WINTER SPORTS
Downhill skiing or Alpine skiing
Maximum use for sportsmen, of the slopes of a mountain, using for the rise mechanical means (buttock pullers, skips, chairlifts, etc...) to be able to run "at full speed" with classic equipment, on groomed and secured slopes. Notion of the exhilaration of speed (exhilaration : excitement that makes people lose their sense of reality). The current trend is to use parabolic skis and surfing.
Cross-country skiing
Unlike the piste, cross-country skiing often uses flat or slightly uneven surfaces. The equipment is very different "wax skis and articulated boots", on slopes that are also groomed. (Waxing consists of applying a layer of wax on the sole of the ski or snowboard. Its 3 main advantages are: Feed the sole so that it keeps all its qualities, preserve a good quality of glide (longitudinal glide), keep a good handling (lateral glide). There are 2 ways to wax: hot (being much more effective, increases the longevity of the glide) or cold). The alternative step technique (using 2 furrows) is increasingly abandoned in favour of skating (skater's step), which is much faster. In comparison, cross-country skiing is much more physical than downhill skiing.
Freeride skiing
Freeriding originally consisted in practising a sport (skiing, snowboarding, ATV, motorcycle, snowmobile, etc.) outside any formal framework, generally associated with the pleasure of large unspoilt natural areas, risk-taking and the absence of competition. Freeriding of any kind is an extreme sport that requires intense physical effort. Over the years, with the help of economics, the various disciplines have finally formatted. Today, there are specific equipment, competitions, professional freeriders as well as places arranged for a mass practice developed mainly in the mountains.
Snowkite
Snowkiting is the equivalent of kitesurfing in winter sport, the surfboard being replaced in this discipline by a snowboard or skis. Practitioners of this sport can reach speeds in excess of 70 km/h. When practiced in the mountains, one of the main differences of this sport with its other versions (kitesurfing, kite buggy, etc.) is the rugged terrain encountered in mountainous environments. These accidents disrupt the air flows which become more unstable than at sea (both in strength and direction), complicating the handling of the sail.
Snowshoeing
Given the evolution of this technique and its increasing power, we cannot forget it. Use of walking, with increasingly technical snowshoes on circuits similar to those of ski touring with use when the slope is greater than 35% of the ice axe and crampons. Subjected to the dangers of the mountain (avalanches). Many resorts have created small signposted tours for tourists around their domains. Family interest and children.
Sled
Gone is the heavy wooden sled of our childhood, here are the new generation sleds ! Plastic sleds equipped with bob style steering and brakes to better manage your race The main advantage of sledges is that they require less snow than skis or snowboards to slide from the top. As a result, they can be used on both peaks and low altitudes. To toboggan, you must respect certain driving rules that allow you to ensure your own safety and that of your partner: control of speed and trajectory, passing to the right or left with a safe distance, respect of the markings and signs, evacuation of the track in case of a fall, etc ...
Snowmobile
A snowmobile is a vehicle equipped to travel on snow, it is also the name of a sports discipline. There are many types of races that use a snowmobile :
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Oval track race
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Cross-country
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Mountain running
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Acceleration stroke
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Relay race
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Snowcross race
Off-season races on other types of terrain also exist.
Nordic skiing
It is a form of alpine skiing that is closer to nature since no ski lift is used, but on the contrary, you climb the mountains by equipping your skis with "seal skins" before descending them in an alpine style with articulated bindings that lock for the descent. Great notion of freedom, but subject to all the hazards and dangers of the mountain (avalanches). Need to be familiar with snow.
Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is a discipline of alpine skiing considered as an extreme sport. Often confused with acrobatic skiing, freestyle skiing is a new discipline that emerged in the late 1990s from several other disciplines such as mogul skiing, half-pipe or acrobatic jumping. Freestyle skiing is practiced in special areas called snowparks or off-piste (this is called "backcountry"). It consists of performing figures from snow or metal structures. The skier who practices freestyle skiing is called "freestyler", or more generally "rider".
Monoski
Monoskiing is a form of skiing, it is also the name of the board used to practice this sport. As with snowboarding or monoboarding or skwalking, both feet are attached to it on the same board. On a monoski, the feet are side by side and point in the same direction as the board. Standard ski bindings or fixed alpine snowboard bindings are used. Unlike snowboarding, monoskiing is practiced with ski poles. The monoski is a board as comfortable in powdery snow as in a mogul field. It is a versatile machine par excellence.
Speedriding
Speed riding is a sport combining skiing, paragliding and parachuting, the principle of which is to descend the snow-covered slopes equipped with a pair of skis, a harness and a small sail, alternating sliding and flying, to access places that were not accessible by traditional means.
Snowboard
It is an extreme sport, which is practiced on a board called a "Snowboard board" in winter and consists of performing increasingly crazy tricks in the air or on snow. Some people practice it in the Snowparks and others will prefer to do it off-piste. The equipment consists of a snowboard board, a pair of bindings (there are several types) and a pair of adapted boots. The position on the board is inspired by that of the surfer: in profile, feet across one behind the other.
Airboard
It is simply a new form of sled born of a different concept. By definition, the airboard is a sled inflated by air. Its difference is that it is mounted lying face down on the ground. We hurtle down the slopes while moving with the weight of the body. In any case, two handles on the sides make it easier to handle. This system also makes it possible to stop the airboard without any problem. It should be noted that the inflatable structure of the airboard makes it possible to cushion any jumps made during the circuit, but it is important to wear protective accessories when practicing as this can be done at any age. This does not diminish the strong sensation that can be felt when using it.
Snowtubing
You are looking for an original activity. Here comes the novelty in the world of skiing : snow tubing !
Snowtubing is an activity that can be practiced by young and old alike, it consists of skiing down slopes specially designed for the occasion on board a large buoy. The sensations are therefore guaranteed since once installed and launched on the track, it is difficult to brake or even steer the machine. But don't worry, snow tubing is a safe sport, you won't go in all directions, the buoy follows a snow corridor, a specially designed track like the bobsleigh. So yes, unlike sledging, you can find yourself with your back to the descent, or start like a top, but that's what causes the sensations. And after the effort, you can admire the landscape thanks to the snow line, a rather practical way. It is a wire that pulls the buoy up the slope.