cork 2160: American teenager Troy Podmilsak took the Double cork 2160 one step further on March 4 at the 2023 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships held in Bakuriani, Georgia (the country, not the state). This trick adds in an additional off axis flip to go along with the six full rotations in the air.
Locations and techniques used to set trick records in skiing
Locations: The locations for trick records vary but they share some universal requirements:
- High ramps, higher than what you would find at a standard terrain park.
- Steep drop-offs behind them, extending the amount of time a skier has in the air.
Techniques: Experimentation is key. Before Hall landed his record setting double cork he worked his way up, practicing rewinding spins on 720s and 360s, then adding the double cork 1080.
Filming tricks also helped push Hall to land more and more difficult moves. Instead of focusing on tricks that he could do consistently in competitions, he felt challenged to be more creative and to use the rails and features around him in new and interesting ways in order to create better videos. He said some videos took 100 attempts to land, eventually helping him build new skills.
Skiing has a long history of firsts and bests, and those feats help tell the story of its evolution and progression. From landing impossible tricks to reaching impossible speeds, these records deserve to be celebrated and respected.
