Slalom is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline, involving skiing between poles or gates. These are spaced more closely than those in giant slalom, super giant slalom and downhill, necessitating quicker and shorter turns. Internationally, the sport is contested at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, and at the Olympic Winter Games.
History
The term slalom comes from the Morgedal/Seljord dialect of the Norwegian word "slalåm": "sla", meaning "slightly inclining hillside", and "låm", meaning "track after skis".Kunnskapsforlagets idrettsleksikon. Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget, 1990, p.273. The inventors of modern skiing classified their trails according to their difficulty: Slalåm was a trail used in Telemark by boys and girls not yet able to try themselves on the more challenging runs. Ufsilåm was a trail with one obstacle (ufse) like a jump, a fence, a difficult turn, a gorge, a cliff (often more than high), et cetera. Uvyrdslåm was a trail with several obstacles.NAHA // Norwegian-American Studies
A Norwegian military downhill competition in 1767 included racing downhill among trees "without falling or breaking skis". Sondre Norheim and other skiers from Telemark practiced uvyrdslåm or "disrespectful/reckless downhill" where they raced downhill in difficult and untested terrain (i.e., off piste). The 1866 "ski race" in Oslo was a combined cross-country, jumping and slalom competition. In the slalom participants were allowed use poles for braking and steering, and they were given points for style (appropriate skier posture). During the late 19th century Norwegian skiers participated in all branches (jumping, slalom, and cross-country) often with the same pair of skis. Slalom and variants of slalom were often referred to as hill races. Around 1900 hill races were abandoned in the Oslo championships at Huseby and Holmenkollen. Mathias Zdarsky's development of the Lilienfeld binding helped change hill races into a specialty of the Alps region.Bergsland, E.: På ski. Oslo: Aschehoug, 1946, p.27.
The rules for the modern slalom were developed by Arnold Lunn in 1922 for the British National Ski Championships, and adopted for alpine skiing at the 1936 Winter Olympics. Under these rules gates were marked by pairs of flags rather than single ones, were arranged so that the racers had to use a variety of turn lengths to negotiate them, and scoring was on the basis of time alone, rather than on both time and style.Hussey, Elisabeth. "The Man Who Changed the Face of Alpine Skiing", Skiing Heritage, December 2005, p. 9.Bergsland, Einar (1952). Skiing: a way of life in Norway. Oslo: Aschehoug.
Course
A course is constructed by laying out a series of gates, formed by alternating pairs of red and blue poles. The skier must pass between the two poles forming the gate, with the tips of both skis and the skier's feet passing between the poles. A course has 55 to 75 gates for men and 40 to 60 for women. The vertical drop for a men's course is and measures slightly less for women. The gates are arranged in a variety of configurations to challenge the competitor.
Clearing the gates Traditionally, bamboo poles were used for gates, the rigidity of which forced skiers to maneuver their entire body around each gate. In the early 1980s, rigid poles were replaced by hard plastic poles, hinged at the base. The hinged gates require, according to FIS rules, only that the skis and boots of the skier go around each gate.
The new gates allow a more direct path down a slalom course through the process of cross-blocking or shinning the gates. Cross-blocking is a technique in which the legs go around the gate with the upper body inclined toward, or even across, the gate; in this case the racer's outside pole and shinguards hit the gate, knocking it down and out of the way. Cross-blocking is done by pushing the gate down with the arms, hands, or shins. By 1989, most of the top technical skiers in the world had adopted the cross-block technique.
If both feet and ski tips have not crossed the gate line, a fault is committed. This could be due to a straddle or other factors.
Equipment
With the innovation of shaped skis around the turn of the 21st century, equipment used for slalom in international competition changed drastically. World Cup skiers commonly skied on slalom skis at a length of in the 1980s and 1990s but by the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the majority of competitors were using skis measuring or less.
The downside of the shorter skis was that athletes found that recoveries were more difficult with a smaller platform underfoot. Out of concern for the safety of athletes, the FIS began to set minimum ski lengths for international slalom competition. The minimum was initially set at for men and for women, but was increased to for men and for women for the 2003–2004 season.
The equipment minimums and maximums imposed by the International Ski Federation (FIS) have created a backlash from skiers, suppliers, and fans. The main objection is that the federation is regressing the equipment, and hence the sport, by two decades.
American Bode Miller hastened the shift to the shorter, more radical sidecut skis when he achieved unexpected success after becoming the first Junior Olympic athlete to adopt the equipment in giant slalom and super-G in 1996. A few years later, the technology was adapted to slalom skis as well.
Men's slalom World Cup podiums In the following table men's slalom World Cup podiums in the World Cup since first season in 1967. Season1st2nd3rd1967 Jean-Claude Killy Guy Perillat Heinrich Messner1968 Dumeng Giovanoli Jean-Claude Killy Patrick Russel1969 Alain Penz Alfred Matt Jean-Noel Augert Patrick Russel 1970 Alain Penz Jean-Noël Augert Patrick Russel 1971 Jean-Noël Augert Gustav Thöni Tyler Palmer1972 Jean-Noël Augert Andrzej Bachleda Roland Thöni1973 Gustav Thöni Christian Neureuther Jean-Noël Augert1974 Gustav Thöni Christian Neureuther Johann Kniewasser1975 Ingemar Stenmark Gustav Thöni Piero Gros1976 Ingemar Stenmark Piero Gros Gustav Thöni Hans Hinterseer1977 Ingemar Stenmark Klaus Heidegger Paul Frommelt1978 Ingemar Stenmark Klaus Heidegger Phil Mahre1979 Ingemar Stenmark Phil Mahre Christian Neureuther1980 Ingemar Stenmark Bojan Križaj Christian Neureuther1981 Ingemar Stenmark Phil Mahre Bojan Križaj Steve Mahre1982 Phil Mahre Ingemar Stenmark Steve Mahre1983 Ingemar Stenmark Stig Strand Andreas Wenzel1984 Marc Girardelli Ingemar Stenmark Franz Gruber1985 Marc Girardelli Paul Frommelt Ingemar Stenmark1986 Rok Petrovič Bojan Križaj Ingemar Stenmark Paul Frommelt 1987 Bojan Križaj Ingemar Stenmark Armin Bittner1988 Alberto Tomba Günther Mader Felix McGrath1989 Armin Bittner Alberto Tomba Marc Girardelli Ole Kristian Furuseth1990 Armin Bittner Alberto Tomba Ole Kristian Furuseth 1991 Marc Girardelli Ole Kristian Furuseth Rudolf Nierlich1992 Alberto Tomba Paul Accola Finn Christian Jagge1993 Thomas Fogdö Alberto Tomba Thomas Stangassinger1994 Alberto Tomba Thomas Stangassinger Jure Košir1995 Alberto Tomba Michael Tritscher Jure Košir1996 Sebastien Amiez Alberto Tomba Thomas Sykora1997 Thomas Sykora Thomas Stangassinger Finn Christian Jagge1998 Thomas Sykora Thomas Stangassinger Hans Petter Buraas1999 Thomas Stangassinger Jure Košir Finn Christian Jagge2000 Kjetil André Aamodt Ole Kristian Furuseth Matjaž Vrhovnik2001 Benjamin Raich Heinz Schilchegger Mario Matt2002 Ivica Kostelić Bode Miller Jean-Pierre Vidal2003 Kalle Palander Ivica Kostelić Rainer Schönfelder2004 Rainer Schönfelder Kalle Palander Benjamin Raich2005 Benjamin Raich Rainer Schönfelder Manfred Pranger2006 Giorgio Rocca Kalle Palander Benjamin Raich2007 Benjamin Raich Mario Matt Jens Byggmark2008 Manfred Mölgg Jean-Baptiste Grange Reinfried Herbst2009 Jean-Baptiste Grange Ivica Kostelić Julien Lizeroux2010 Reinfried Herbst Julien Lizeroux Silvan Zurbriggen2011 Ivica Kostelić Jean-Baptiste Grange André Myhrer2012 André Myhrer Ivica Kostelić Marcel Hirscher2013 Marcel Hirscher Felix Neureuther Ivica Kostelić2014 Marcel Hirscher Felix Neureuther Henrik Kristoffersen2015 Marcel Hirscher Felix Neureuther Alexander Khoroshilov2016 Henrik Kristoffersen Marcel Hirscher Felix Neureuther2017 Marcel Hirscher Henrik Kristoffersen Manfred Mölgg2018 Marcel Hirscher Henrik Kristoffersen André Myhrer2019 Marcel Hirscher Clément Noël Daniel Yule2020 Henrik Kristoffersen Clément Noël Daniel Yule2021 Marco Schwarz Clément Noël Ramon Zenhäusern2022 Henrik Kristoffersen Manuel Feller Atle Lie McGrath2023 Lucas Braathen Henrik Kristoffersen Ramon Zenhäusern2024 Manuel Feller Linus Straßer Timon Haugan Women's slalom World Cup podiums In the following table women's slalom World Cup podiums in the World Cup since first season in 1967. Season1st2nd3rd1967 Annie Famose Marielle Goitschel Nancy Greene1968 Marielle Goitschel Gertrud Gabl Florence Steurer1969 Gertrud Gabl Kiki Cutter Ingrid Lafforgue1970 Ingrid Lafforgue Barbara Cochran Michèle Jacot1971 Betsy Clifford Britt Lafforgue Barbara Cochran Annemarie Moser-Pröll1972 Britt Lafforgue Françoise Macchi Florence Steurer1973 Patricia Emonet Rosi Mittermaier Monika Kaserer1974 Christa Zechmeister Rosi Mittermaier Fabienne Serrat1975 Lise-Marie Morerod Hanni Wenzel Christa Zechmeister1976 Rosi Mittermaier Lise-Marie Morerod Danièle Debernard1977 Lise-Marie Morerod Perrine Pelen Claudia Giordani1978 Hanni Wenzel Perrine Pelen Fabienne Serrat1979 Regina Sackl Annemarie Moser-Pröll Lea Sölkner1980 Perrine Pelen Hanni Wenzel Annemarie Moser-Pröll1981 Erika Hess Christin Cooper Daniela Zini1982 Erika Hess Ursula Konzett Christin Cooper1983 Erika Hess Roswitha Steiner Maria Rosa Quario1984 Tamara McKinney Roswitha Steiner Perrine Pelen1985 Erika Hess Tamara McKinney Perrine Pelen1986 Roswitha Steiner Erika Hess Perrine Pelen1987 Corinne Schmidhauser Tamara McKinney Erika Hess1988 Roswitha Steiner Vreni Schneider Anita Wachter1989 Vreni Schneider Monika Maierhofer Tamara McKinney1990 Vreni Schneider Claudia Strobl Ida Ladstätter1991 Petra Kronberger Pernilla Wiberg Blanca Fernández Ochoa1992 Vreni Schneider Pernilla Wiberg Blanca Fernández Ochoa1993 Vreni Schneider Annelise Coberger Patricia Chauvet1994 Vreni Schneider Pernilla Wiberg Urska Hrovat1995 Vreni Schneider Pernilla Wiberg Martina Ertl1996 Elfi Eder Urska Hrovat Pernilla Wiberg1997 Pernilla Wiberg Claudia Riegler Deborah Compagnoni1998 Ylva Nowén Kristina Koznick Hilde Gerg1999 Sabine Egger Pernilla Wiberg Anja Pärson2000 Špela Pretnar Christel Pascal Anja Pärson2001 Janica Kostelić Sonja Nef Martina Ertl2002 Laure Pequegnot Kristina Koznick Anja Pärson2003 Janica Kostelić Anja Pärson Tanja Poutiainen2004 Anja Pärson Marlies Schild Monika Bergmann-Schmuderer2005 Tanja Poutiainen Janica Kostelić Marlies Schild2006 Janica Kostelić Marlies Schild Anja Pärson2007 Marlies Schild Nicole Hosp Veronika Zuzulová2008 Marlies Schild Nicole Hosp Veronika Zuzulová2009 Maria Riesch Šárka Záhrobská Lindsey Vonn2010 Maria Riesch Kathrin Zettel Marlies Schild2011 Marlies Schild Tanja Poutiainen Maria Riesch2012 Marlies Schild Michaela Kirchgasser Tina Maze2013 Mikaela Shiffrin Tina Maze Veronika Velez-Zuzulová2014 Mikaela Shiffrin Frida Hansdotter Marlies Schild2015 Mikaela Shiffrin Frida Hansdotter Tina Maze2016 Frida Hansdotter Veronika Velez-Zuzulová Wendy Holdener2017 Mikaela Shiffrin Veronika Velez-Zuzulová Wendy Holdener2018 Mikaela Shiffrin Wendy Holdener Frida Hansdotter2019 Mikaela Shiffrin Petra Vlhová Wendy Holdener2020 Petra Vlhová Mikaela Shiffrin Katharina Liensberger2021 Katharina Liensberger Mikaela Shiffrin Petra Vlhová2022 Petra Vlhová Mikaela Shiffrin Lena Dürr2023 Mikaela Shiffrin Wendy Holdener Petra Vlhová2024 Mikaela Shiffrin Lena Dürr Petra Vlhová
References
External links
cs:Alpské lyžování#Slalom fi:Pujottelu