Alpine Ski Racing Disciplines: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G and Downhill
There are four core races in alpine skiing. Slalom is the shortest race with the most closely set gates; it is raced over two runs and calls for short, rhythmic turns. Giant slalom mixes long, medium and short turns through more widely spaced gates; it is also raced over two runs. Super-G is a single-run discipline that combines speed and technique. Downhill is the longest and fastest race; in World Cup measurements the median speed was about 92 km/h. Under the FIS 2026 rules, giant slalom skis must have a radius of at least 30 metres and downhill skis at least 50 metres; there is no minimum radius rule for slalom skis.
The figures below are taken from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) competition rules (ICR) dated July 2026 and its 2026/27 equipment rules. The vertical drop ranges are for men at Olympic, World Championship and World Cup level; the ranges differ for other races and for women.
Slalom (SL)
Giant slalom (GS)
Super-G (SG)
Downhill (DH)
Vertical drop (men, top level)
180–220 m
300–450 m
400–650 m
800–1,100 m
Number of runs
Two, on two different courses
Two, gates reset on the same slope
One
One (two possible on a short course)
Direction changes
30–35% of the vertical drop (±3)
11–15%
At least 6–7%
—
Gates
Single flex pole or two poles
Two poles + panel
Two poles + panel
Two poles + panel
Ski length (men)
At least 165 cm
193–200 cm
210–218 cm
218–223 cm
Minimum radius
No rule
30 m
Men 45 m, women 40 m
50 m
Median speed (World Cup measurement)
—
~64 km/h
~86 km/h
~92 km/h
The speeds are the median speeds measured in 2015 by Gilgien and colleagues, who tracked forerunners in men's World Cup races with satellite positioning over 1,051 turns; the forerunners were 1.3–5.3% slower than the racers. The highest speed on record in World Cup downhill racing is 161.9 km/h, reached by Johan Clarey in Wengen, Switzerland, in 2013.
Slalom (SL)
This is the most technical and most rhythmic discipline. According to the FIS rules:
The number of direction changes is 30–35% of the vertical drop (±3); so a 200-metre slalom has around 60–70 gate turns.
Gates are 4–6 metres wide, and the distance between turning poles is 6–13 metres.
The course includes vertical combinations (vertical gates in a row), at least three hairpins and delay gates.
The turning pole must be flexible (flex); single-pole slalom may be used in all FIS races.
The result is always decided over two runs, on two different courses.
The flex pole lets slalom racers take a line straight at the pole and push it aside with their arms or shins; for this technique, which coaches call “cross-blocking”, slalom racers wear hand and shin guards. The helmet rules are different too: helmets with soft ear protection are allowed only in slalom.
Giant slalom (GS)
This is the second of the technical disciplines. According to the FIS rules:
Direction changes are 11–15% of the vertical drop,
Gates are 4–8 metres wide, and the distance between turning poles is at least 10 metres,
Each gate consists of two poles with a tear-away panel of about 75×50 centimetres stretched between them,
The course must include a variety of long, medium and short turns,
The result is always decided over two runs; for the second run, the gates are reset on the same slope.
Super-G (SG)
Super-G is a bridge between the speed disciplines and the technical disciplines. The distance between turning poles is at least 25 metres, the turns are long and medium, and the course may include jumps. It is raced in a single run.
Downhill
This is the longest and fastest discipline. The FIS rules define downhill as a race of technique, courage, speed, risk, physical condition and judgement. Gates are at least 8 metres wide, the course should be about 40 metres wide, and official training runs are mandatory before the race. For women, the vertical drop is 450–800 metres.
Technical differences between slalom and giant slalom
Slalom
Giant slalom
Turn frequency
Very frequent; direction changes equal to 30–35% of the vertical drop
Less frequent; 11–15%
Turn size
Short, rhythmic
A mix of long, medium and short
Gates
Single flex pole; line close to the pole
Two poles + panel
Skis
Short (at least 165 cm for men), no radius rule
Long (193–200 cm), radius at least 30 m
Helmet
EN 1077 class B is enough, soft ear protection allowed
Stricter FIS helmet standard
We explain the general differences between short-turn and long-turn technique in our guide Short, Medium and Long Turn Techniques in Skiing, and how the ski's radius affects the turn in the last section of the same guide.
Combined and other races
Alpine combined: The total of one downhill or super-G run and one slalom run.
Team combined: Of two teammates of the same gender, one does the speed run and the other the slalom run; the times are added together. At the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics it replaced the individual combined.
Parallel races: Two racers race side by side on two courses; according to FIS, at least 15 direction changes and a course of at least 160 metres are required.
Helmets and equipment safety
Under the FIS rules, helmets are mandatory in training and racing in all alpine disciplines. In downhill, super-G, giant slalom and parallel races, helmets must meet both the American (ASTM 2040) and European (EN 1077 class A) standards and pass an additional FIS impact test. We explain how to choose a helmet for recreational skiing in our guide Choosing a Ski Helmet.
From watching races to trying it on the slopes
After watching the World Cup, imitating slalom racers with short turns on the slopes adds a fun goal to an activity holiday. Doğadayız winter packages include accommodation, ski pass and equipment; lessons with an instructor come with the basic course packages. Watching a race together in the evening and trying short turns “like a slalom racer” the next day is one of the pleasures of a social adventure holiday. You will find the other styles in our guide Ski and Snowboard Riding Styles and the programmes on our winter activity holidays page.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
What is the difference between slalom and giant slalom?
In slalom, direction changes equal 30–35% of the vertical drop; the gates are single flex poles and the turns are short and rhythmic. In giant slalom, direction changes are 11–15%; the gates are two poles with a panel, and the turns are a mix of long, medium and short. Both are raced over two runs. Giant slalom skis must have a radius of at least 30 metres; there is no radius rule for slalom.
How fast do skiers go in downhill?
In one measurement taken at men's World Cup races, the median speed in downhill was 25.6 metres per second, or about 92 km/h. The highest speed on record in World Cup downhills is 161.9 km/h, measured in Wengen in 2013.
What is super-G?
It is an alpine discipline raced in a single run that combines speed and technique. The distance between turning poles is at least 25 metres, the turns are long and medium, and the course may include jumps. For men at top level, the vertical drop is 400–650 metres.
There is no official definition of turn size in metres; instructor associations usually describe it in relation to the width of the slope. According to PSIA-NW, short turns are about one piste basher width or narrower, and medium turns are between one and a half and three piste basher widths. In short turns, leg rotation, the pole plant and upper–lower body separation come to the fore; in long turns, a stable upper body, edging and pressure are decisive, and the turn shape comes largely from the ski's sidecut. Speed is controlled not by braking but by the shape and completion of the turn.
The main riding styles in skiing and snowboarding are piste (turning technique on groomed, marked runs), all-mountain (every condition, from the piste to soft snow and bumps), freeride (natural off-piste terrain and deep snow), freestyle (snowpark, jumps, rails and halfpipe), ski touring and splitboarding (climbing up the mountain without lifts) and racing (timed disciplines from slalom to downhill). The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) recognises dozens of competition events under alpine skiing, freestyle and snowboard, and in 2024 it added freeride to its official disciplines. For a beginner, the right start is piste skiing, followed by all-mountain.
Carving is a turn in which the ski travels along its own edge without skidding sideways. According to the International Ski Federation's definition, in a pure carved turn the ski's tail follows exactly the track cut by its tip and there is no sideways skidding; two thin lines are left in the snow. The radius of the turn is determined by the ski's edge angle, its sidecut radius and the way the ski bends: the more the ski is tipped, the tighter the turn. In a skidded turn, by contrast, the ski pivots on the turning path and slides sideways. According to the American instructors' association PSIA, in a good turn the edges are changed before the skis turn into the fall line, and the edge angle increases and decreases gradually throughout the turn.
