We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Sports

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Slalom?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 14,330
Share

The word slalom is derived from the Norwegian word slalam referring to a specific trail in Telemark, Norway, that younger, less practiced skiers used to enhance their skills. Today the winter alpine skiing sport of slalom requires great precision and skill, as well as speed, in order to navigate through an obstacle of gates (normally two round poles, while still attempting to get downhill with the quickest finish time. The original slalom sport, first practiced in the 1930s and increasingly popular with the advent of mechanized ski lifts, has bred two other alpine events, Giant Slalom and Super G. All three sports are featured in alpine ski competitions throughout the world.

The basic test of the slalom is to be able to ski quickly, without missing the sharp turns around gates. For the standard slalom race, male skiers generally face about 55-75 gates, and female skiers must navigate around 40-60 gates. The gates are placed at a distance of about 30 feet (9.14m) apart, and require the skier to perform numerous deft turns in order to stay on course to be able to reach and go around the next gate appropriately. If you miss a gate, you are immediately disqualified, and with the newer inflexible poles, a procedure called blocking the gates no longer works, so the skier’s body must turn precisely in order to successfully ski around a gate.

Scores for slalom are a combination of two runs; disqualification from a single run usually means the competition is over for the skier. In a complex formula, skiers receive points based on time to complete the course, and on style. In most cases, the fastest skier still wins, but in some instances, when the time margin between two skiers is tiny, a skier with a slightly slower time might win based on style. In most international amateur or professional competitions, skiers may not practice on the course.

Giant slalom is a longer course, with further distance between the poles, and greater emphasis on speed. The same rules for disqualification still hold—missing a pole means you're out. The combined sport of Super G has fewer gates, and the race takes place on a downhill course, so speed is much quicker, and accuracy very challenging.

One of the interesting trends in slalom is the different lengths of skis that have been constructed over the years to address the needs of quick and precise skiing with easy course correction. Shorter skis, measuring about 63 inches (160.02 cm) became the preference of athletes in the early 2000s. However, shorter skis greatly reduce stability of the skiers, and can pose a danger. This forced the International Ski Federation (FIS) to mandate specific lengths of skis for the slalom. Currently, no male skier may use a ski shorter than 65 inches (165.1 cm), and no female can use a ski shorter than 61 inches (155 cm) to participate in slalom competitions at the international level.

Share
Sports n' Hobbies is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a Sports n' Hobbies contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.
Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a Sports n' Hobbies contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.sportsnhobbies.org/what-is-a-slalom.htm
Copy this link
Sports n' Hobbies, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Sports n' Hobbies, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.