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What is the difference between alpine skiing and Freestyle skiing

skiing has always been a favorite sport for people living near snow-capped mountains. Before it officially became a sport, it was used as a means of transportation.

There are many types of skiing,Let’s talk today alpine skiing and Freestyle skiing. Freestyle skiing contains more speed and competition than the former, and stunts are the main reason for this popularity. But alpine skiing is a sport to watch at the Olympics. It’s about speed and technique. But there are other factors, such as equipment and course length, that also determine the outcome of a race.


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What are the alpine skiing projects

alpine skiing competition events are divided into 2 types of speed events and technical events. The speed events are divided into slalom (men and women) and super slalom (men and women), and the technical events are divided into giant slalom (men and women) and slalom (men and women). In addition, the slalom and slalom combined into one alpine skiing all-around (men and women) and national team competition, a total of 11 small events.

The order of departure is determined by lottery, but some events are skied twice, and the order of the second departure is determined by the results of the first race. The interval between departures is generally 60 seconds, with only slalom events using unequal departures.

For the start, the athlete must wear the official lead seal Ski clothing (i.e. clothing checked and approved by the referee), wear a start number bib, wear a helmet, wear skis and hold ski poles, and must use disengaging bindings.


Origin of alpine skiing

Alpine skiing has been practiced in the European Alps for at least 150 years. Alpine skiing evolved from cross-country skiing, and alpine skiing techniques emerged to accommodate larger slopes. Competitors have found that alpine skiing requires wider skis, different steering techniques, and the use of poles to adapt to the different terrain in the mountains.

In the early 20th century, alpine skiing quickly became popular due to the development of transport technology that allowed competitors to not have to carry heavy equipment to the top of the mountain before the start of the race.   

alpine skiing first appeared at the Winter Olympics in 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and in 1948, separate events were introduced for downhill and slalom. The duathlon did not enter the Olympics until the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and the slalom and super slalom entered the Winter Olympics in 1952 and 1988.


Freestyle skiing What are the projects

Freestyle skiing project is divided into a total of 13 small events. They are aerial skills, snow skills, U-field skills, slope obstacle skills, obstacle chase, big jump, aerial skills mixed group. In addition to the aerial skills mixed team, other small events have two men and two women.

The birth of Freestyle skiing and the 1960s American social change, but young people aspire to freedom to challenge the authority of the desire for change, and Freestyle skiing fully expresses the personality of young people.

The sport was originally a mixture of alpine skiing and stunts, and the first freestyle competition was held in 1966 in New Hampshire, U.S.A. Snow skills became an Olympic sport in 1992, and aerials entered the Winter Olympics two years later.


Origin of Freestyle skiing

Freestyle skiing originated in the United States in the 1960s, and since 1992, men’s and women’s snow skills have been included in the Winter Olympic Games. 1988 and 1992 were included in the Winter Olympic Games performance events. The highest organizing body for Freestyle skiing is the International Ski Federation, headquartered in Bern, Switzerland.


Alpine skiing vs. Freestyle skiing

Type of skiingDescriptionEvents
alpine skiingGates must be navigated in racing-style events in order to finish first. only be given points for speed and not for style. Five of the six varieties of alpine skiing are included in the Winter Olympics; some are regarded as speed-based sports and the others as technical events. There are six different types of alpine skiing.Slalom (Technical), Giant Slalom (Technical), Parallel (Technical), Super-G (Speed), downhill (Speed), alpine Combined (Speed & Technical)
Freestyle skiingEvents in the air are evaluated for style points and loudness. skiers do stunts and jump in the air during Freestyle skiing competitions. Six distinct Freestyle skiing competitions, all of which include skiers launching themselves into the air and performing tricks before landing, are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).Big Air, Slopestyle, Halfpipe, Moguls, Ski Cross, Aerials

Alpine skiing and free skiing which is more difficult

Compared to alpine skiing and Freestyle skiing, Freestyle skiing is more difficult and not as easy to score. Freestyle skiing is a skiing event that combines alpine skiing with aerial skills. The Freestyle skiing score is a lot of points, but the competition is not so simple.

  • First, Freestyle skiing is a kind of skiing event that combines alpine skiing and aerial skills. It is a very strong and exciting competition. Freestyle skiing includes snow skills and aerial skills, as well as U-shaped field skills and the big jump, as well as slope skills, obstacle chases, and other small events. Each small event is a competition rule and is also divided into qualifiers and finals; only by adding up the scores of these small events will you get the final score. And the final score is also used to convert, so the calculation of additional points is also more complex.
  • Second, Freestyle skiing is more difficult than alpine skiing, with more events and less easy scoring. Freestyle skiing snow skills and aerial skills and ski jumping skills, there are scoring rules. The scoring of snow skills is to remove a maximum score, and a minimum score of the remaining three scores to take the average, but also add the aerial action score and time score to get the final score. The ski jump is 50% of the action score, 20% of the air score, and 30% of the landing score. Scoring is also very complex.
  • Third, alpine skiing scoring is not as complicated, and the program is not as cumbersome. The men’s alpine skiing program is divided into slalom and super slalom, giant slalom, slalom, and all-around, as is the women’s program. There is also a mixed-event team competition. No matter how you look at it, it’s a lot easier than Freestyle skiing.

Conclusion

Simply put, alpine skiing is about speed, while Freestyle skiing is about artistry. Freestyle skiing is not easy to score because it is more difficult. So it is also more exciting, and the race schedule is also very full. Compared with alpine skiing, spectators still prefer to watch Freestyle skiing, which has complicated rules and is more interesting.


FAQ

What’s the difference between alpine skiing and Freestyle skiing?

Simply put, alpine skiing is about speed, while Freestyle skiing is about artistry.

What is the easiest type of skiing?

Beginners spend all their time on the slopes, where they can learn the basics, so piste snowboarding is an ideal choice. Even if you’ve mastered the easy slopes, snowboarding can take you to the next level.

What is Freestyle skiing called?

Freestyle skiing is a competitive snow sport performed by completing a series of prescribed and optional moves on a special ski slope with skis and poles as the tools. It was conceived and developed on the basis of alpine skiing, and is composed of three separate subsports: aerial skills, snow skills, and snow ballet.
Freestyle skiing originated in the United States in the 1960s, and from 1992, men’s and women’s single snow skills were included as a Winter Olympic Games competition event. 1988 and 1992 were included in the Winter Olympic Games performance program.
The highest organizing body for Freestyle skiing is the International Ski Federation, headquartered in Bern, the capital of Switzerland.


Extended Reading

What is the difference between alpine skiing and cross-country skiing

What is the difference between cross-country skiing and Freestyle skiing

What are the differences Between snowboarding and skiing

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