Speed Skiing is a special kind of skiing where the skiers reach an extremely high velocity while smoothly skiing down the slopes of the snowy mountains. This is a special kind of skiing and is usually practiced on the steep slopes of the mountains. These are held on courses which are specially designed and are mostly one kilometer in length.
Speed Skiers use special skis for the sport. These are mostly 2.2 to 2.4 metres in length and a maximum of 10cm in width. These are quite heavy and pair of ski weighs around 15 kg. The speed ski poles are of a length of minimum 1 metre and are bent in a shape to go around the body. The initial 300 to 400 metres of the course, which is known as the launching area , is the area where the skiers gain speed and reaches their maximum speed in the next 100 metres which is between 400 and 500 metres. The last 500 metres is known as the run-out area and is used to slow down the pace and come to a stop. There are several competitive events of the sport and it was included as a demonstration sport at the 1992 Winter Olympics . The records of the sport are held by Simone Origone of Italy and Sanna Tidstrand of Sweden in the men's and women's sections respectively and by Michael Milton of Australia in disabled men's section.
The sport of speed skiing is fast gaining extreme popularity. The adventure associated with the sport is attracting young generation towards it. The sport of Speed Skiing is expected to expand even more in the coming years.
