What’s slalom racing?

Slalom is a type of downhill racing  (Nor. “sloping track”). Although this is essentially a downhill movement, it involves a zigzagging movement down and across the surface of the slope. The average length of a slalom course is about 536 m (about 1760 ft), with a drop of 140 to 200 m (460 to 656 ft) for men and 120 to 180 m (394 to 591 ft) for women. The skier must maneuver through 45 to 75 gates. A slalom race is run consecutively over two different courses; the fastest aggregate time for the two runs establishes the winner. Quickness and agility count heavily because a variety of irregular surfaces is encountered.