by Jeffrey Ober

Created on: January 11, 2010

Alpine skiing is a sport that gets its name from the European Alps where the sport began in the late 1800s. Participants in alpine skiing strap boards to their feet and then proceed to slide down large, steep, snow-covered hills and mountains at high speeds. Alpine skiing has been an Olympic event since 1936 with Austria dominating the event throughout history. To get started alpine skiing, a person needs a bit of specialized equipment.

Skis – The most important part of alpine skiing is the actual boards that will strap to your feet. Skis come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and costs, depending on your purposes. There are long, wide skis that are designed for high speeds and large mountains. There are shorter, narrow skis that are useful for making sharp turns and controlling your descent down the mountain. There are skis that are just larger than your feet for experimental skiing and skis that have shaped ends for completing tricks and special moves in terrain parks. For the beginning skier, a simple set of standard downhills skis rented from the ski resort will serve best as you try out the new sport.

Ski Boots – In order to ensure safety and effectively transfer power and control to the skis, ski boots are required. These are stiff, strong boots that cover your ankle and won't let you bend your ankle. This makes it quite difficult to walk, but helps to ensure you won't break your ankle while skiing. There are many different styles to choose from, from rear-entry to old-fashioned large buckle types, but they all do the same thing – protect your ankle while attaching your body to the ski.

Ski Poles – Ski poles are an optional piece of equipment when alpine skiing. Poles are useful for helping control your balance and can be used to push yourself along when you find yourself on a flat location. However, ski poles are not required and many ski instructors will teach new skiers to ski without relying on poles at all.

Warm Clothing – There are all sorts of different clothes that have been created to keep a person warm on the ski slope. These vary depending on the location and temperature of the ski slope. If you dress in layers, you will give yourself the best number of options for staying warm. Having clothes that repel water is also useful for when you fall down in the snow.

Ski Goggles – Goggles are required if you are going to be in a very cold location or if you are going to be going at any speed. Olympic alpine skiers reach speeds upwards of 100km/hr and simply would not be able to see if they did not have protection for their eyes. Goggles can also help to reduce the glare of the bright sun on the white snow.

Getting started in alpine skiing is not inexpensive, but most equipment can be rented as you try out and learn the sport. If you like the sport, most equipment that can be purchased will last for many years as well as you learn and advance in your skills.

Learn more about this author, Jeffrey Ober.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.