Sports

Para Alpine Skiing

Athlete Alex Cairns moving fast on a sit-ski, leaning down on his right arm as snow kicks up around him.

Alex Cairns of Canada competes in the men's sitting giant slalom at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

What's it all about?

Ever thought it would be cool to hop onto a piece of wood and throw yourself down a giant hill at super fast speeds? Then you might just be ready for para alpine skiing!

How it's playedCarousel with 5 slides.

The sport: Both men and women with physical impairments such as spinal injury, cerebral palsy, amputation and blindness or vision impairment compete on the hill.

The events: There are 5 different events with names like super-G, slalom, giant slalom, downhill and super combined. Lots of fast action to watch!

The equipment: Depending on their classification, you'll see skiers on sit-skis, skiing with a guide, or using skis with one or two poles. (See pictures below.)

The strategy: Don't fall! And don't miss a gate or it's an automatic disqualification. These events are fast, and athletes can really get hurt, so staying safe is key.

The points: It's all about time. Depending on the event, the fastest skier wins based on one run or combined time of two runs.

Things to watch for

David Bendotti of Italy competes in para alpine men's slalom at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Standing Skiers

Standing skiers are in a sports class of athletes with leg or leg and arm impairments.
You might see them ski with just one ski, just one pole or no poles at all.
These athletes go fast, hitting speeds of around 100 kilometers per hour in some events!

Liu Sitong of China competes in the para alpine women's slalom at PyeongChang 2018. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Sit Skiers

Sit skiers are in a sports class of athletes with an impairment that affects both of their legs.
They use a sit-ski to go down the hill — it's like a seat on a single ski.
Some athletes in this class can't move their trunk much, so they use their poles to steer.

Mac Marcoux of Canada and his guide compete in the men's visually impaired slalom during PyeongChang 2018. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Skiers with Guides

Athletes who are blind or have low vision can ski with a guide.
The guide skis in front of the athletes and gives them directions as needed.
The directions are given via headsets, used by both the skier and the guide.

Action packed facts carousel. Use the next button to navigate through the slides.

Around WWII, a German man named Franz Wendel who was missing his leg, used a pair of crutches to make short skis.
Since the start of the Paralympic Games in 1976, Canada has won medals in para-alpine each time.
Athletes are divided into three categories depending on their functional ability: sitting, standing and vision impaired.
In 1969, a skiing program was started in Colorado for skiers who were blind.