The term skiing refers to sports that use skis to travel over snow. Skis are used with boots that are bound to skis. Skiing is grouped into 2 disciplines; the first being Nordic skiing. It was originated in Scandinavia and is the older of the 2 disciplines. This includes Telemark, ski jumping and cross-country skiing. Nordic skiing uses free-heel bindings. These mean that the toes of the boots are attached to the ski, but the heels are not. The second discipline is called Alpine skiing. This originated in the European Alps. Alpine skiing uses fixed-heel bindings. This means that both the heel and toe are attached to the skis.

Pre-historic Samis and Nordic people invented skiing to assist them in practical transportation, military tactics and to assist them in hunting. Nowadays, skiing is more popularly used in sports and as transportation. It is difficult to master skiing techniques and there are ski schools that can help teach individuals the basics like stopping safely and turning. The more advance skiers can learn bump skiing, mogul, racing and carving techniques. Beginners in the sport start training on well-manicured slopes that aren’t very steep. So the risks involved are low. The risks are greater for the more experienced skiers who wish to test their skills on the steeper slopes with rougher terrain. There are many different types of skiing. There’s Alpine freestyle where skiers use balance and aerial acrobatics. There’s Newschool/Freestyle skiing that involve more tricks. Skiing freestyle usually takes place in ski resorts that have terrain parks. These terrain parks will have features like jibs, rails and jumps. Freeride/Freeskiing is similar to freestyle skiing, except that it is done out in nature. People with disabilities have specially made skiis that they can use. These skis are called outriggers, monoskis, bi-skis or ski tip retention devices.

Out of 1000 slope visits, only about 3-10 are injured. The most common injuries are knee injuries, but there are cases of broken bones, and sometimes even death. It is best to have ski helmets to help protect skiers from hitting their head.