The first necessary things used in the sport includes outrigger skis, sit-skis, and mono-skis. Being dependent on if a skier sits, stands or cannot see, other necessary things may be used by skiers other equipment may be used by skiers including guide skiers, short ski poles, orthopedic aids, or prostheses. For skiers with seeing problems, guides are used to help the skier know the direction to ski. [10] For skiers who stand. Different part rules decide what sort of necessary things is let in competition, such as one long ski pole, two ski poles, zero ski poles, or one or two skis. Rules for necessary things use in competition are made by FIS and the IPC.
There are least long distance for skis used in competition is at least for men and for women. Bindings used for skis have a greatest point high level of .
Sit-skis are for wheelchair users or other skiers who have paraplegia. The first sit-ski was made in 1967 by Josef Shrall. Shrall is from the Bavaria in Germany. The first sit-skis had two wide skis, brakes, and were made special to fit a skier. The weight of the sit-ski made it so no skiers could ski moguls or on steep slopes. Sit-ski kept getting made better in the 1980s. A new type of sit-ski was made in Engelberg, Switzerland in 1987, and people were able to see it at a workshop made by the Swiss Association of Paraplegics. As the technology got better, a chair was made that could be added to the skis, made for skiers who had no disability. Now sit-skis are made from fiberglass and polyester. Sit-skis now have much less weight, allowing skiers to ski on steeper slopes and race in the moguls. Now sit-skis include seat belts. Sit-skis for people with disabilities and skis for people who do not have disabilities have improved to become special for different types of alpine skiing races.
Some standing skiers can use outrigger skis when racing. These are ski poles with small skis on the end. They help a skier balance when they ski down a mountain, and help in going short distances up a mountain. Outrigger skis also help skiers to do things like a climb a hill to get on a ski lift.
Guide skiers can see. They help skiers who cannot ski go down the mountain by telling the cannot see skier where to go using a radio or talking to them. Skiers can use more than one guide during a race type, but the guide can only win a medal if they raced with the same skier for the whole race type. Like the skier, the guide has to have an IPCAS Licence to compete in races. Guide skiers need to follow to anti-doping rules.
Skiers also wear special boots, helmets, ski suits, and goggles. Ski equipment cannot have advertisements on it at the Paralympic Games. Ski boots are made to connect to the ski at the heel and toe. They help support the foot and ankle with the use of materials like hard plastics. All helmets used in races must be hard-shell helmets.
Para-alpine skiing types are downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom, Super Combined and Snowboard. The rules are based on the rules of the International Ski Federation, though some rules have been adjusted for skiers with limited physical powers. While skiing, skiers go as quickly as an hour.
This is a go quickly based timed ski race, where skiers go over snow quickly down a sloping sharply direction that can be to lower than it started while having in it many turns and jumps. The first skier to finish is based on one run down the mountain, with the skier with the fastest time being the first. Skiers move between gates in the downhill. Downhill has the least number of gates among all para-alpine types. If a skier does not ski between the gates, they do not finish. Some ski races make a skier first show they are good enough to ski. They can make this be seen in the downhill or Super-G. Skiers can get points for competitions with skiers from other countries in races by International Ski Federation. Skiers can race in the downhill at the Paralympic Games.
Skis for women must be at least long. For men, skis must be at least long. Women and men's skis need a least possible or recorded straight line from middle to edge circle turn of . Skiers used curved narrow ski poles for this event. Men and women both need their skis to have a straight line from middle to edge circle of . Top speed in this event can be up to an hour. Before the start of the race, the skier needs to do a practice run, and need to wear a helmet to keep safe during all their runs.
Made in the 1980s, the Super-G is less scientific with skiers going very fast. From top to bottom part of the mountain, skiers go down to high. Acomparison to other para-alpine sking types, this type has a tendency to be mid-length. It is longer than the Giant Slalom and the Slalom but shorter than the downhill type. In this type, skiers go quickly between alternating red and blue gates that are apart, with men needing to go between 35 gates and women needing to go between 30 gates.
With a drop of to , this is one of the more need to be very correct when turning the para-alpine disciplines. This skiing type gets two runs down a straighter and shorter mountain than the downhill. It is longer and having fewer turns than the Slalom. After the first race down the mountain, the last 20% of finishers can be taken away from the competition at the authority of the judges. The starting order for the second run starts with the slowest of the top 15 skiers, with the fastest skier in the first race racing 15th. Any skiers who completed outside the top 15 then race based on their times from the first run. For example, the 18th fastest finisher in the first run skis 18th in the second run. In some competitions, an adjustment is made using 30 skiers instead of 15. The IPC/FIS run together make the rules for Slalom race. Giant Slalom is a race on the current Paralympic schedule. Skiers use straight ski poles in Giant Slalom.
The name for this race is from a Norwegian word that is "sloping footway." This event is the most complex ski discipline, with a drop of only to on an purposely iced mountain. This is the shortest of all the para-alpine race events and uses two different races with different directions down a mountain. Skiers go down each different race once, with their coming to an end position being marked based on their complete-time from both races. There are gates in this race, about 55-75 for men and 40-60 for women, and if a skier does ski between the gate, they are unable to finish the race because of the rules. After the first race, the last 20% of finishers can be taken away from the competition at the authority of the judges. The starting order for the second run starts with the slowest of the top 15 skiers, with the fastest skier in the first run skiing 15th. Any skiers who completed outside the top 15 then skiers race based on their times from the first run. For example, the 18th fastest finisher in the first run skis 18th in the second run. Skiers use straight ski poles in this race. In some competitions that need to show people you should be allowed to race in it, a skier can show they should be allowed to race using finish race times from downhill, Slalom, or Super-G. The IPC/FIS make the rules for Slalom. Slalom is a race on the current Paralympic schedule. Skiers often wear extra protective equipment when racing in slalom.
The Super Combined is a mix of two disciplines: Slalom and Super-G, or the downhill and the Slalom. In the event, skiers go down the downhill mountain race once and the Slalom mountain race twice. The three races are put together, with the fastest time for all three races being the skier who finishes first.
Snowboard has drops between and for both men's and women's races with the race being run over a distance of to . The race has alternating ski gates. The sport is only open to standing racers.