A Controlled Freefall
Speed skiing is the fastest non-motorized sport in the world. A
race is short but intense: accelerated by gravity, the skiers drop
down a seemingly vertical wall of ice. Approximately ten seconds later
they enter a timing area at a chilling speed of 200 km/h
(125 mph). After passing the timing gates, the skiers must
carefully come to a halt. Each run only takes about 30 seconds, but it's
a frightening adrenalin rush. The skiers must battle drag forces
from the wind and handle tremendous vibrations on their skis while
maintaining proper aerodynamic form. A fall can result in
broken bones, skin burns due to friction or worse.
It's by no means simple to reach such incredible speeds without any
form of propulsion.A proper tuck is essential for reaching maximum
speed. The boots of the speed skier force the body position
in a sharp forward lean. The head of the skier is lower than his butt so
that the airflow pushes him down. But the tuck position varies from
skier to skier, and the optimal tuck position also varies with speed.
Just as important as proper form is the proper equipment. Skis are
wider and much longer than regular alpine skis, and usually
weigh more for maintaining momentum (2.20-2.40 m in length,
14.5 kg per pair maximum). Ski poles are curved so
that they bend around the body, and are usually filled with lead to
weigh them down. Speed suits are made from
polyurethane/polypropylene to cut down the drag and thus allow
more speed. They also cause the skier to slide instead of
tumble in case of a crash. The skiers wear foam fairings
around their legs to further enhance streamline. Helmets are
mandatory, and also serve a double functionality with respect to
aerodynamics and safety. The helmets are usually custom-made to fit the
racer's body size and tuck position.
A speed skiing event typically spans three days: Day 1 is a voluntary
training day, Day 2 is a mandatory training day to determine the run
order for competitors, and Day 3 is the official competition day. From
top to bottom, the track comprises 3 parts: a launching area, a
timing zone, and a run-out area. The launching area has a very steep
slope of 50 degrees or more. The final 100 m of the
competition track are used for measuring the speed of each competitor.
The run-out area is for braking. The slope of the run-out area
must decrease progressively, and preferably end with a slight counter
slope. It is not easy to come to a complete stop from 200 km/h.
Competitors must slowly untuck themselves and use their body as an air
brake.
Although the sport has advanced significantly during the 1990s, speed
skiing is by no means a new sport. The first unofficial speed
ski record was set in 1874 (Tommy Todd, 141 km/h/87.6 mph):
although the time measuring for this run was probably inaccurate, it's
still quite an amazing feat on primitive wooden Telemark
skis. The first official record (Gustav Lantscher,
105.675 km/h / 65.663.6 mph) was significantly less, but speeds
have gone up dramatically since. The large improvement in speed in the
1990s is attributed to the changes in grooming of the track. Since the
early 1990s, grooming machines are winched down to make the track safer
and faster. The sport is actually relatively safe. Speed skiing was a
demonstration sport during the 1992
Olympics. Out of the 450 attempted runs during the Olympics, only 4
skiers fell.
The current world record holder is Philippe Goitschel with an astonishing 250.700 km/h (155.777 mph); the first skier to break the 250 km/h mark.
Men's Speed Ski records
1874 La Porte Tommy Todd 141.000 km/h ( 87.613 mph) 1
1930 St. Moritz Gustav Lantschner 105.675 km/h ( 65.663 mph)
1931 St. Moritz Leo Gasperl 136.600 km/h ( 84.879 mph)
1947 Cervinia Zeno Colo 159.292 km/h ( 98.979 mph)
1955 Portillo Ralph Miller 175.402 km/h (108.990 mph) 2
1959 Sestriere Edoardo Agraiter 160.174 km/h ( 99.528 mph)
1960 Cervinia Luigi DiMarco 163.265 km/h (101.448 mph)
1963 Cervinia Alfred Plangger 168.224 km/h (104.530 mph)
1963 Portillo Dick Dorworth 171.428 km/h (106.520 mph)
1963 Portillo C.B. Vaughn 171.428 km/h (106.520 mph)
1964 Cervinia Luigi DiMarco 174.757 km/h (108.589 mph)
1970 Cervinia Morishita Masaru 183.392 km/h (113.955 mph)
1971 Cervinia Alessandro Casse 184.143 km/h (114.421 mph)
1973 Cervinia Alessandro Casse 184.237 km/h (114.480 mph)
1974 Cervinia Steve McKinney 189.473 km/h (117.733 mph)
1975 Cervinia Pino Meynet 194.384 km/h (120.785 mph)
1976 Cervinia Tom Simons 194.489 km/h (120.850 mph)
1977 Portillo Steve McKinney 195.200 km/h (121.292 mph)
1978 Portillo Steve McKinney 200.222 km/h (124.412 mph)
1982 Les Arcs Steve McKinney 201.230 km/h (125.039 mph)
1982 Silverton Franz Weber 203.160 km/h (126.238 mph)
1983 Silverton Franz Weber 208.092 km/h (129.302 mph)
1984 Les Arcs Franz Weber 208.937 km/h (129.827 mph)
1987 Les Arcs Graham Wilkie 212.514 km/h (132.050 mph)
1987 Portillo Michel Prufer 217.008 km/h (134.843 mph)
1987 Les Arcs Michel Prufer 223.741 km/h (139.026 mph)
1992 Les Arcs Michel Prufer 229.299 km/h (142.480 mph)
1993 Les Arcs Philippe Goitschel 233.000 km/h (144.779 mph)
1995 Vars Jeff Hamilton 242.000 km/h (150.372 mph)
1997 Vars Philippe Billy 243.000 km/h (150.993 mph)
1999 Les Arcs Harry Egger 248.104 km/h (154.165 mph)
2002 Lech Harry Egger 248.280 km/h (154.274 mph)
2002 Les Arcs Philippe Goitschel 250.700 km/h (155.777 mph)
Women's Speed Ski records
1867 La Porte Lottie Joy 79.003 km/h ( 49.090 mph) 3
1963 Cervinia Emanuel Spreafico 127.138 km/h ( 79.000 mph)
1965 Cervinia Kristl Staffner 143.230 km/h ( 88.999 mph)
1978 Portillo Cathy Breyton 165.000 km/h (102.526 mph)
1980 Silverton Cathy Breyton 170.268 km/h (105.800 mph)
1982 Les Arcs Annie Breyton 175.353 km/h (108.959 mph)
1982 Silverton Marti Martin-Kuntz 179.104 km/h (111.290 mph)
1983 Silverton Kirsten Culver 194.384 km/h (120.785 mph)
1984 Les Arcs Melissa Dimino 200.780 km/h (124.759 mph)
1987 Les Arcs Jacquelyn Blanc 201.005 km/h (124.899 mph)
1988 Les Arcs Torja Mulari 214.413 km/h (133.230 mph)
1992 Les Arcs Torja Mulari 219.245 km/h (136.233 mph)
1995 Vars Karin DuBouchet 225.000 km/h (139.809 mph)
1997 Les Arcs Karin DuBouchet 229.008 km/h (142.299 mph)
1997 Vars Carolyn Curl 231.660 km/h (143.947 mph)
1999 Les Arcs Karin DuBouchet 234.528 km/h (145.729 mph)
2002 Les Arcs Karin DuBouchet 242.260 km/h (150.533 mph)
Notes:
1. Unofficial. Details on the timing accuracy unknown.
2. Timed on a stopwatch with 1/10 sec. accuracy. Perhaps
not the first person to break the 100 mile barrier.
3. Unofficial. Only the time was reported. It is assumed
that Ms. Joy ran the men's 1230 ft. speed track.