Poles
editSki poles are commonly used in tandem with skis in a variety of types of skiing. They are typically used as a mechanism to help skiers in most types of skiing, giving additional maneuverability with support turning, walking, and getting up after falling.[1]
The following table shows different kinds of alpine ski types and their uses within a downhill skiing context.[2][3][4][5][6]
| Type | Design | Description |
| Twin-Tip |  |
A type of downhill alpine ski mainly used for recreational skiing. The ski is designed to have a wide and tilted up tip like most skis, as well as an identically wide and tilted up tail. This type of ski, as a result, is able to better handle landings where the skier is facing backwards in comparison to other skis. Making it preferred when skiing in a terrain park environment, or attempting features such as boxes, rails, or jumps. |
| Slalom |  |
A type of alpine ski intended for use in competitive racing. The slalom ski is designed to have a waist, or midsection of the ski, that is much thinner than the tip and tail. This shape causes the ski to have a shorter turn radius allowing racerst to make much sharper turns. Making it useful in the slalom event where gates are close to one another. |
| GS |  |
Another type of alpine ski intended for competitive racing. The GS (Giant Slalom) ski also has the same pronounced shape as the slalom ski, with a waist that is far thinner than the tip and tail. Again allowing the skier to make much sharper turns due to the decreased turn radius offered by the style. Although in comparison to the slalom ski, the GS ski is generally slightly less thin, with a usually longer ski length giving the ski a slightly longer turn radius. This is useful for the GS event where the gates are spaced out more allowing wider turns. |
| Powder |  |
Another type of alpine ski intended for recreational use is the powder ski. This ski has a much wider waist area than a normal, allowing for higher buoyancy on the snow with more spread out weight. On powdery terrain, where the snow is less dense, the increased buoyancy allows for smoother skiing with edges less likely to catch. The increased waist size does make the skis less maneuverable, making it less ideal for racing and more groomed environments. |
| Telemark |  |
Telemark skis are generally used for telemark skiing, which is described as a mix of alpine, ski-jump, and cross country skiing forms. The skis themselves are similar to regular skis, although they are typically made lighter for mobility. The main difference is in the binding rather than the ski itself, where the toe of the boot is attached to the ski, with the heel being free to move. |
| Monoski |  |
The monoski is a type of ski designed with the idea of a pair of skis turned into a single piece. The board is designed to have two boots kept side by side, with the skier facing forward down the mountain. The board itself is very similar in design to a snowboard, with the idea of two feet on the same part. Although in comparison the monoski has a wider turnt up tip and is far heavier than a snowboard, with bindings much more similar to that of skis. |
- ^ "2005". Ski Pole History. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "Page- Camelback Alpine and Snowboard Teams". Camelback Ski and Snowboard Teams. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ Harari, Thomas (2023-12-21). "The Different Types of Skis Explained". Curated. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "How to Choose Downhill Skis". REI. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Historique du Monoski – Association Française de Monoski" (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "Winter Olympics 2022: Will telemark skiing make its debut in Beijing?". BBC Sport. 2018-07-18. Retrieved 2024-02-22.