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About the Sport Additional Information Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics Search FranaisSign InEdit Profile930 pm PST Complete Schedule & Results 55 days to goFollow the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Today Dec 19 Day 51Brampton ON Hamilton ONSee yesterdays highlights from Toronto ON Brampton ONThe Olympic Cauldron will be lit in VancouverFebruary 12 2010 Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games Alpine Skiing Biathlon Bobsleigh CrossCountry Skiing Curling Figure Skating Freestyle Skiing Ice Hockey Luge Nordic Combined Short Track Speed Skating Skeleton Ski Jumping Snowboard Speed Skating Alpine SkiingSchedule and Results Historical Medals Legendary Athletes News Olympic News Best of the Web Podcast Alpine Skiing Photos Alpine Skiing Videos Tickets Olympic Tickets How to Buy Tickets Ticket Prices International Ticket Sales Tickets FAQs The Olympic Store Spectator Guide Venues Celebrations and Ceremonies Transportation Accommodation At the Games Travelling to Canada Accessibility Consumer Awareness Buy Real Essential Contacts Spectator Information FAQs More 2010 Information Cultural Festivals and Events Sustainability Education Programs Aboriginal Participation Mascots Games and More Olympic Torch Relay Work and Volunteer Winter Games History About VANOC Media Centre Local Business Organization and Resident Information Paralympic Games Alpine Skiing Biathlon CrossCountry Skiing Ice Sledge Hockey Wheelchair Curling Schedule & Results Medals Athletes News Photos Videos Tickets Store Spectator Guide More 2010 Information About the SportAlpine skiing has been practiced in the European Alps for at least 150 years In addition to adapting crosscountry techniques to suit their steeper slopes alpine skiers also found they needed slightly wider skis to go downhill safely and developed different ways to use their poles and new turning techniques to match the more vertical terrain of the high mountains The sport became increasingly popular through the early 20th century with the development of Tbars tows and ski lifts as alpine skiers no longer had to climb up a slope before skiing down Alpine skiing for both men and women debuted as an Olympic sport in 1936 at GarmischPartenkirchen In 1948 separate downhill and slalom races were added From that time super combined was not contested at an Olympic Winter Games until 1988 in Calgary The giant slalom was added in 1952 and the superG in 1988How It Works In alpine skiing racers can reach speeds of more than 130 kilometres an hour travelling down a vertical drop that ranges from 180 metres (slalom) to 1100 metres (downhill) for men and 140 metres (slalom) to 800 metres (downhill) for women The vertical drop is made even more difficult because of a series of gates the skiers must pass through Skiers who miss a gate must then climb back up and go through the missed gate or be disqualifiedDownhi...