Have you ever skied before? If not, then it may be hard to grasp just how much planning goes into setting up a slalom ski course, especially since it’s such an involved process. Maybe this is part of the reason why slalom skiing is considered to be one of the more sophisticated skiing techniques, as it typically takes longer to set up than other techniques. In this article, we will discuss some of the fundamental aspects of setting a slalom skiing course, including where to position the gates and the importance of snowmaking.
Table of Contents
The Basics
When you’re planning to set up a slalom skiing course, the first thing you’ll need to consider is the basic infrastructure. From where should the gates be located? Should there be hard walls or no walls between the gates? What material should they be made of? Once you have the basics taken care of, you can move onto the more finicky details, such as the size, shape, and placement of the bumps.
Where Should The Gates Be Located?
When it comes to the location of the gates, there are three basic options: between the markers, in front of the markers, or behind the markers. Between the markers makes the most sense, as it is the narrowest part of the run. This means the gates should be set back-to-back, creating a corridor of skiers between them, with only one or two gates at a time opening up the run. With two gates, it is possible to let one group pass through while the other is waiting their turn, which is something that you cannot do if the gates are not located in between the markers.
No Walls Between The Gates
Another important factor to consider when setting up a slalom skiing course is whether or not to put up walls between the gates. If you decide to go this route, then you can either go whole hog and keep the walls all the way through, or you can take out some of the walls, either completely or partially, to create more space for the skiers. The choice is entirely up to you, as long as you keep in mind that the more gates you have, the more you’ll need to keep the wall up, otherwise you’ll have an unsecured area in the middle of your trail.
Placement Of The Bumps
Lastly, you have the issue of the bumps. Do you want them to be flat or contoured? There are many different types of bumps available, such as the iconic trapezoid, cobbled, or humpy terrain. The placement of the bumps is also a critical factor, as you want them to be set so that the skiers have to brake significantly upon hitting them. This is how you make them “feel” like real mountain terrain.
Snowmaking
Depending on where you are and what equipment you have, you’ll need to decide whether or not to have snowmaking on your trail. If you choose to have it, there are various ways you can go about doing so. One of the most basic and cheap methods is to use portable snow guns, which are simply set up and left for the duration of the ski season. While this might be sufficient in smaller resorts, in bigger ones you’ll want to invest in a more sophisticated solution, such as a snowmaker. A snowmaker is basically a small tractor that propels a metal platter that turns into snow as the skiers come off the slopes, carving out perfectly smooth, natural snow, which can accumulate in perfectly tidy heaps, all while keeping the temperatures down at the same time.
If you decide to go with a snowmaking solution, then you’ll have to consider the size of your resort. For smaller resorts, simply plopping down a couple of portable snow guns might be enough, but for bigger ones you’ll want to look at investing in a snowmaker.
Final Considerations
Once you’ve set up the gates and the bumps, it’s time to take a look at some of the finer details, such as the width of the trail, the nature of the surface, and the presence of any intermediate markers. These last few factors can make a big difference in the feel of your trail and how accessible it is to beginner and intermediate skiers alike. If you have the money and the space, you might also consider laying down some of those iconic blue trails, which are essentially just that, blue, and add a bit of color to your trail.
One more thing to keep in mind when setting up a slalom skiing course is that it takes a lot of work to make sure everything is perfect. You can get a lot of wear out of this process, so be sure to have fun and make sure your customers are having fun as well.