Speed skiing

Speed skiing dates from 1898 with a run by American Tommy Todd, reported at . Official records began with an run by Leo Gasperl in 1932. While training for the 1956 Winter Olympics, American downhiller Ralph Miller is credited with being the first to break , at nearly in August 1955 at Portillo, Chile, a record which held up for fifteen years. In 1978, also at Portillo, American Steve McKinney's run of made him the first to break the barrier. It was a demonstration sport at the Albertville 1992 Winter Olympics on the Les Arcs speed skiing course, but was deemed too dangerous after several recorded deaths. ==Description==

Speed skiing is practiced on steep, specially designed courses in length. There are approximately thirty of these courses worldwide, many of them at high altitudes to minimize air resistance. The first of the course (the launching area) is used to gain speed, the top speed is measured in the next (the timing zone) and the last (the run-out area) is used for slowing down and coming to a stop. The start point in FIS races is chosen so that, in theory, skiers should not exceed , hence competition is aimed at winning a particular event, not breaking world speed records. At pro races, there is no maximum speed and the speed attained is determined by conditions and safety. ==Equipment==

Speed skiers wear dense foam fairings on their lower legs and aerodynamic helmets to increase streamlining. Their ski suits are made from air-tight latex or have a polyurethane coating to reduce wind resistance, with only a minimal (but mandatory) back protector to give some protection in the case of a crash. The special skis used must be in length and at most wide, with a maximum weight of for the pair. Ski boots are attached to the skis by bindings. The ski poles are bent to shape around the body, with a minimum length of . ==Official world records==

The following records were set under FSV (France Ski de Vitesse) rules at Vars, France: • Men – Simon Billy (France) on March 22, 2023. • Women – Valentina Greggio (Italy) 247.083 km/h (153.530 mph) on 26 March 2016. ==See also==