These are the events held in most present-day alpine competitions: Downhill features the longest course and is the fastest of the alpine events. Skiers can reach speeds of more than 90 miles per hour as they race down the slope. Downhill racing includes turns, jumps and gliding stages. In the slalom, the shortest race, single poles, called gates, are placed closely together on the course. It’s the most technically challenging event as skiers speed down the hill making quick, sharp turns through the gates. On a giant slalom course, gates span the length of the run. They are spaced more widely apart than the slalom gates. This makes for a faster run with wider turns than slalom. Each gate is made of two poles connected by a piece of fabric. Super Giant Slalom, the newest Alpine event, was introduced into competitions in 1987. It has a much longer course than either the slalom or giant slalom and the gates are the most widely spaced of the slaloms. Super-GS skiers “tuck” into a low, scrunched position to get the most speed from their run.
