Super Giant Slalom skiing
Encyclopedia
The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing
discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom
and Slalom
events are known as the "technical" disciplines.
at Val-d'Isère, France
; the winner was Peter Müller
of Switzerland. Four seasons later, it was added to the World Championships, held at Crans-Montana, Switzerland in February 1987
. Swiss stars Pirmin Zurbriggen
and Maria Walliser
won gold medals to become the first world champions in the event.
Super Giant Slalom made its Olympic
debut in 1988
in Calgary
, where Franck Piccard
of France and Sigrid Wolf
of Austria took gold at Nakiska
.
Hermann Maier
of Austria is widely regarded as the greatest Super G skier to date, with 24 World Cup victories, five World Cup titles, a World Championship, and an Olympic gold medal. His proficiency in Super G is attributed to his thorough course inspection and his aggressive course tactics whereby he opted for the most direct and dangerous line down the hill.
Another notable specialist is Kjetil André Aamodt
of Norway, a triple gold medalist in Olympic Super G races, winning in 1992
, 2002
, and 2006
.
saw the FIS
impose minimum ski lengths for the Super Giant Slalom for the first time; to 205 centimetres (80.7 in) for men, 200 centimetres (78.7 in) for women. A minimum turning radius of 33 metres (108.3 ft) continues to apply.
released an arcade game based on the Super Giant Slalom event, called "Sega Ski Super G
". It is more of a straight racer, like most Sega
arcade racing games. A sequel to the game, Ski Champ, was released in early 1998 in arcades.
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom
Giant Slalom skiing
Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G....
and Slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
events are known as the "technical" disciplines.
History
Super G was first run at the World Cup level in December 19821983 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title...
at Val-d'Isère, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; the winner was Peter Müller
Peter Müller (skier)
Peter Müller is a Swiss former champion alpine ski racer, a prominent downhiller during the 1980s. A world champion in 1987 in the downhill, he was a silver medalist the downhill in two world championships and two Olympic games .Müller was the World Cup season titlist in the downhill in 1979,...
of Switzerland. Four seasons later, it was added to the World Championships, held at Crans-Montana, Switzerland in February 1987
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1987
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1987 were held in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, between January 27 and February 8, 1987.The world championships included Super-G for the first time; it was first run on the World Cup level four seasons earlier, in December 1982.-Medals table:...
. Swiss stars Pirmin Zurbriggen
Pirmin Zurbriggen
Pirmin Zurbriggen is a former champion alpine ski racer. He won the overall World Cup title four times, an Olympic gold medal in 1988 in Downhill, and 9 World Championships medals ....
and Maria Walliser
Maria Walliser
Maria Walliser is a Swiss former alpine skier.Together with her fellow Swiss Erika Hess, Michela Figini and Vreni Schneider she dominated the female alpine skiing during the 1980s...
won gold medals to become the first world champions in the event.
Super Giant Slalom made its Olympic
Alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing has been contested at every Winter Olympics since 1936, when a combined event was held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. From 1948–80, the Winter Olympics also served as the World Championships in Olympic years...
debut in 1988
Alpine skiing at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1988 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten events were held at the Nakiska ski area in Kananaskis from February 15-27, 1988....
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, where Franck Piccard
Franck Piccard
Franck Piccard is a French former Alpine skier.A native of Les Saisies, Piccard won a total of four Alpine skiing World Cup races....
of France and Sigrid Wolf
Sigrid Wolf
Sigrid Wolf is an Austrian former Alpine skier.She came in the spotlight when she placed fourth in the downhill in Santa Caterina in 1985. Sigrid Wolf won the Super-G gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary ahead of Michela Figini and Karen Percy. This was the first time it was ever arranged a...
of Austria took gold at Nakiska
Nakiska
Nakiska is a ski resort in the Kananaskis Country region of the Canadian province of Alberta. It is located from Calgary, west on Highway 1 and south on Highway 40 ....
.
Hermann Maier
Hermann Maier
Hermann Maier is an Austrian former alpine ski racer. Maier ranks among the finest alpine ski racers in history, having won four overall World Cup titles , two Olympic gold medals , and three World Championship titles...
of Austria is widely regarded as the greatest Super G skier to date, with 24 World Cup victories, five World Cup titles, a World Championship, and an Olympic gold medal. His proficiency in Super G is attributed to his thorough course inspection and his aggressive course tactics whereby he opted for the most direct and dangerous line down the hill.
Another notable specialist is Kjetil André Aamodt
Kjetil André Aamodt
Kjetil André Aamodt is a Norwegian former alpine ski racer, and is the most decorated in history....
of Norway, a triple gold medalist in Olympic Super G races, winning in 1992
Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events at three venues, held near Albertville, France. Val-d'Isère hosted the men's events, except the slalom, held at Les Menuires; all five of the women's alpine events were held at Méribel...
, 2002
Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events held near Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. The downhill, Super G, and combined events were held at Snowbasin, the giant slalom at Park City, and the slalom at Deer Valley...
, and 2006
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...
.
Equipment
In an attempt to increase safety, the 2004 season2004 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 38th World Cup season began in October 2003 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded at the World Cup finals in Sestriere, Italy, in March 2004. Sestriere would host the alpine skiing events at the 2006 Winter Olympics....
saw the FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
impose minimum ski lengths for the Super Giant Slalom for the first time; to 205 centimetres (80.7 in) for men, 200 centimetres (78.7 in) for women. A minimum turning radius of 33 metres (108.3 ft) continues to apply.
Sega arcade game
In 1996, SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
released an arcade game based on the Super Giant Slalom event, called "Sega Ski Super G
Sega Ski Super G
Sega Ski Super G is a skiing arcade video game released by Sega in 1996. The game was built on the Sega Model 2 arcade hardware.-Gameplay:In Sega Ski Super G, the objective is to race against other opponents under a time limit. The game has two modes: World Series and Time Attack.-References:1....
". It is more of a straight racer, like most Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
arcade racing games. A sequel to the game, Ski Champ, was released in early 1998 in arcades.
See also
- CombinedAlpine skiing combinedCombined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
- DownhillDownhillDownhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
- Giant slalom
- Skiing and Skiing TopicsSkiingSkiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
- SlalomSlalom skiingSlalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
- List of Olympic medalists in men's super G
- List of Olympic medalists in women's super G
- List of Paralympic medalists in men's super G
- List of Paralympic medalists in women's super G
- List of World Champions in super G
- Sega Ski Super GSega Ski Super GSega Ski Super G is a skiing arcade video game released by Sega in 1996. The game was built on the Sega Model 2 arcade hardware.-Gameplay:In Sega Ski Super G, the objective is to race against other opponents under a time limit. The game has two modes: World Series and Time Attack.-References:1....
External links
- FIS-Ski.com - results of first World Cup Super G race - Val-d'Isère- Dec-1982
- U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association - National governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding in the United States
- Slalåm Skiing Information - Slalåm community