Skiing
Snowsport England
- Contact Name
- Claire / Gareth (Office)
- Contact Email
- info@snowsportengland.org.uk
- Contact Telephone
- 01509 232323
Local Venues
Get Involved
What is Skiing?
There are 4 main disciplines of skiing
Alpine Skiing
Alpine Racing
Slalom, Parallel Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill
Freestyle
Ski Cross, Moguls, Slopestyle, Big Air, Half Pipe
Adaptive
Nordic
Cross Country
Rollerskiing
Telemark
Benefits
At its most basic, skiing offers a low-impact full-body workout. The whole body is involved with arms, core and legs receiving an equal workout. This ensures that no single muscle group is overstretched or stressed.
Costs
As part of GO SKI GO BOARD, all UK ski slopes offer equipment hire and tuition all inclusive in the cost. Artificial Slopes are dotted around the country and slightly cheaper to attend and for those looking for indoor snow, there are 5 across England.
You can typically take part in a GO SKI GO BOARD taster lesson for £11 (estimated national average) and to complete a beginners course (4-6hr) in the UK you can expect a cost between £85 (estimated national average).
Involvement
Getting involved is easy as there is a network of indoor snow centres and outdoor ski slopes across the UK. Visit www.goskigoboard.org.uk to find your nearest slope or club.
Equipment
Equipment used in skiing includes:
- skis, which may have skins or wax applied for traction
- Boots and bindings
- poles
- helmets and ski suits
Modern-day skis are of a shorter length, with reinforced edges and an advanced binding system that binds it to a plastic boot. There are a wide variety of skis for all types of skiing disciplines.
Facts
- You can burn anything upto 400 calories per hour skiing
- 'Skiing' is the only six-letter word in the English language with a double 'i' exactly in the middle.
- Great Britain has one of the Top 30 Ski racers in the world - Dave Ryding. Dave started skiing on the dry slope in Pendle, Lancashire.
- The next Winter Olympics is to be held in South Korea at Pyeongchang Resort. For the first time ever, Snowboard Big Air will be introduced as an Olympic Discipline.
- You can reach speeds faster than cars! The fastest speed ever on skis is 156 miles p/hour recorded in 2015 by Italian speed-skier Simone Origone. Current downhill racers such as Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller exceed speeds of 86 miles p/hour during competition.