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Downhill Skiing
Photo from Chandler, K. (2000). The
Hartford Ski Spectacular, Challenge Magazine, 4(3), 40. |
|
Photo from Chandler, K. (2000). The
Hartford Ski Spectacular, Challenge Magazine, 4(3), 40.
.
|
Click here to view a
presentation about Adapted Alpine Skiing authored by A. Aaron Burgoa
and Michael Young, © 2007. |
|
Downhill skiing is an official sport of the
Paralympic Games, Deaflympics, and Special Olympics World Games.
Athlete Eligibility and Classification
Paralympic competition accommodates athletes with
physical disabilities such as spinal injury, cerebral palsy, amputation,
and les autres conditions, athletes with vision impairments and
blindness, and athletes with cognitive disabilities. There are ten
classifications for athletes with physical disabilities, three for athletes
with vision loss, and one for athletes with cognitive disabilities. When
classifications are combined in competition due to an insufficient
number of athletes in a class, a formula is used to "factor" athletes'
times according to their classification status. A more
detailed description of the classification profiles is posted on the
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) web site at
http://www.paralympic.org. Click
on "sports," then "classification," then "winter sports."
|
Class |
Disability |
Equipment* |
| LW1 |
Disability of both legs, above the knees |
2 skis,
2 poles |
| LW2 |
Disability of one leg, above the knee |
1 ski, 2
poles |
| LW3 |
Disability of both legs, below the knee |
2 skis,
2 poles |
| LW4 |
Disability of one leg, below the knee |
2 skis,
2 poles |
| LW5/7 |
Disability of both arms or hands |
2 skis,
no poles |
| LW6/8 |
Disability of one arm or hand |
2 skis,
1 pole |
| LW9 |
Disability of a combination of arm and leg - Class LW9/1 for
amputees, Class LW9/2 for cerebral palsy |
1 or 2 skis,
2 poles |
| LW10 |
Competes
sitting, lower limb disabilities with no functional sitting balance |
Sit-ski |
| LW11 |
Competes
sitting, lower limb disabilities with fair sitting balance |
Sit-ski |
| LW12 |
Competes
sitting, lower limb disabilities with good sitting balance - Class
LW12/1 for paraplegia, Class LW12/2 for double above-knee amputees |
Sit-ski |
| B1 |
No
usable vision for skiing |
2 skis,
2 poles |
| B2 |
Partially sighted with little remaining sight |
2 skis,
2 poles |
| B3 |
Partially sighted with more remaining sight |
2 skis,
2 poles |
| |
Intellectual disability - IQ score of 70 or less and need for
special services in school, work, or community settings. |
2 skis,
2 poles |
*In some classifications,
athletes use outriggers instead of standard ski poles.
Skiers who compete in Special Olympics events must
have a primary diagnosis of mental retardation. They are classified
according to a process called divisioning in which athletes are
grouped by ability levels for competition. Divisioning is described on
the SOI web site at
http://www.specialolympics.org. Click on "games and competitions,"
then choose "general rules" from the drop-down menu, then go to "Section
V - Special Olympics Divisioning." Athletes without mental retardation
may compete as partners to Special Olympics athletes in Unified Sports
events.
Skiers who are deaf compete under CISS rules which
require a minimum hearing loss of 55 dB in the better ear.
Classification procedures and criteria are described on the CISS web
site at http://www.ciss.org. Click on
"about," then "regulations," then scroll down to Article 1.3 on
eligibility.
Events
 | Paralympic Games alpine skiing events include
the downhill, slalom, giant slalom, and super giant slalom. |
| Deaflympics events include the downhill,
slalom, giant slalom, and super giant slalom. |
| Special Olympics World Games events include
novice, intermediate, advanced, and Unified Sports events in the
downhill, slalom, and giant slalom, as well as the super glide, glide,
and 10m walk for skiers with less ability.
 | Super glide. Athletes glide down a course
that is 50m-100m in length with a 5m-20m vertical drop. The course
is marked with 4-6 gates that indicate changes of direction. |
| Glide. Athletes glide down a course that is
10m-15m in length with a 1m-2m vertical drop. |
| 10m walk. Athletes walk wearing skis for a
10m distance across flat terrain. |
|
Playing Area
Alpine skiing events are conducted on a snowy mountainside.
The dimensions and layout of alpine skiing courses are specified by
Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) rules. A comparison of the
courses used in Paralympic, Deaflympics, and Special Olympics
competition is presented in the following figures. For each
discipline, the courses for Deaflympics competition are the same as for
FIS events.
Note.
The vertical drops for Paralympic alpine skiing courses are illustrated
with a question mark because the IPC rules give conflicting information,
stating that the courses have the same vertical drop as FIS women's
courses, but then giving distances that conflict with the FIS rules for
women's courses.
. |
The length of a
downhill course varies depending upon the location of the
competition. Although the length is not specified, the vertical drop
(see figure) and width (30m) are described in FIS rules. The course
is marked by a series of alternating red and blue gates that are 8m
wide. gates are marked with poles and flags.
Note.
FIS and Special Olympics rules specify a range of acceptable
vertical drop values. The light-colored section of each column
denotes that range.
|
. |
Slalom courses must
be 33o-45o grade and 40m in width. Men's FIS
courses have 55-75 gates, and women's FIS courses have 45-65 gates.
Gates are marked with poles and flags, and are 4m-6m wide. Often,
the lower section of a downhill course is used for the slalom event.
. |
. |
Giant slalom courses
should be undulating and hilly. The course must be a minimum of 40m
wide. The number of gates/direction changes is equal to 11%-15% of
the vertical drop. Gates are marked with poles and flags, and are
4m-8m wide. |
 |
Super giant slalom
(super-G) courses are also undulating and hilly. The course must be
a minimum of 30m wide. The number of gates is equal to 10% of the
vertical drop with a minimum of 35 changes of direction for men and
30 for women. Gates are marked with poles and flags and are 6-12m
wide. |
Rules
The international governing body for alpine skiing
is the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS). With a few exceptions,
the FIS rules are used for Paralympic, Deaflympics, and Special Olympics
competition. The FIS rules can be accessed at
http://www.fis-ski.com. A brief
description of the skiing rules for events offered to athletes with a
disability follows.
| Downhill. The downhill is one of two
alpine skiing speed events. Skiers are timed as they race down a long,
steep course that may include turns and jumps. They must pass through
gates that are used as checkpoints; however, there are relatively few
gates on the course. The penalty for missing a gate is
disqualification. Each athlete is allowed only one run down the
course. Athletes' times determine the order of finish. |
| Slalom. The slalom is a technical event.
The course is shorter than other alpine events, and there are many
gates to negotiate. There are 55-75 gates on a men's course and 40-60
on a women's course. The penalty for missing a gate is
disqualification. Each athlete completes two runs on the same day on
different courses. Times from the two courses are added to determine
order of finish. |
| Giant slalom. The giant slalom is also a
technical event. In comparison to the slalom, the course is longer,
there are fewer turns, and the turns are wider and smoother. The
number of gates is determined by the vertical drop. The penalty for
missing a gate is disqualification. Each athlete completes two runs on
the same day on different courses. Times from the two courses are
added to determine order of finish. |
| Super giant slalom (super-G). The
super-G is a speed event. The course is shorter than downhill but
longer than giant slalom and slalom. The number of gates is determined
by the vertical drop, with a minimum of 35 direction changes for men
and 30 for women. Gates are set at least 25m apart. The penalty for
missing a gate is disqualification. Each athlete is allowed only one
run down the course. Athletes' times determine the order of finish. |
As noted earlier, the FIS rules are used for
Paralympic, Deaflympics, and Special Olympics competition with few
exceptions.
| Paralympic competition
| Skiers with physical disabilities in the LW10,
LW11, and LW12 classifications use sit-skis (also called mono-skis
because the chair is mounted over a single ski). Sit-skis must have a
braking device. |
| Skiers with physical disabilities in certain
classifications use outriggers instead of standard poles. Athletes
with arm amputations compete without poles. |
| Skiers in the LW2 and LW9 classifications who
compete using only one ski are not allowed to use the free limb in
contact with the snow to gain speed or to keep balance. |
| Skiers in the B1 classification are required
to have a sighted guide. Guides are recommended for the B2 and B3
skiers.
 | Guidance must be by voice only. Radio
communication and voice amplification between skier and guide is
permitted. |
| No physical contact between the skier and
guide is permitted, except in the case of a fall. |
| The guide may guide from any position. |
| Guides must wear specially colored bibs for
identification. |
|
| Skiers in the B1 classification must wear
black shades/glasses during competition. |
|
| Special Olympics
| The major modifications to FIS rules are the
course specifications. The courses are typically shorter and less
challenging than FIS courses. In addition, there are fewer gates and
the placement of gates is standardized. |
| Athletes who fall, miss a gate, lose a ski,
etc., have two minutes in which to re-enter the course. |
|
| Deaflympics. The FIS rules are used
without modification. |
Equipment
| Skis. The skis used in alpine events
are long and narrow. Men's skis are a minimum of 155 cm and
women's skis are a minimum of 150 cm. The minimum height of the
shovel tip is 50mm in slalom and giant slalom events, and 30mm in
downhill and super-G events. |
| Sit-skis. Some athletes with
physical disabilities compete from a sitting position using a
sit-ski, also called a mono-ski. As the name suggests, mono-skis
have a specially fitted chair over a single ski. The chair
includes seat belts and other strapping, as well as a suspension
device to minimize wear and tear on the skier's body. |
|
.
Photos of
Praschberger mono-ski
and mono-ski outrigger poles from
http://www.praschberger.com.
|
| Poles or outriggers. Skiers in alpine events
use poles for propulsion and balance. The poles for downhill and super-G
events are curved to fit around the body. Slalom poles are straight and
usually have plastic guards to protect the hands from injury. Athletes in
certain Paralympic classifications (e.g., single-leg amputees who ski
without a prosthesis, sit-ski users) use special poles called outriggers.
Outriggers have short ski blades on the end, and help the skier with
balance. |
| Boots and bindings. Boots for alpine skiing
events have a hard plastic exterior with extensive foot and ankle support.
Boots used in the speed events (downhill and super-G) have a greater
incline at the ankle than boots used in the technical slalom events. The
heel height of boots is regulated, with a maximum distance of 50mm between
the sole and the heel for men, and 45mm for women. Alpine skiers use
bindings that attach at both the heel and toe. |
| Helmets. Hard-shell helmets are required in
alpine skiing events. |
| Goggles. Goggles are used to protect the
eyes and to maximize visibility. |
| Clothing. Alpine skiers wear light-weight,
form-fitting clothing to minimize air resistance. Slalom skiers frequently
wear pads to protect from injury. |
Links
Page prepared by JiTae Kim and revised by
Gail Dummer |
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