The super giant slalom, sometimes known as super-G, is a type of alpine ski racing. It is considered a “speed” race together with the quicker downhill, in contrast to the “technical” giant slalom and slalom.
The 1983 season was its first appearance on the World Cup calendar, and subsequent years saw its addition to the World Championships and the Winter Olympics.
What Does Super G Stand For
Like downhill, super-G courses have widely spaced gates that competitors must navigate. Courses are designed to require more turns than downhill, with speeds still significantly greater than giant slalom (hence the name).
Each competitor gets only one chance to post their fastest possible time. The Olympic super-G course is typically set on the same slopes as the downhill course, but with a lower starting position.
The downhill and the comic book-sounding super-G are the speed events; the giant slalom and the slalom are the technical events; and combined is a combination of the two.
Each sport features both male and female competitors, and the successful introduction of the mixed team parallel slalom event at PyeongChang 2018 is just one example.
Skiers in the speed events race down the mountain in one continuous run at breakneck speeds. In the technical events, the skiers move more rhythmically from one side of the slope to the other as they pass through strategically placed gates.
Two separate runs are performed, with the top 30 finishers advancing to a final round. The quickest skiers from the first run are the last to go in the second, creating a dramatic climax.
Can you Explain the Various Alpine Skiing Disciplines?
Downhill
The downhill is the simplest type of alpine skiing competition there is: skiers simply point their skis in the direction they want to travel and start moving. The winner will be the fastest.
Normal speeds range from about 80 to 130 kph, with the latter sometimes being higher depending on the terrain. In a World Cup race held in Wengen Lauberhorn, Switzerland, in 2013, French skier Johan Clarey became the first to surpass 160 kilometres per hour.
Instead of flailing their arms wildly to maintain their equilibrium, skiers should strive for the tuck position.
The course is determined primarily by the natural topography, though there are gates the competitors must travel around to prevent them from taking shortcuts.
As a general rule, downhill skiers are more larger and heavier than technical skiers, and they require tremendous leg power.
Most skiers are doubled over in exhaustion and doing whatever they can to relieve the pain of lactic acid buildup on their thighs after finishing the downhill, the longest and fastest race. They haven’t tried hard enough if they aren’t.
Before the actual race, competitors are given multiple opportunities to “feel out” the course and get into racing shape.
Last Words
This is of particular relevance in Beijing, since the local mountains are less well-known than those on the normal World Cup ski circuit. Although it may seem like common sense to practise on the course before a race, this is not always the case in alpine skiing. Super-G, see below.
