Alpine Skiing is an individual sport where competitors slide down a snow-covered mountain wearing long skis on each foot. Alpine Skiing can be done fun leisure, exercise or competition.

Alpine skiing a popular form of skiing practiced mostly at ski resorts around the world. It spread due to the development of chairlifts and other means of easily getting skiers to the top of hills. It is enjoyed both recreationally and competitively by both amateurs and professionals. Competitively, alpine skiing is divided into two categories: racing and freestyle.

Travel down a snow-covered hill while wearing long skis.

Alpine skiing is practiced both recreationally and competitively. Recreationally, rules are in place to protect the safety of other skiers. Common rules usually revolve around maintaining a controlled speed and direction. Competitively, alpine skiing is divided into two categories: racing and freestyle. Racing involves the skier making fast turns through gates placed on the hill. The skier is timed from start to finish, and is penalized with added time for missing a gate. Freestyle skiing consists of events such as moguls, aerials and half pipe. These are new events, mostly focused around acrobatics. Rules for freestyle skiing are unique to each specific event.

Alpine skiing was developed in Switzerland in 1889, as an extension of cross country skiing. Chair lifts, developed soon after, were critical to the growth of the sport, as they created an easy way for skiers to repeatedly reach the top of slopes. In the decades that followed several alpine skiing organizations and competitions were established in both Europe and North America. Alpine skiing was featured at the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924. Equipment technology vastly improved throughout the second half of the 20th century, making the sport easier and more accessible. Today alpine skiing is a major sporting pursuit, popular in dozens of countries around the world.

Bindings
Boots
Chair Lift
Gloves
Goggles
Poles
Skis

Alpine skiing is considered a dangerous sport due to its extreme physical nature and the high speeds skiers often reach. One should never attempt before receiving formalized lessons, and should only attempt hills within one's appropriate skill level.

An extremely demanding sport, alpine skiing should only be attempted by those in good physical health. Above all, one needs strong, flexible knees, thighs and ankles to properly move while on skis. These can be achieved through yoga and lower-body weight training.

Carving - rolling one's knees from side to side while keeping the upper body and hips facing down the hill so that only the knees and feet are involved into making turns

Chair Lift - a series of chairs hung from a moving cable used for carrying passengers up and down a mountain

Moguls - bumps on a slope formed when skiers push the snow into mounds or piles as they execute short-radius turns

Powder - light, dry, newly fallen snow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_skiing