Special Olympics Alpine Skiing is a downhill skiing event in which all competitors have a physical or mental disability.

Special Olympics alpine skiing is a winter sport that challenges the athlete's downhill racing ability and coordination; it is a competitive sport meant for athletes with physical or mental disabilities..As in all Special Olympics sports, athletes are grouped in competition divisions according to ability level, age and gender.

The goal of alpine skiing is to finish a downhill run in the shortest amount of time.

Alpine skiing was first introduced as an Official Special Olympics Sport in 1977 at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. More than 300 athletes competed in Alpine skiing at the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. As of the 2005 Special Olympics Athlete Participation Report, 18,610 Special Olympics athletes compete in Alpine skiing.

Bindings
Boots
Poles
Skis
Winter Gear

Special Olympics also offers Alpine skiing events for beginner and lower ability level athletes to train and compete in basic Alpine skiing skills. The development of these key skills is necessary prior to advancing to longer competitive events. These events include glide and walking events.

Angulation - arcing the body at the hip, knee and ankle joints to achieve a higher degree of ski edge

Christy Turn - a skiing turn with a skidding phase

Diagonal Stride - the equivalent of walking in cross-country skiing

Double Poling - using both poles at the same time to thrust the body forward as opposed to the diagonal stride poling method

Herringbone - moving forward on cross-country skis in a stepping mode with the ski tips further apart than the tails, forming a herringbone pattern in the snow

Inclination - leaning of the body in the direction of the turn to engage ski edges and resist centrifugal forces from the turn

Kick Turn - a way of turning to the opposite direction of travel by kicking one ski to a 180 degree position followed by the other ski

Parallel Skiing - skiing the the skis parallel. Skis can be either together or apart

Sidestep - moving laterally in small steps on cross-country skis

Straight Run - traveling straight down a hill with the skis parallel and the body on the skis in balance

Telemark - a stable position used in turning or on variable terrain; the lead leg is forward of the body while the trailing leg follows in a kneeling configuration

Waxing - applying a coating to the bottom of the skis to reduce friction

Wedge Turn - also called the snowplow turn. Its an elementary turn with the skis in a wedge position where the tips of the skis are closer than the tails

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