Skiing is a very versatile sport, full of different variations and styles.
Downhill (or Alpine) skiing is the style that you will most likely enjoy, on the slopes of a ski resort or designated ski area.
However, the sport can be much more intense than this for the right athlete.
So just how extreme can skiing be?
Certain types of skiing – most commonly freestyle and backcountry skiing – are classed as an extreme sport, due to the high risk involved with the sport. Altitude, speed, and extreme environmental conditions are contributing factors to the risk element of these activities. Traditional downhill skiing, while exhilarating for many people, doesn’t fall into the category of an extreme sport.
Skiing can be an intensive sport, no matter the type.
There are certain factors that decide whether a certain type of skiing is regarded as an extreme sport or not.
Below, we will go through these factors, and compare them to the different styles of skiing.
What is an Extreme Sport?
While the exact criteria can vary depending on who you are asking, it is widely accepted that extreme sports are categorized by their high level of risk.
A number of different elements can come together to create this risk including speed, height, extreme or unknown environmental conditions (such as weather, or terrain), and the use of specialized equipment.
These factors mean that the athlete involved in the sport may experience a serious injury, or even death while taking part.
Is all skiing extreme?
Skiing is an intensive sport, but not all styles are considered extreme.
Traditional downhill skiing is the most common style and isn’t classed as an extreme sport.
Most slopes will be in a controlled environment on a ski resort, where the snow is monitored to keep it as safe as possible for the people using it.
The speed is usually slower here too and there is much less chance of serious injury.
Freestyle skiing, while still being in a controlled environment, can be much more dangerous.
This style of skiing involves speed and jumps off of ramps to perform stunts and other aerobatic maneuvers.
Messing up a big trick can be an unfortunate move.
Backcountry skiing, on the other hand, is much more unpredictable.
The route is usually made up by the skier over terrain and snow that hasn’t been used by other people.
There can be a lot of obstacles in the way and descents can be much steeper than downhill skiing.
Even accessing these slopes can be dangerous and backcountry skiers will sometimes even drop in from a helicopter to get to the best runs.
How dangerous can skiing get?
The National Ski Areas Association reports an average of 43 catastrophic injuries and 39 fatalities per season.
This data is based on U.S. ski areas, and the majority of these resulted from collisions with objects.
These rates equate to less than 1 in 1 million.
Backcountry skiing is not factored into this data as it is outside of designated ski areas.
Because of the speed and stunt element of freestyle skiing, accidents do occur.
This speed means less chance of reacting to an obstacle, and the damage done can be much more severe than with downhill skiing.
Due to the unknown nature of the terrain that backcountry skiers will encounter, the risk of very serious injury or even death is high.
Cliff edges can appear out of nowhere, and the snow can hide dangerous crevasses or rocks.
In addition, avalanches can pose a very extreme and unexpected danger to the skier.
What are the different types of extreme skiing?
So far, we have mentioned two types of extreme skiing – the adventurous Backcountry Skiing, and acrobatic Freestyle Skiing – along with the traditional Downhill (or Alpine) skiing. O
ther variations of extreme skiing could include:
Speed Skiing
Travelling downhill in a straight line as fast as possible.
This sport regularly sees athletes exceed speeds of 124mph, with the current world record speed being set at 158.424mph!
Heli-Skiing
As we mentioned briefly before, heli-skiing involves jumping out of a helicopter straight onto a fresh and unused slope.
Using a helicopter allows the skier to access areas of the mountain that could otherwise be unreachable by climbing.
Ski Cross
Considered a form of freestyle skiing, ski cross is a competitive event where multiple skiers race down a course while avoiding obstacles and each other.
Ski Base Jumping
If you have ever seen the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, then you’ll know exactly what we are talking about here.
This sport involves skiing off a cliffside before deploying a parachute.
Is skiing dangerous for a beginner?
If you are thinking of starting out skiing, then all of these factors can certainly make you think twice.
However, most of these will not be encountered by downhill skiers, making it a much safer activity, especially for novices.
When starting out, there will be plenty of opportunities to learn in very safe environments, whether you are at a dry ski slope, or out in the snow.
Once you are ready to head out properly, the slopes are graded by difficulty, allowing you to ski within your limits.
When you feel confident enough, you can try the next grade up and one day, who knows, you may end up taking part in some extreme skiing yourself.
Skiing is a very versatile sport, which encompasses many different varieties.
There are many different degrees of difficulty and risk involved depending on what type of skiing is taking place, and some of these definitely fall into the realm of extreme sports.
Don’t let that put you off the sport though, as regular downhill skiing is a relatively safe sport provided you ski on graded slopes and within your own limits.
