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news | June 11, 2026

What is a flush in ski racing?

flush. A single combination of gates set in SL to change the rhythm or move across hill. gummi. Different grits of gummi stones are used to buff ski edges. hairpin.

What is a flush in slalom skiing?

A two-gate vertical combination plus an open gate at the exit (the closing gate) is called a hairpin. Extend that concept to three or four vertical gates, and you get a flush.

What does DQ mean in ski racing?

What does it mean to ski out? Simply put, skiing out means missing a gate at any point during a ski race. The consequences of doing so are instant disqualification from the event even if it spans multiple runs, as slalom, giant slalom and the combined event do at the Winter Olympics.

What is a delay gate in ski racing?

The set up they have is called a delay it's essentially two gates after each other with a relatively short vertical distance in between them. You take a delay as one big turn.

Why do slalom skiers hit the gates?

Why do slalom skiers hit the gates? The fastest way down a mountain is a straight line. But going around the gates makes the route longer, and slower. In slalom skiing, the speed loss from hitting the gates is less than that of going completely around them — so skiers make contact.

32 related questions found

Why do skiers touch flags?

To do that, skiers have to find the tightest lines. The fastest route between two points is the straightest line. This definition means that a bid for that line will entail touching some flags on the way down. Hitting the flags in slalom skiing is therefore expected.

Why do they hit the flags in the super-G?

So, the big question, why? It's actually pretty simple, and it has nothing to do with there being a rule about having to tag them. Rather, hitting the gates lets skiers take the most direct route they can down each track, with the tightest, narrowest turns possible.

What does arcing mean in skiing?

Arcing: When skis are high up on edge, with minimal snow spray. This is #fast and #goals. Synonyms: dicing, knifing.

What is a banana gate in skiing?

One closed gate is called a “Banana”, two a “Hairpin” and three or more a “Verticali”. The direction of the gate is vertical rather than horizontal, but the principle is still the same, the skier has to break the imaginary line between the two poles of the same colour.

What is difference between super-G and giant slalom?

Super giant slalom

It has more gates than the downhill course, but fewer than in slalom or giant slalom. Because the super-G is a speed event, it has a higher vertical drop than either the slalom or giant slalom courses.

What is a negative turn in skiing?

Negative Turns

A Turn with no jump or roller in any part of the turn.

What does super-G mean in skiing?

Definition of super G

: an Alpine skiing event combining elements of downhill and giant slalom.

What's the difference between the downhill and the super-G?

Super-G means super giant slalom. It combines the speed of downhill but the technical turning necessary of the giant slalom. The course winds more than the downhill course, but the gates are spaced out more so that the skiers can pick up speed.

What are gates in slalom?

Slalom skiing rules

Skiers are supposed to pass through 'gates' - which refer to two plastic poles, alternating between red and blue through an earmarked course. Each gate has a minimum width of 4m and a maximum of 6m.

What are the bumps on ski slopes called?

What are Moguls? Moguls are bumps that you'll find on some groomed slopes at downhill ski areas. They can be constructed purposely by the ski area, but more often they form naturally as skiers carve turns down a slope.

What is a slalom run?

A slalom is a type of race in which downhill skiers swerve back and forth between gates or poles. Slalom races are an important part of the winter Olympics every four years. The race itself is called a slalom, and when you participate or practice this type of ski course, you slalom.

What is straddling in skiing?

To straddle or straddling a gate in skiing means a certain fault where the inside ski passes the wrong side of the gate pole and as a result the pole slides between inside and outside ski.

What are Freshies skiing?

Freshies: This refers to making the first tracks through untouched snow/powder. As in, “That line was so sick, I got freshies the whole way down.” AKA: First Tracks.

What is grand slalom?

Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G.

What does the blue bib mean in Alpine skiing?

As a second big novelty, the Committee was in favour of introducing the blue bib for the best ski jumper and the red bib for the best cross-country skier on the World Cup level.

Why are slalom poles bend?

When it comes to bent ski poles, it's really all about aerodynamics. Skiers want to go as fast as they possibly can in downhill events, and having folded poles allows skiers to match the shape of their poles to the shape of their bodies.

Are there gates in downhill skiing?

downhill skiing, ski race for speed on an adjusted downhill course that is marked by gates formed by paired poles, set at least 8 metres (26 feet) apart, through which the racer must pass.

How fast do skiers go in the super-G?

The Olympics website said skiers regularly reach speeds of up to 95 mph.

Are you supposed to hit the poles when skiing?

Why do slalom skiers hit the gates? There's no rule in slalom or giant slalom that you have to hit those gates, but you have to pass between them on alternating sides, with both skis' tips passing between the poles.