AY Honors/Skiing Downhill/Answer Key

1. Know the advantages and disadvantages of metal and fiberglass skis.

Actually, no skis are made entirely of metal. the inside is made by wood with a coating of metal. Metal skis are good for durability making your turns a lot easier even though it may seem heavier.

Fiberglass skis are better than metal skis overall. It has a beautiful turn being so light it has a good sidecut which makes a better smoother turn.

2. How does the sidecut of the skis help the skier turn?

The side cut helps because the skier can dig into the snow with the sides when "carving" along the trail.

3. What general rules would you use in selecting the proper length of skis and poles for yourself?

The skis you use have to be to your elbow or to your wrist with an up arm stretch depending on how big you are. If you are heavy you should use long skis that reach to your wrist and if you are lightweight then you should use short skis that reach to your elbow.

4. Know boot designs and how these features can affect your skiing.

The boot is the skier's vital link to the ski. The boot's design helps it to clip onto the boot and keeps it from twisting and turning. It gives the skier less stress knowing he doesn't have to worry about his skis falling off. It must allow the skier to flex forward firmly and comfortably. They must make the skier's feet warm in all climates, and they must be able to last several seasons.

5. Why is proper binding adjustment so important? What determines proper adjustment?

A binding adjustment is a useful feature of the ski. Without it the skier would fall off the ski and slide around.

6. Know what a safety strap or ski break is and explain its purpose.

Safety straps and ski breaks have two major purposes. The first purpose is to keep the ski near the skier to keep him from losing the ski in the case that it comes off and slides down a slope. Otherwise, the skier will be stranded, or at least experience a greatly increased time in reaching the eventual destination. The second purpose is to keep the ski from becoming a moving hazard to other skiers. If no ski straps or break was on a ski, it would continue moving until something else stopped it. During its trip, it could move into the path of other skiers, causing them to make abrupt stops and turns, collide with objects or other people, or simply fall themselves. Any of these actions could cause injury to those other skiers.

Safety straps usually go around the leg or boot. Though safety straps are effective in keeping a ski close to you, most manufacturers no longer make skis or bindings with safety straps. Even when the boots are released from the ski binding, the ski is still attached to the skier. Sometimes this causes the ski to hit the skier.

Ski breaks use a different method of ensuring safety. Unlike safety straps, ski breaks aren't attached to the skier in any way once the ski comes off. The ski break consists of two levers; one on each side of the ski and binding. When the boot is properly attached to the ski binding, the levers are kept upright and don't obstruct skiing whatsoever. But, as soon as the boot comes out of the ski binding, the levers snap down below the bottom surface of the skis to stop them from going very far.

7. What should you do if you come upon a injured skier who has not yet received any help?

If you see an injured skier, even from a distance, you should stop and help. If you are with a partner, one of you should go for ski patrol while the other stays with the person. If they are in a ski well, help them off with their skis.

11. Know how to get on and off a chairlift, Tbar, or J bar correctly and demonstrate through experience, without endangering yourself or others, your ability to ride this equipment.

Remember to lift up your skis when getting on and off a chairlift. Your skis can catch in the snow and easily pull you off the chair. Be sure to take your ski poles off your wrists but make sure you keep a good hold on them so you don't drop one on a person below the lift. When getting off, always look before you go down the little hill. A less experienced boarder or skier could have fallen and you do not want to run into them.