Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing (or downhill skiing) is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. Alpine skiing may take place at a ski resort where mechanical ski lifts have been installed to transport skiers up the mountain and where snow is groomed, avalanches are controlled and trees are cut to create trails. Alternatively, Alpine skiers may pursue the sport in less controlled environments; this practice is variously referred to as ski touring, backcountry skiing, or extreme skiing. The sport is named for skiing at or near the tree line. Alpine skiing as a club sport is now identified as having first commenced in 1861 at Kiandra, Australia. At that time the competitors carried their skis to the top of the mountain. ''“Early skiing in Kiandra also featured competition, in fact a type of competition that was far ahead of its time.”'' ''“I would like to commend you for having organised the first Alpine ski races in the history of our sport.”'' Federation International Skiing. 10th May 2011 Ref. [http://members.ozemail.com.au/~sealark/skiing_history.html ] At Kiandra in later years a rope and pulley at the top and bottom of the slope allowed horses to walk along a flat road to draw skiers up the slope. The first ski designed specifically for downhill alpine racing was known as a "Skate" followed by the "Kiandra Kick-in". An improved version of the ski named a “Butter-Pat” was used in 1908 to contest the first documented International Downhill Carnival. Today, it is popular wherever the combination of snow, mountain slopes, and a sufficient tourist infrastructure can be built up, including parts of Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, the South American Andes, and East ...WEITERE INFORMATIONEN