Giant slalom occupies a certain middle ground between downhill and specialty slalom. Its usual parameters are the length of the track 1000-1500 meters, average speed 60-70 km / h, the duration of one descent is about 100 seconds. The steepness of the arcs is less than the slalom by about one and a half to two times, the duration of the slide in each turn is much longer, the total load also exceeds the slalom. Gates 6-8 meters wide are marked with twin poles connected by one flag (when knocked down, they sometimes get tangled in the legs and can cause a lot of trouble). Considering this, collisions with poles on the giant slalom course are undesirable. Unlike special slalom, they are almost never deliberately knocked down, only allowing themselves to deflect the shaft with a sliding touch. inner shoulder. All this leaves an imprint on the technique and tactics of the giant slalom.
The turning technique is dominated by the desire for flat-cut sliding with maximum load. outer ski and cutting the edge into hard snow or sliding along the counter-slopes of the broken track. Here, more often than in the slalom, it is possible to carry out a purely cut turn with a flat-cut slip in the conjugation of the arcs (Fig. 89).
Rice. 89. Carved turn with maximum loading of the outer ski along the entire arc and vigorous repulsion from it
Just as leaning on the top ski in an oblique descent is considered a mistake, so leaning on the inside ski in a turn is also undesirable, since the inside leg is more bent and therefore can carry less load and fatigue more quickly. However, it should be borne in mind that the long-term loading of the inner edge of the outer ski is sometimes associated with a weakening of the grip of the skis with snow, to strengthen it, the knee is shifted inside the turn, making a lateral deflection, which causes the thigh and lower leg to be not in the same plane. As a result, the functionality of the lateral ligaments is reduced. knee joint and the incidence of knee injuries is on the rise.
If the conditions on the track allow, skating take-offs with a wide amplitude of the side step are beneficial, which is only possible in a deep squat on the inside leg. Therefore, an athlete must have a sense of proportion in all his actions and give preference to the most profitable of them (Fig. 90). In the giant slalom, an important role is played by strength training and endurance, giving the opportunity to be active from start to finish.
Rice. 90. Purity of sliding is achieved by reducing the curvature of turns: 1 - ordinary turns with side slip; 2 - excessive rectification of the main phase leads to braking in mates; 3 - theoretically possible path along straight segments; 4 - long arcs with flat-cut sliding; 5 - carved turns with lateral step in mates
Ski action is not about sitting passively in a low stance with extremely flexed joints that transmit less pressure to the lead ski and are able to carry less load. Flexion of the joints is inevitable, but it also causes additional load to muscles and ligaments. too hard bent leg it is difficult to push off quickly and powerfully. Therefore, in order not to find yourself in an unpleasant situation of “wedging” in the position of the scissors, you need timely and strong extrusion forward and upward, otherwise you can get stuck on the inside ski in the rear stance.
Young skiers who are poorly prepared physically and technically often find themselves in a similar situation and fly off the track in a squat on an inside ski. However, this should not be an argument against "transferring" from the outside ski to the inside, the purpose of which is to transfer the body to a higher trajectory, as well as to ensure speed stability during the process of pushing off and sliding the outside ski along a steeper "oblique" slope. And the closer the end of the turn to the traverse, the more tangible the advantage of this technique, which was repeatedly used by the 1984 Olympic champions Debbie Armstrong (Fig. 91) and Max Julin (Fig. 92).
Rice. 91. Olympic champion 1984 Debbie Armstrong
Rice. 92. 1984 Olympic champion Max Julin
Improving the technique of skating repulsion, one must sensitively capture its duration, especially the beginning and end. If the athlete “opens” early in the scissors, then braking will result; if he lingers on the outside ski longer than necessary, it will turn too far, and lateral vibration and slipping may occur. A sense of time and sharpness of repulsion is developed in multiple repetitions. For greater activity and maneuverability in the giant, it is more profitable to make turns on half-bent legs, which retain the ability to withstand heavy loads longer.
Sometimes the transfer of body weight from the outside ski to the inside takes the entire second half of the turn in duration. Thus, by the end, his outer ski carries almost no load, which indicates a lack of emphasis in repulsion (Fig. 93). On fig. Figures 89 and 93 show typical giant slalom turns using the skate stride. Each of them has its own characteristics, depending on the steepness of the slope, the curvature and speed of movement, as well as the condition of the snow. A skating step with a wide angle of ski divergence is more often used on steep arcs by athletes with strong legs. This technique requires exceptional aggressiveness and redoubled attention when pulling up the toe of the outer ski so as not to catch it on the pole below the standing flag. The arc along which the outer ski slides can be of constant curvature, decreasing or increasing towards the end, resembling a lash. The latter technique is usually used in cases of the threat of “escape” of the support, as well as when a higher entry into the next turn is required.
The duration of the main phase of sliding in the turns of the giant slalom makes it necessary to pay special attention to the skier's stance. On fig. 94 consecutively shows five postures of the skier. The turn to the left is carried out by him on a relatively gentle section of the slope with a bend in the middle of the arc, which required him to additionally bend his legs (Fig. 2). With access to a steep section, the athlete increased the forward inclination, his stance is distinguished by the free position of the hands, bringing them forward with a light, pendulum movement of the sticks, usually ending with a short-term injection (in this case, without it). The general pattern of the upper body in all poses is almost the same and gives the impression of a closed stance. But this is a feature of the modern technique of turning in the giant slalom - without a pronounced lateral bending in the lumbo-pelvic region, on an almost straightened outer leg, at cut sliding. This is something common that is now inherent in all the strongest skiers in the world. When repulsed (Fig. 3), he transfers the weight of the body simultaneously with the step from the outside to the left ski advanced forward. Pulling up the outer ski starts with a toe lift, for this it ends with a push through the heel, but without a squat. As a result, in FIG. 3 and 4 he is in a better position, with complete control of his body and skis. Continuing to slide for some moment on the outer edge of the left ski, it gradually turns it over to the inner edge - thus, at the conjugation of arcs (Fig. 4 and 5), it performs a full cycle of flat-cut sliding.
Rice. 93. Carved turn with a wide abduction of the outer ski and a soft transfer to the inner 
Rice. 94. Typical execution of turns in giant slalom 
Rice. 95. Christa Kinshofer is different good style and the grace of passing the tracks
In conclusion of the conversation about the giant slalom technique, let's analyze the cinematography of pairing two ordinary turns performed by the athlete Christina Kinshofer (Germany) (Fig. 95). Finishing the first carved turn on the bent outer ski (Fig. 1), it passes into the second (2) with a flat-cut slip, starts a carved turn to the left, maintaining a forward inclination in the main phase (4). At the end of the arc, while maintaining the main stance, pressure through the heel increases the deflection of the back of the outer ski and, completing the “transfer” to the left ski, from the toe will pull the right ski to it. In FIG. 5 clearly shows that the toe of the right ski is already in the air, while the heel is still "cutting" the arc. As for the positions of the torso and arms with sticks, they correspond to the general scheme and are similar to the one we saw in Fig. 94: the transition from one turn to another occurs without a prick with a stick, the stance is open - the body is mainly frontal to the movement, the gate is passed without touching the poles. We see similar racks in Fig. 110, a and 110.6 y Olympic champions 1984.
As for the tactics of passing giant slalom tracks, with the transition to shortened tracks and determining the results by the sum of two attempts, it became much closer to slalom. The compacted arrangement of the gates, the increased risk during the double passage, the almost double duration of the competitions held on the same day - all this gives a significant physical and, most importantly, mental stress. In this regard, the strong-willed training of an athlete is of particular importance.
The steepness of the slope significantly affects the tactics of the descent, since on long arcs of the giant slalom it is very easy to “overshoot” the speed and not fit into the optimal trajectory. We call an optimal trajectory such a trajectory, sliding along which gives best result at this level technical excellence, sportswear, which the slalomist has today. Thus, this term is collective, taking into account the stability of the descent.
The stability of the descent during two attempts is an important factor. It is largely determined by the reliability of the technical and psychological preparation athlete and his ability to feel the optimal speed.
Optimum speed, optimum trajectory, optimum risk, optimum technical and volitional readiness are the components of the skier's sports form.
"Pianta su!" or alpine skiing through the eyes of coach Gurshman Greg
3.1. Tracks and their setting (by discipline)
Course setting is an important component of a coach's job. By the way this or that route is staged, one can always judge the professional level of the coach-producer. Conducting coaching seminars and attending youth competitions, I often encounter very poor course setting. What caused it? In my opinion, the illiterate, illogical and frankly weak course setting is due to the fact that the FIS rules nowhere specifically say how to set the course correctly. Instead, the FIS offers only "dry" standards and very vague recommendations. At the same time, a course set up in accordance with the FIS requirements and based on how the coach interprets the recommendations can be completely illogical and barely passable. The paradox is that if the setting standards are not violated and the safety requirements are met, then neither the technical delegate nor the judges can not accept the course as "legal" for the competition. Therefore, quite often, especially at low-level competitions, one can see simply disgustingly placed tracks. As a rule, more technical athletes and, of course, spectators suffer from this. For example, the author witnessed how a few years ago at a demonstration presentation Rossignol skis in the USA, a slalom track was set up, along which, in addition to several young athletes, Alberto Tomba, who was then at the peak of his career, had to pass. The course was set up by the coach of the local club, who had no experience in setting up courses for athletes of the World Cup level. As a result, Tomba, who was trying to pass the track, took off three times, because he gained such speed at the exit of the combinations that he simply flew past the next gate set too close. Of course, Tomba did not want to intentionally and obviously slow down, and after the third attempt he simply abandoned this idea. It should be noted that the course was set in accordance with FIS standards, but did not comply with the unspoken rules for setting slalom courses at the World Cup. The inexperienced coach set the next goal after the combination at a distance of 9-10 meters, while the athletes at the World Cup were used to setting the goal with a distance of 13-15 meters. I believe that the conclusion from the above situation is quite understandable - the rules and standards remain as such, and common sense and the ability to set a track corresponding to the level of athletes is simply necessary for any coach. It is this skill that will be discussed in this section. I am not inclined, like some colleagues, to build the setting of tracks into some sort of art form. In my opinion, good course setting can be learned relatively easily if you understand the general practical principles of course setting.
Before proceeding to their description, I would like to dwell on the FIS recommendations for setting courses in all disciplines. Without pretending to the absolute accuracy of the translation, I can say that, in my understanding, the FIS recommendations come down to the following:
When laying the route, safety rules must be observed, in particular, possible fall zones should be taken into account;
The course must be set so that it can be passed smoothly without stops or deliberate speed reduction;
When setting the route, the slope relief should be optimally used;
The course must be set up in such a way that the athlete does not need to resort to acrobatic stunts to complete it.
As a playful digression, I would like to note that, watching the passage of slalom courses performed by Bode Miller, one might think that the last of the FIS recommendations is almost always not carried out by experienced course directors at the World Cup. In my opinion, this once again underlines the fact that the recommendations are very relative and can be applied by coaches in different ways. For example, one of the trainers can put a "snake" right before a sharp bend and then be sure that he is making optimal use of the slope. One can set up a course on a relatively narrow slope in such a way that the terrain of the slope is optimally exploited, but setting the course on the second attempt will be extremely difficult, as it is almost impossible to avoid crossing the holes formed during the first attempt. Some coach may set up the course for the second attempt, "observing" the safety requirements so that almost all the protective barriers will have to be rearranged or swapped, as a result of which the start will be delayed by an hour. I have repeatedly seen not very competent coaches consciously trying to put a “plug” on one of the difficult sections of the track in the hope that one of the rivals will fall into it. At the same time, such a coach may well give a clear instruction to his wards to slow down in this place. All this speaks of the incompetence of the coach as a track director.
So, how to correctly and competently set the track? Here are a few purely practical rules that guide experienced trainers regardless of the discipline for which the track is set. First of all, the coach must understand that the track is not sticks stuck in disorder, but a set of rhythmic corridors. A corridor is a sequence of gates placed with the same horizontal opening. R and at the same distance d from each other, as shown in Fig. 3.1.1.
This figure shows an example of a giant slalom corridor. In the same way, corridors are placed in speed disciplines and in slalom. Downhill corridors may not be clearly visible, but the principle of setting the route as a combination of corridors is also preserved. The corridor sets the rhythm of the route in this section. As a rule, the horizontal opening of the gates of the route can change in accordance with the steepness of the slope. For a number of years, on steep sections, the gates were exhibited with a maximum divorce, and on gentle ones - with a minimum. With the advent of skis of modern geometry and the development of technology, the setting of the tracks has changed towards a larger opening of the gates along the entire track. In technical disciplines at competitions high level gate opening almost does not change or changes very slightly when moving from a steep section to a gentle one. This is due to the fact that on the sections of medium steepness, athletes can most effectively use modern skis and equipment. It is on the gentle and medium sections that the athletes cleanly match the arcs and develop the highest speed. Therefore, it is quite logical, as well as on steep sections, to control the speed of skiers and force them to demonstrate technique, and not ski preparation. In this regard, a competent modern slalom and giant slalom course setter will strive to set the course, keeping the same distance and changing the gate opening very slightly. Such a route during the passage will set a smooth rhythm of the descent and will help to identify athletes who have the best technical and physical training, and not just those who have a certain weight and fast skis. In addition, on such a track there will never be obvious "plugs" or gates that require some kind of "secret" passage.
The second is very important point when setting the route is the optimal use of the slope and its relief. In order for the course to match the configuration and topography of the slope, combinations of gates are used. How and what combinations of gates are placed in each of the disciplines will be discussed below. Here I will dwell on an elementary rule, which, to my surprise, is quite often not observed by coaches when setting courses. It lies in the fact that when setting the route, you should never forget to look down. I have seen coaches more than once, both in competitions and in training, confidently and quickly setting the track, all the time looking up the slope at the already set gates, and inevitably “resting” on the edge of the slope or the barrier. As a rule, such confident colleagues do not climb up the slope to rearrange the last 4-5 gates, but simply put through gates, “banana” in giant or hairpin or “banana” in slalom. The result is an illogical track with a "torn" rhythm, which is difficult to adjust to. The route set by the coach, who was looking up all the time, is personally visible to me at a glance. It is replete with numerous changes in rhythm and direction of movement, not caused by the configuration of the slope. On such a track, rhythmic corridors may not be visible or they simply may not exist. Bundles of 3-4 gates, in my opinion, are not corridors. Speaking about such tracks, I can't agree with the statement “.. any track is good, because it is the same for everyone”. A track with a “torn”, barely perceptible rhythm can be in the hands of weaker, worse trained athletes. On a steep and medium slope, the stable passage of a corridor set with adequate horizontal separation is the most technically difficult task. It is in these areas that the race is won or lost. Set instead of a corridor, bundles of 3-4 gates are passed much easier. So, any passing gates or “hairpins” usually give the athlete a chance to regain balance and enter the correct trajectory. As a result good time can be shown by a relatively weak athlete, while technically strong athlete will show a result that does not correspond to its level. The consequence of this may be errors in the selection of athletes, which will be discussed in section 4.4. For junior coaches who have any doubts about course setting, I would recommend just paying attention to how courses are set at the World Cup. Despite some differences, all courses in the World Cup are set rhythmically and in accordance with common sense. I think that junior coaches just need to follow the same principles of setting courses that more experienced colleagues who work at the international level adhere to.
The next important aspect of course setting is to ensure that the athlete is as safe as possible in the event of a run off or a fall. To do this, when setting up any route - both training and competitive - the so-called fall zones. I guess the name speaks for itself. The fall zone is the place where the athlete is most likely to be “carried” when falling. Naturally, the higher the speed, the wider and longer the possible fall zone. Therefore, in slalom it is a strip about three meters wide, and in downhill - about 15-20 meters. When setting up the course, the coach must be able to determine the fall zones by eye. I will try to explain how to do this using the giant slalom gate as an example (Fig. 3.1.2).
To determine the possible drop zone for a given gate, you need to conditionally draw an ascending line from the gate's inner flag, as shown in the figure with a dotted line. Further, from the turning flag, also mentally draw a line at an angle of 45 degrees to the ascending line. This will be the most likely direction of fall. Then, following this line, you need to see what is within the band, the middle of which is this line of direction of fall. As noted above, the bandwidth depends on the discipline. In Giant Slalom and Super G, the strip width should be 6-10 meters. With proper setting, the route should be set in such a way that no additional barriers or serious rearrangements of existing ones are required. The ability to correctly assess fall zones allows the coach to set safe courses even in difficult conditions - for example, on a narrow slope or on a slope that is not closed for training.
Let us dwell in more detail on the setting of tracks in each of the disciplines.
Setting up slalom tracks
Before talking about the setting of slalom courses, it is necessary to dwell on the FIS standards for this discipline. The minimum allowable height difference between start and finish in slalom is 140 m, and the maximum is 220 m for men and 120-200 for women. At the Cup and World Championships, the height difference should be greater: 180-220 m for men and 140-200 for women.
Thus, even slalom courses set in accordance with FIS standards can have very significant differences. Thus, the minimum number of gates in FIS slalom is 32, and the maximum is 75±3. This allows FIS slalom competitions to be held in the most various conditions. In the World Cup for men, the minimum number of gates is 55 and the maximum is 75. For women, the minimum number is 45 and the maximum is 65. It should be noted that only gates that change direction are taken into account in the calculation, that is, passing gates are not counted.
Naturally, the number of gates must correspond to the parameters of the slope. In this regard, there is also a very useful FIS rule. It consists in the fact that the number of gates on the slalom course should be 33-38% of the height difference between the start and finish. So, for example, on a track with a drop of 120 m, you can put at least 40 and no more than 46 gates. This allows the director to more correctly choose the distance between the gates. From a practical point of view, I can say that if the coach maintains a distance between the goals of at least 10 meters, then he will always hit the required 38%.
When setting World Cup courses with a distance of 13 m, the coach will approach the limit of 33%. It should be noted that all this is quite often not taken into account in junior competitions that are not FIS competitions. At FIS competitions, both the length of the course, and the height difference, and other parameters are measured in advance. In principle, it is not necessary for the coach-producer of the course to know them. His task is only to put the track correctly. To do this, first of all, you need to clearly know the rules for setting slalom tracks. They are as follows:
The width of the slalom gate should be 4-6 meters;
The maximum distance between the goals is 13 meters (this distance was reduced from 15 meters in the spring of 2005);
The minimum distance between the gates is 0.75 meters.
Let me explain how these rules are applied in practice. It should be noted that the distance between the goals and the horizontal separation is chosen by the coach based on his or her professional intuition. There are no rules about this.
Let's consider the application of the FIS standards when staging the so-called vertical combinations in slalom. Combinations of vertical gates are of two types: "hairpins" and "snakes". A hairpin is a combination of two vertical goals (see fig. 3.1.3).
In this drawing, I have schematically depicted the blue and red gates with the help of white and dark flags. Flags have not been used on real slalom tracks for many years. So, the "hairpin", as a rule, is placed in the line of the fall of the slope. All poles forming a "hairpin" should, if possible, be on the same line. Thus, the skier has the opportunity to straighten the trajectory as much as possible when passing the "hairpin". When setting "studs", the maximum width of the gate is usually used, equal to 6 meters. This is one of the "rules of good manners" when setting up slalom courses. At a high level, hairpins, even with a goal width of 5 meters, can cause problems for athletes going to high speed. At junior level competitions, vertical gates 5 meters wide are allowed. However, experienced trainers never deviate from the minimum possible distance between the gates - 0.75 m. It is this distance that is optimal, since it allows you to effectively block both poles in one movement, while not risking catching the inner ski on the lower of the adjacent poles. Both values - 6 m and 0.75 m - are not clearly specified in the FIS rules. In other words, by placing a “hairpin” with a goal width of 4 and 5 m and a distance of 2 m between them, the coach would not have violated the FIS rules. However, such a setting would not make any sense, since such a “hairpin” would be difficult to pass, while it would not significantly change the direction of the route. In any case, I urge all coaches to put “hairpins”, clearly measuring the distances with skis. Even experienced coaches at the World Cup do not put combinations in slalom by eye. Setters using 155-160 cm slalom skis can easily measure the distance between the ski poles. Ideally, it should be slightly less than 4 ski lengths (6 m) between gate posts of the same color, and about half the ski length (0.75 m) between gates.
Another important point in the setting of "hairpins" is their setting, corresponding to the context of the track. In this regard, a very clear and unambiguously interpreted FIS rule applies. It consists in the fact that the studs should always be passed with a “top entry”. Let me explain what I mean with a picture.
On fig. 3.1.4 a shows the correct setting and the corresponding passage of the "hairpin". Figure 3.1.4 b reflects the "illegal", incorrect version of the "hairpins" setting.
Talking to Russian colleagues, I was surprised that so many people still put the “hairpins” incorrectly, despite the fact that this FIS rule came into force more than 15 years ago. The application of this rule allows you to have only one, simple and logical option for passing slalom courses. The days of straight puzzle tracks are long gone. It should be noted that the "hairpin" always shifts the direction of the trace. This must be taken into account when staging.
Another standard gate combination is the "snake". A “snake” is a combination of three or more vertical gates installed in series on one line (see Fig. 3.1.5).
This figure shows a standard "snake" of three gates. It is these "snakes" that are placed on most tracks of any level. In extremely rare cases, a "snake" of four gates can be placed on an extremely flat area. The "snake", as well as the "hairpin", should be placed in the line of the fall of the slope. Oblique "snakes", suites in modern slalom have not been used for a very long time, simply because they knock the rhythm too much. When setting up a “snake”, the same rules apply as when setting up “pins”: the width of the gate is 6 m, the distance between them is 0.75 m. The entrance to the “snake” should also be only from above. At the same time, the exit from the usual “snake”, consisting of three gates, always returns the athlete to the corridor directed in the same way as the corridor preceding the “snake”. This should not be forgotten when setting the route.
Modern slalom also uses a combination of horizontal and vertical gates. This combination is called a passing gate or "banana". The second name is used by trainers in almost all languages.
The combination "banana" is shown in fig. 3.1.6.
When setting bananas, the coach should use only his own intuition, since neither the relative position of the gates, nor the distance between them are specified in any rules. As a rule, "banana" is used to radically change the direction of the track. Planting bananas may be necessary to follow the slope configuration or to get away from holes or ruts left by the first run course. However, I would not recommend putting "bananas" that do not pursue a specific goal. It should be noted that unlike "snakes" and "hairpins", "banana" is not a mandatory combination. In principle, on a normal, relatively straight slope, you can completely do without setting "bananas". In any case, setting more than two "bananas" on the track goes beyond the rules of "good form".
Speaking about goal combinations, it should be noted that according to the FIS rules, there must be at least 4 vertical combinations on the track: one “snake” and three “hairpins”. This is quite enough for junior tracks. On longer FIS courses there may be more combinations. Usually at least two "snakes" and three or four "hairpins" are placed.
A very good rule of thumb is to set up a combination after every 5-7 gates. Thus, a well-placed slalom course is a set of 5-7 gate corridors interconnected by combinations. An example of a fragment of such a route is shown in Fig. 3.1.7.
It should be noted that "hairpins" and especially "snakes" are always recommended to be placed on gentle areas. This is not dictated by the rules, but by elementary common sense. Considering that the combinations are set in the line of the fall of the slope, their setting on steep sections can make it impossible to pass the track without deliberate braking. This is especially important when choosing a place for the “snakes”, since when passing them, the athlete directs the skis almost down the slope for almost 14 m. a few gates before the finish line. If necessary, “hairpins” are also placed on steeper sections, but at the same time, a sufficient distance to the next gate is always provided.
With regard to the distance between the goals, I would say that in children's and junior competitions it is recommended to keep a distance of 9.5-10 m. In FIS intermediate level competitions, the distance is chosen in the range of 11-12 m. In European and World Cup competitions, the maximum distance is usually chosen 13 m, regardless of the slope.
When setting up slalom tracks, one should not forget about the connection between the horizontal separation and the distance. This connection is very simple and logical - a greater distance allows you to use a wider opening of the gate.
Giant slalom setting
Speaking about the setting of the giant slalom tracks, it can be immediately noted that it does not fundamentally differ from the setting of the slalom tracks. A well-placed giant slalom course is a leveled symmetrical corridor.
The FIS standards for giant slalom are as follows: the height difference between start and finish is a minimum of 140 m, and a maximum of 350 m. At the Cup and World Championships, it is greater: 250-450 m for men and 250-400 m for women.
I think it is understandable that such a large range allows you to set a wide variety of giant slalom courses within the framework of the FIS rules. The number of gates in giant slalom is also determined by the height difference between start and finish. However, in giant slalom, too, it is not the number of gates that is counted, but the number of changes in direction. In giant slalom it should be between 11% and 15% of the vertical drop (rounded to the nearest integer). Thus, a banana combination consisting of two gates counts as one change of direction, and passing gates do not count towards the score.
The rules for setting up giant slalom courses are as follows:
The width of the gate should be in the range of 6-8 m;
Minimum distance between gates - 15 m;
The maximum distance is not specified.
Based on these rules, passing gates are installed, "bananas" in the giant. The rule of "good manners" is to move the lower flag of the vertical gate to the side approximately the width of the flag from the trajectory of the passage, as shown in fig. 3.1.8.
For safety reasons, the vertical gates are set to a width of 8 m. According to the FIS rules, the distance between the horizontal and vertical gates must be more than 15 m. In children's competitions, this can be reduced to 10 m. Setting through gates in giant slalom is also not mandatory. Usually they are placed in places where the direction of the slope changes or it is necessary to provide skiers with the opportunity to increase speed. However, it is not recommended to put more than three "bananas" on the giant slalom course.
As with setting up slalom courses, in the giant one should maintain a constant distance between the gates throughout the course. The distance is chosen by the production coach based on the steepness of the slope and the level of the athletes. At the World Cup, the distance can be 30-35 meters. In junior competitions, this distance is shorter, in the range of 25-30 meters. An example of a giant track is shown in Fig. 3.1.9.
Setting up super giant tracks
Speaking about the super-giant tracks, it should be noted that the coach has the greatest freedom when setting them up. For regular FIS Super G competitions, a height difference of 350-600m is sufficient. In the World Cup, the height difference for men is 500-650m and for women 400-600m. The maximum number of gates must not exceed 10% of the vertical difference, and the minimum is 35% for men and 30% for women. In this case, only gates that change direction of movement are considered. Thus, passing gates, as in giant slalom, do not count towards the number of gates.
On the same slope, a super-G can be placed, which resembles a regular open giant course, and a super-G, which is more like a downhill. At a high level, the super-G tracks are placed closer to the downhill than to the giant. Junior and children's Super-G courses are usually closer to Giant Slalom. In any case, the track of the super-giant is, if possible, a symmetrical corridor. In order for this corridor to follow the slope configuration, walk-through gates are used. Unlike giant slalom, super-g passing gates are set up with two horizontal gates, as shown in fig. 3.1.10.
The distance between the gates in Super G must not be less than 30 m. The width of the gates is 8-10 m. These are the only restrictions that the coach must follow. For the rest, the director of the super-G route is guided by his experience and intuition. Of course, coaches who do not put on super-giant tracks in training are unlikely to be able to cope with the setting of the track at competitions. In principle, it is not very difficult to learn how to set super-giant tracks, especially if there are no problems with setting giant tracks. The main thing to always remember is that the distance between the gates must remain constant, and the opening varies only slightly, depending on the steepness or width of the slope.
Coaches who set up the lineout without focusing too much on the terrain of the slope often set up very good super-G tracks. There is no limit to the number of walk-through gates, so the coach can always follow the slope configuration with ease. The drop zones in the super-giant certainly play a very important role. However, in intermediate and high level competitions, the coach may not worry too much about this if the entire course is surrounded by nets. In children's and junior competitions, despite the lower speeds, all possible fall zones must be taken into account when setting. I recommend all coaches to practice setting up super-G courses during training. If several coaches work together, then everyone should have a chance to put on a super-G course at least a couple of times per season.
Setting up routes downhill
Downhill setting is a truly unique skill that most coaches simply don't have the opportunity to practice. Relatively regular practice is received only by coaches working with downhillers at the national team level. At the coaching meeting before the downhill, as a rule, you can not see the mass of raised hands of junior coaches who want to set the course. Usually one of the coaches who previously worked with the downhill team helps out. Meanwhile, in most cases, the setting of the descent route is nothing insanely complicated. All the designer needs to do is to set up a corridor that follows the slope configuration as closely as possible. Of course, the coach must control the speed of the athletes when entering flights or steep sections. This is done by increasing the opening of the gate. Also in the descent are widely used walk-through gates, set in the same way as in the super giant. Passage gates in the descent can go one after the other. In other words, the athlete can go from one through gate to another. Sometimes there are also gates, consisting of three horizontal gates. In the case when the next gate is poorly visible due to the bend, “extended” - higher gates are used.
There are even fewer restrictions in downhill: the width of the gate is more than 10 m, the distance is not indicated. On the classic World Cup tracks, the goal setting remains virtually unchanged. The gates are annually placed according to the coordinates using a satellite navigation system. In some cases, when speeds increase too much due to "fast" snow, the opening of some gates can be increased. Of course, in the last 20 years there has been a trend towards more technical downhill courses, replete with a lot of turns. At the same time, the speed continues to grow. For example, the winner's downhill race at the 2005 World Championships in Bormio was more than 10 seconds faster than the winner's time at the same course at the 1985 World Championships.
On regular FIS downhill courses, the coach may use his or her imagination to set up the course. In some cases, it is quite possible to set up various interesting downhill routes on the same slope. This will allow athletes to once again practice in choosing a trajectory. In any case, at the junior level, coaches should not avoid participating in the setting of downhill courses. As soon as there is a certain confidence and experience in staging super-giant tracks, you can move on to the descent. A truly qualified coach must be able to set courses equally well in all disciplines.
Psychological aspect of route setting
For some reason, almost nowhere is it said about the psychological aspect of setting up tracks. In fact, this aspect plays a very important role. A coach can be a great course director, but not entirely confident in himself and his abilities. Such a coach, when placing the course of the competition, will listen to the opinion of other coaches who throw the flags, or to the opinion of the jury members. I have seen inexperienced coaches more than once who put the competition course under the dictation of others. Nothing good comes out of this, as a rule. When setting the course, the coach should not pay attention to either colleagues or members of the judging panel. The coach must have a definite plan in mind of what and how he or she will bet, taking into account the level of the athletes, and not at all the desires of other coaches. In other words, the route director needs to be psychologically prepared for a certain pressure. In this regard, I will give an example from personal experience.
Working with a downhill team in the US, I was nominated to set up the North American Cup downhill course at scenic Jackson Hole. I quite calmly, literally in an hour and a half, put the track. At one point the track had a rather interesting flight. A special springboard was dug in such a way that the athletes flew across the road, along which snow groomers usually climb. In order to make this section more interesting and at the same time reduce the length of the possible flight, I set the course so that the approach to the ski jump was not in a straight line, but with a slight change in direction. The required entry direction was not obvious, but I did not attach much importance to this, being sure that the coaches and athletes would easily figure out how to enter this jump. Naturally, when viewing, I instructed my wards, clearly showing them the place where they had to be when taking off.
It seemed to me that many coaches also saw and heard my instructions. However, in practice, everything turned out to be different. Apparently, some of my colleagues decided to immediately give a setting for a more aggressive passage. As a result, in the first training run from the jump, all four openers flew into the net. Only one arrived, just slowing down before the flight. Then the start of the participants began. After the first five athletes of the Canadian team, who also flew into the net from a flight over the road, the start was suspended, and the judges and the technical delegate of the competition officially contacted me by radio with a request to rearrange the gate, since the track is impassable. The murmur went through the entire coaching camp. The pressure I was under is hard to put into words. Almost 200 participants were under threat! Nevertheless, I very firmly stated that the track goes great and moreover, it is quite safe with the correct reading of the trajectory. I also accused fellow coaches and referees of incompetence. By some miracle, thanks to a confident tone, I managed to convince the judges to start the next participant, which was one of my charges. I said that he would now show everyone how to pass this section of the route correctly. Holding my breath, I watched as my student approached the ill-fated jump. The guy did not let me down, he correctly entered the jump and landed softly, immediately going into the turning arc at least 30 meters from the net, into which the previous five athletes flew. After that, the correction of the trajectory was transferred by the coaches to the start of their wards and the training run went almost without serious falls. For three days of competition on my "impassable" track, no one received even a small injury.
In conclusion, I want to say that a certain self-confidence, combined with psychological stability, is necessary for a coach who sets the track even at junior competitions. Otherwise, it is not worth taking on the setting of the route. I hope that those presented here practical advice will be useful when setting routes.
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The Jury must check the readiness of the slalom course for the competition immediately after it has been set by the course director. When checking, particular attention should be paid to:
the slalom poles were firmly fixed;
the colors of the gate alternated correctly;
if necessary, the position of the poles on the snow was marked;
tags with gate numbers in the correct sequence were attached to the outer poles;
the poles marking the gates were appropriately elevated above the slope;
two slalom courses were at a sufficient distance from each other so as not to mislead the participants;
spare poles have been correctly placed so as not to confuse competitors;
the start and finish complied with the requirements of articles 27. and 31. (respectively art. 613, 615 of the FIS Rules).
78. (804.) Slalom with one turning pole
All provisions of these rules apply except for the following:
78.1. Slalom with one turning pole is allowed in all competitions, except for the Russian Championship.
78.2. Single pole slalom is staged without outside poles, except for the first and last gates and delay gates and combinations (hairpins and snakes).
78.3. Where there are no outer poles, both feet and the ends of the skis must pass the turning pole on one side, following the natural course line of the slalom, crossing an imaginary line from one turning pole to the other. If a participant loses ski without making a mistake, for example, not when passing the gate on horseback, then these requirements must be met for the end of the remaining ski and both legs.
If the competitor incorrectly crosses the imaginary line from swing flag to swing flag and does not follow the natural path, he must return back and go around the missed swing pole. Where there are outside poles (first and last gates, delaying gates and combinations (pins and snakes)) Article 53.5.1 applies. (661.4.1)
Slalom with one pole(Article 78. (804))
first gate
natural trajectory
delay gate
vertical combination
final gate
imaginary line
goal line
78.4. Inspection and review of tracks
see article 30. of these rules (art. 614.3. of the FIS rules).
79. (805.) Start
79.1. (805.1.) Intervals between starts
In slalom competitions, participants start at irregular intervals. The head of the timing and scoring team or his special assistant informs the starter, by agreement with the jury, when the next competitor starts. It is allowed to start the next participant if the participant who started before him is still on the track and has not finished by the time of the start.
79.2. (805.2.) Start order
79.2.1. On the first track, the competitors start in the order of starting numbers.
79.2.2. Starting order on the second course (see Article 36.11. (621.11. of the FIS Rules)).
79.3. (805.3.) Starting commands
After the starter receives permission to start the next competitor, he warns the competitor with the words: "Attention!, Ready!, Attention!, Achtung!" and a few seconds after that he says the starting command: “March! Go! Partez! Los! The competitor must start within 10 seconds of the start command.
79.3.1. The participant must be at the start no later than 1 minute after the official call. When other participants are called to the start, the absence of the previous participants from the start may be taken into account. The referee at the start, however, can excuse the delay if, in his opinion, it was caused by unforeseen circumstances. In doubtful cases, the judge at the start may allow the participant to start conditionally. In this case, the late competitor will be given a start in accordance with the normal starting order. The start referee makes the related decisions.
79.4. (805.4.) Right start and false start
Each competitor must start in accordance with Article 79.3. of these Rules (805.3 of the FIS Rules), otherwise he will be sanctioned.
80. (806.) Conducting slalom
80.1. Two tracks
In slalom competitions, there must always be two runs on two different courses.
Both routes must be completed by the participants one after the other in the order established by the jury. The distribution of participants on two tracks with the simultaneous start of the competition on both tracks is prohibited. If possible, both runs should be on the same day.
80.2. Limitation of the number of participants on the second track
The jury has the right to reduce the number of participants on the second track to half the number of participants in the start list of the first run. Such a decision must be made no later than one hour before the start of the first race.
81. (807.) Safety helmet
All competitors and openers in OSF competitions are required to wear a protective helmet that complies with FIS competition equipment specifications.
82. (900.) giant slalom
83. (901.1.) Technical parameters
83.1. Height difference
83.1.1. Trails for men
from 250 to 450m.
83.1.2. Trails for women:
from 250 to 400m.
83.1.3. Tracks for athletes U14 and U16:
from 200 to 350m.
Giant slalom for U16s should be run in two runs and for U14s this option should be provided.
83.1.4. If there are no tracks with a height difference necessary for the competition, the organizers can reduce it, but not more than 35% of those given in paragraphs. 83.1.1.-83.1.3.
83.2. (901.2.) Gates
83.2.1. The giant slalom gate consists of 4 slalom poles, (Art. 63.2.1.2. (680.2.1.2 of the FIS Rules)) and 2 flags.
83.2.2. Gates must be alternately red and blue. Flag panels must be at least 75 cm wide and 50 cm high. They get fixed between the woods so that the lower edge of the flag is at least 1 m from the surface of the snow, and so that they can be torn off or detached from the pole.
83.2.3. The width of the gates must be between 4 and 8 m, the distance between the two nearest poles of two consecutive gates must be at least 10 m. In the U14 and U16 competitions, the distance between the turning poles must not exceed 27 m.
83.2.4 . The giant slalom course must be staged as follows:
The number of turns should be equal to 11-15% of the height difference in meters, rounded to the nearest integer.
For athletes of age U14 - U16 - 13-18% of the height difference.
For inter-regional competitions 11% - 15% of the height difference.
84. (902.) Tracks
84.1. general characteristics trails
The terrain on which the competition takes place should be as undulating and hilly as possible. The track width should be about 40m.
The inspector who checks the route for its approval decides whether the width of the route is sufficient and, if necessary, may instruct that work be carried out to widen it. He may approve a course less than 40m wide, depending on the contour and terrain requirements, if the sections of the course before and after the choke point allow it.
84.2. Track preparation
The giant slalom course is prepared in the same way as the downhill course. The sections of the course where the gates are set up and the competitors change direction must be prepared in the same way as the slalom course.
85. (903.) Setting up the route
85.1. Formation of the route
When forming the route, the following basic principles should be taken into account:
85.1.1. The first track is placed on the eve of the competition day. Both tracks can be placed on the same canvas. The second track must be set anew.
85.1.2. The principle of judicious use of the terrain in setting up a giant slalom course is even more important than in setting up a slalom course, since the use of gate combinations is less effective due to both prescribed distances between gates, as well as their widths. Therefore, it is recommended to make the best possible use of the terrain features, installing mainly single gates. Figures can be installed in limited quantity and mainly on uninteresting sections of the route.
85.1.3. The giant slalom course must contain large, medium and small radius turns. The competitor must be able to navigate his way between the gates. Where possible, the full width of the slope should be used.
85.1.4. The organizer of the route for children is obliged to carefully consider the physical characteristics of the children's body of the participants.
86. (904.) Single flag giant slalom
All provisions of these rules are valid, except for the following:
86.1. Giant slalom with one flag is allowed in all competitions, except for the Russian Championship.
86.2. Single flag giant slalom is staged with no outside flags other than the first, last and delay gates.
86.3. Where there is no outside flag, the turning flag must be run with both feet and both ski toes on one side, following the natural line of the giant slalom course, crossing an imaginary line from one turning pole to the other. If an athlete loses a ski without making a mistake, for example, without passing the flag on horseback, this rule applies to the tip of the remaining ski and feet. When it comes to gates with two flags (first, last and delay), the rule of article 53.5.1 applies. (661.4.1.)
86.4. All rules and guidelines regarding the width of the course apply, as would be the case with an imaginary outside flag.
86.5. Inspection and review of the courses see Article 30 of these rules (Art. 614.3 of the FIS Rules).
87. (905) Start
87.1. On the first course, the competitors start in the order of their start numbers (see Articles 36.3. and 37. (621.3 and 622 of the FIS Rules)).
87.2. Starting order on the second course (see Article 36.11. (621.11. of the FIS Rules)).
88. Conducting giant slalom competitions
88.1. Giant slalom competitions must always take place on two courses (men and women). The second course may be on the same slope, but the gates must be repositioned. If possible, both runs must be on the same day.
88.2. The jury has the right to reduce the number of participants on the second track to half the number of participants in the start list of the first run. Such a decision must be made no later than one hour before the start of the first race.
Children are required to wear protective helmets that meet the requirements for equipment for competitions.
88.3. Giant slalom competitions for age U16 must consist of two runs, for U14 this option should be provided.
89. (907) Protective helmet
All participants and openers in official sports competitions are required to wear a safety helmet that complies with FIS competition equipment specifications.
90. (1000) super giant
91. (1001) Technical specifications
91.1. Height difference
91.1.1. Trails for men
from 350 to 650 m.
91.1.2. Trails for women
from 350 to 600 m.
91.1.3. Tracks for athletes U14 and U16:
from 250 to 450m.
91.1.4. If there are no tracks with a height difference necessary for the competition, the organizers can reduce it, but not more than 35% of those given in paragraphs. 91.1.1.-91.1.3.
91.2. Track length
The length of the course is measured with a measuring tape, wheel or GPS and is printed on the start and results lists.
91.3. Gates
91.3.1. Super-G gates consist of 4 slalom poles (art. 63.2.1.2. (680.2.1.2 of the FIS rules)) and 2 flags.
91.3.2. Gates must be alternately red and blue. Flag panels should be approximately 75 cm wide and approximately 50 cm high. They are fixed between the poles so that the lower edge of the flag is at a distance of about 1 m from the snow, and also so that they can come off at least one pole.
91.3.3. The width of the gate should be between 6 and 8m for the distance between the two nearest inner poles of an open gate, and 8 to 12m for a closed gate. The panels of the flags must be such that, according to at least, on one pole the flag could be torn off.
91.3.4. The Super-G course must be set up as follows:
7% of the height difference corresponds to the minimum number of turns.
The distance between two turning poles of two consecutive goals must be at least 25 m (exception see Article 93.1.1. (1003.1.1 of the FIS Rules)).
For athletes U14 and U16: the minimum number of changes in direction (turns) is 8% - 12% of the height difference in meters.
92. (1002) track
92.1. General characteristics of the route
The terrain on which the competition takes place should be as undulating and hilly as possible. The track width should be about 30m.
The inspector who checks the route for its approval decides whether the width of the route is sufficient and, if necessary, may instruct that work be carried out to widen it. He may also approve a course less than 30m wide, depending on the contour and terrain requirements, if the sections of the course before and after the choke point allow it.
92.2. Track preparation
The super-G course is prepared in the same way as the downhill course. The sections of the course where the gates are set up and the competitors change direction must be prepared in the same way as the slalom course.
92.3. Free descents along the track.
Prior to setting the course, the competitors, if circumstances permit, must be given the opportunity to ski freely on the closed slope of the competition.
92.4. Junior Super G Certification
All courses hosting U16 - U14 Super G must be certified. If a FIS Giant Slalom certified course is to be used, a safety inspection by the FIS Technical Expert is required.
93. (1003) Setting up the route
93.1. Formation of the route
The following basic principles should be taken into account when forming the Super-G course.
In this note I want to give some tips about the passage of the slalom track. Of course there are more general reasoning, theory, exercises. But there are specific tips that can help right away. I will cite those that really helped, or at least “set the right vector” where to strive. This season (2017) there were few such specific tips, only three. Two were received not from outside, but as advice to oneself :). The third advice I heard from Alexander Mityakov.
Of course, this advice is very subjective. What “worked” for me today is not a fact that would have been conveyed to me “past” and even more so for an “outside observer” 🙂
The Internet writes that everything should be simple. It is necessary to make a cut turn on the edges and, by changing the edge angle, correct the trajectory. It sounds to me like “Volga flows into the Caspian Sea”, everything seems to be clear, but there is no sense.
I'm going to the council. Grabbed it at Giant's Week. We trained the Moscow giant, the distance between the gates was 24 meters, the gap was small, for skis R27 m, the speed was decent, the landmarks flashed quickly. Edge cases, which is good, didn't work. If you go too straight, then on the third gate (out of only eight) you no longer fit in, you go into demolition, the speed is irretrievably lost. Of course you pass the track, but it sucks. If, on the contrary, you move too far from the track, this leads to a too sharp turn, which the skis do not write out in these conditions. Again, the arc is lost.
In the end, the optimal trajectory was found, along which the skis went to the maximum in an arc. And just then it was discovered that it is possible and vice versa. 
You can know well the “favorite” arc along which the skis will go with the ratio of edge angle and pressure on the ski that is familiar to you. Next, you simply need to build a trajectory so that this arc is working, starts from entering the pole and ends in front of the pole. Then you need to hold on, naturally (finally) relieving pressure in order to load again at the beginning of the next “favorite” arc.
In slalom, I haven’t endured this experience yet, but I’m looking forward to the next “week of the giant” 🙂
Dive forward (on a double stick) at the exit of the hairpin (or snake)
I heard advice from Alexander Mityakov. At the exit from the hairpin, you need to make a dive onto a double stick. According to internal sensations, it turns out almost a butt head, but the main thing, of course, is to sharply load the ski toes, with a margin. Then the skis come out of the hairpin very well with a sharp twist. Even if the exit from the hairpin is flat (which is quite rare these days), it still doesn't hurt to have some margin in the top entry to the next stick. There is nothing incomprehensible here. In the hairpin, the skis go almost exactly down, with a minimum divorce. Picking up speed. At the exit, you need to wrap up without entering the double last stick of the figure. Diving forward quickly loads the front half of the ski by unloading the back half. If the ski went across, then this would lead to a breakdown of the heels, there would be a turn in the air around the toes. But the ski goes exactly down, so there can be no heel failure. And the edged toe bends more than usual and takes out into the turn. Works great. Dashed off for the season before automatism. Alexander, thanks!
Increasing the "burnt" maximum speed
There is no advice yet, but there are observations. In general, I noticed from others that the technique and the time of passing the route are both quantity and quality. Technique increases gradually, and the performance in competitions or “training races” does not change much relative to others.
And then suddenly there is a jump for a second or a half on a 20-second track. It seems that quantity has grown into quality. But then the owner of this new quality can drive clumsily and not at all technically, and the time will still remain “new” 🙂 That is, it’s more like that he just started to go faster, got used to the fact that the milestones “flash” with such frequency 🙂 About myself, unfortunately, there is nothing to say, I’m waiting for this jump of season three ...
In general, I don’t know how to raise the speed barrier when the technology clearly already allows it. But there are a couple of observations.
First- the barrier does not rise in the track. It is very easy to check. We often go to the track for a while (more details here:). Of course, when the stopwatch “knocks”, you first go to top speed, and in subsequent passages you try to "jump over your head." So, this does not affect the time of passage of the route 🙂
Second observation. Off the track, those colleagues who are significantly faster on the track also go noticeably faster. So, you can work on increasing the speed in free skating (more about the ratio of the route and free skating here:). Of course, we are not talking about descending in a straight line, you need to increase the speed in arcs, and “close” the arcs as much as possible. In general, you need to increase the acceleration in the first place, and the speed as a result 🙂
Then the threshold of the "burnt" maximum speed can and will increase. Or maybe not, I don’t know yet 🙂 Alexander Mityakov believes that you just need to look further, but it didn’t help me.
