Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding competitive discipline. It involves racing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom, but less than in Super-G.
Giant slalom and slalom make up the technical events in alpine ski racing. This category separates them from the speed events of Super-G and downhill. The technical events are normally composed of two runs, held on different courses on the same ski run.
Course The vertical drop for a GS course must be for men, and for women. The number of gates in this event is 56–70 for men and 46–58 for women. The number of direction changes in a GS course equals 11–15% of the vertical drop of the course in metres, 13–18% for children. As an example, a course with a vertical drop of would have 33–45 direction changes for an adult race.
Speed
Although giant slalom is not the fastest event in skiing, on average a well-trained racer may reach average speeds of .
Equipment
Giant slalom skis are shorter than super-G and downhill skis, and longer than slalom skis.
In an attempt to increase safety for the 2003–2004 season, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) increased its minimum sidecut radius for giant slalom skis to and for the first time imposed minimum ski lengths for GS: for men and for women. A maximum stand height (the distance from the snow to the sole of the boot) of was also established for all disciplines.
In May 2006, the FIS announced further changes to the rules governing equipment. Beginning with the 2007–2008 season, the minimum radius for GS skis was increased to for men and for women. Additionally, the minimum ski width at the waist was increased from , and the maximum stand height for all disciplines was reduced to . The best skiers tended to use a bigger sidecut radius, like Ted Ligety at , and Lindsey Vonn at .
For the 2012–2013 season, the FIS increased the sidecut radius to and the minimum length to . Many athletes criticized this decision. Often David Dodge was cited. Dodge argues that FIS used studies that do not represent a scientific proof. He states that it is well known that if one tips the ski 7° more the 35 m ski, will have the same turning radius as the 28 m ski. He states as well that knee injuries are decreasing since the 1990s, when carving skis started to be used.Ted Ligety, Skiing's Most Outspoken Critic, Is Still the Best in the World, bleacher report, 2012-10-28.A Letter To FIS, David Dodge, 2011.Update on Injury Trends in Alpine Skiing, Johnson, Etlinger, Shealy, Update on Injury Trends in Alpine Skiing, 2009Unfälle und Verletzungen im alpinen Skisport , David Schulz, Auswertungsstelle für Skiunfälle, Stiftung Sicherheit im Skisport, 2011.
According to the FIS Specification for Alpine Competition Equipment for the 2024–2025 season, the specifications for FIS World Cup GS skis are as follows: The minimum sidecut radius is 30 m (98 ft) for both men and women, and the minimum ski lengths are 188 cm (74 in) for women and 193 cm (75.9 in) for men.
History The first giant slalom was set in 1935 on the Mottarone in Italy, over Lake Maggiore, near Stresa, on January 20.Francesco Vida. La storia dello sci in Italia. After one month, the second giant slalom was set on the Marmolada in Italy's Dolomite mountains, by Guenther Langes.
The giant slalom was added to the world championships in 1950 at Aspen, Colorado, and debuted at the Winter Olympics in 1952 at Oslo, Norway, run at Norefjell. The GS has been run in every world championships and Olympics since. Originally a one-run event, a second run was added for men at the world championships in 1966, run on consecutive days, and at the Olympics in 1968. The second run for women was added at the world championships in 1978, and made its Olympic debut in 1980.
The world championships changed to a one-day format for the giant slalom in 1974, but the Olympics continued the GS as a two-day event through 1980. Also scheduled for two days in 1984, both giant slaloms became one-day events after repeated postponements of the downhills. Following the extra races added to the program in 1988, the GS has been scheduled as a one-day event at the Olympics.
Upon its introduction, giant slalom briefly displaced the combined event at the world championships; the latter was absent in 1950 and 1952. The combined returned in 1954 in Åre, Sweden, but as a "paper race," using the results of the three events (downhill, giant slalom, and slalom), a format used through 1980. The combined returned as a stand-alone event at the world championships in 1982 at Schladming, Austria, and at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. It was changed to the super-combined format (one run of slalom on same day as downhill) at the world championships in 2007 and the Olympics in 2010.
The greatest giant slalom specialist of all time was Ingemar Stenmark, with 46 World Cup victories (between 1975 and 1989).
Men's World Cup podiums In the following table men's giant slalom World Cup podiums from the World Cup first edition in 1967. Season1st2nd3rd1967 Jean-Claude Killy Georges Mauduit Jimmie Heuga1968 Jean-Claude Killy Edmund Bruggmann Herbert Huber1968-69 Karl Schranz Reinhard Tritscher Jean-Noël Augert1969-70 Gustav Thöni Patrick Russel Dumeng Giovanoli 1970-71 Gustav Thöni Patrick Russel Edmund Bruggmann1971-72 Gustav Thöni Edmund Bruggmann Roger Rossat-Mignod1972-73 Hansi Hinterseer Erik Håker Adolf Rösti1973-74 Piero Gros Hansi Hinterseer Gustav Thöni1974-75 Ingemar Stenmark Piero Gros Erik Håker1975-76 Ingemar Stenmark Gustav Thöni Piero Gros1976-77 Ingemar Stenmark Heini Hemmi Klaus Heidegger1977-78 Ingemar Stenmark Andreas Wenzel Phil Mahre1978-79 Ingemar Stenmark Peter Lüscher Bojan Križaj1979-80 Ingemar Stenmark Hans Enn Jacques Lüthy1980-81 Ingemar Stenmark Alexander Zhirov Phil Mahre1981-82 Phil Mahre Ingemar Stenmark Marc Girardelli1982-83 Phil Mahre Ingemar Stenmark Max Julen 1983-84 Ingemar Stenmark Pirmin Zurbriggen Hans Enn1984-85 Marc Girardelli Pirmin Zurbriggen Thomas Bürgler1985-86 Joël Gaspoz Ingemar Stenmark Hubert Strolz1986-87 Pirmin Zurbriggen Joël Gaspoz Richard Pramotton1987-88 Alberto Tomba Hubert Strolz Helmut Mayer1988-89 Ole Kristian Furuseth Pirmin Zurbriggen Rudolf Nierlich1989-90 Günther Mader Ole Kristian Furuseth Hubert Strolz1990-91 Alberto Tomba Rudolf Nierlich Marc Girardelli1991-92 Alberto Tomba Hans Pieren Paul Accola1992-93 Kjetil Aamodt Alberto Tomba Marc Girardelli1993-94 Christian Mayer Kjetil Aamodt Franck Piccard1994-95 Alberto Tomba Jure Košir Harald Strand Nilsen1995-96 Michael von Grünigen Urs Kälin Lasse Kjus1996-97 Michael von Grünigen Kjetil Aamodt Hans Knauß1997-98 Hermann Maier Michael von Grünigen Christian Mayer1998-99 Michael von Grünigen Stephan Eberharter Hermann Maier1999-2000 Hermann Maier Christian Mayer Michael von Grünigen2000-01 Hermann Maier Michael von Grünigen Erik Schlopy2001-02 Frédéric Covili Benjamin Raich Stephan Eberharter2002-03 Michael von Grünigen Bode Miller Hans Knauß2003-04 Bode Miller Kalle Palander Massimiliano Blardone2004-05 Benjamin Raich Bode Miller Thomas Grandi2005-06 Benjamin Raich Massimiliano Blardone Fredrik Nyberg2006-07 Aksel Lund Svindal Massimiliano Blardone Benjamin Raich2007-08 Ted Ligety Benjamin Raich Manfred Mölgg2008-09 Didier Cuche Benjamin Raich Ted Ligety2009-10 Ted Ligety Carlo Janka Benjamin Raich2010-11 Ted Ligety Aksel Lund Svindal Cyprien Richard2011-12 Marcel Hirscher Ted Ligety Massimiliano Blardone2012-13 Ted Ligety Marcel Hirscher Alexis Pinturault2013-14 Ted Ligety Marcel Hirscher Alexis Pinturault2014-15 Marcel Hirscher Alexis Pinturault Ted Ligety2015-16 Marcel Hirscher Alexis Pinturault Henrik Kristoffersen2016-17 Marcel Hirscher Mathieu Faivre Alexis Pinturault2017-18 Marcel Hirscher Henrik Kristoffersen Alexis Pinturault2018-19 Marcel Hirscher Henrik Kristoffersen Alexis Pinturault2019-20 Henrik Kristoffersen Alexis Pinturault Filip Zubčić2020-21 Alexis Pinturault Marco Odermatt Filip Zubčić2021-22 Marco Odermatt Henrik Kristoffersen Manuel Feller2022-23 Marco Odermatt Henrik Kristoffersen Žan Kranjec2023-24 Marco Odermatt Loïc Meillard Filip Zubčić2024-25 Marco Odermatt Henrik Kristoffersen Loïc Meillard
Men's most podiums in World Cup Racers with the most World Cup podiums in giant slalom. #SkierTotalLast1 Ingemar Stenmark 72 19-02-19892 Marcel Hirscher 59 24-02-20193 Michael von Grünigen 46 15-03-20034 Ted Ligety 41 28-01-20185 Alexis Pinturault 41 12-03-20236 Marco Odermatt 38 12-01-20257 Benjamin Raich 35 01-03-20158 Henrik Kristoffersen 33 27-10-20249 Alberto Tomba 31 06-01-199810 Hermann Maier 28 23-10-200511 Phil Mahre 26 05-03-198412 Gustav Thöni 26 02-01-197713 Marc Girardelli 26 27-03-199314 Massimiliano Blardone 25 13-02-201615 Bode Miller 21 08-12-2013
Totals through 02 March 2024
Women's World Cup podiums In the following table women's giant slalom World Cup podiums from the World Cup first edition in 1967.