Giant slalom (GS) is analpine skiing andalpine snowboarding competitive discipline. It involves racing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than inslalom but less than inSuper-G.
Giant slalom and slalom make up the technical events in alpine ski racing. This category separates them from the speed events of Super-G anddownhill. The technical events are normally composed of two runs, held on different courses on the same ski run.
The vertical drop for a GS course must be 250–450 m (820–1,480 ft) for men, and 250–400 m (820–1,310 ft) for women. The number of gates in this event is 56–70 for men and 46–58 for women. The number of direction changes in a GS course equals 11–15% of the vertical drop of the course in metres, 13–18% for children. As an example, a course with a vertical drop of 300 m (984 ft) would have 33–45 direction changes for an adult race.[1]
.jpg)
Although giant slalom is not the fastest event in skiing, on average a well-trained racer may reach average speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph).[citation needed]
Giant slalom skis are shorter than super-G and downhill skis, and longer than slalom skis.
In an attempt to increase safety for the 2003–04 season, theInternational Ski Federation (FIS) increased the minimum sidecut radius for giant slalom skis to 21 m (69 ft) and for the first time imposed minimum ski lengths for GS: 185 cm (72.8 in) for men and 180 cm (70.9 in) for women. A maximum stand height (the distance from the snow to the sole of the boot) of 55 mm (2.17 in) was also established for all disciplines.
In May 2006, the FIS announced further changes to the rules governing equipment. Beginning with the 2007–08 season, the minimum radius for GS skis was increased to 27 m (89 ft) for men and 23 m (75 ft) for women. Additionally, the minimum ski width at the waist was increased from 60 to 65 mm (2.36 to 2.56 in), and the maximum stand height for all disciplines was reduced to 50 mm (1.97 in).[1] The best skiers tended to use a bigger sidecut radius, likeTed Ligety at 29 m (95 ft), andLindsey Vonn at 27 m (89 ft).
For the 2012–13 season, the FIS increased the sidecut radius to 35 m (115 ft) and the minimal length to 195 cm (76.8 in). Many athletes criticized this decision. Often David Dodge was cited. Dodge argues that FIS used studies which do not represent a scientific proof. He states that it is well known that if one tips the ski 7° more the 35 m ski will have the same turning radius as the 28 m ski. He states as well that knee injuries are decreasing since the 1990s, when carving skis started to be used.[2][3][4][5][6]
According to the FISSpecification for Alpine Competition Equipment for the 2024–2025 season, the specifications for FIS World Cup GS skis are as follows: the minimum sidecut radius is 30 m (98 ft) for both men and women, and the minimum ski lengths are 188 cm (74 in) for women and 193 cm (75.9 in) for men.[7]
The first giant slalom was set in 1935 on theMottarone in Italy, overLake Maggiore, nearStresa, on January 20.[8]After one month, the second giant slalom was set on theMarmolada in Italy'sDolomite mountains, by Guenther Langes.[9]
The giant slalom was added to theworld championships in1950 atAspen,Colorado, and debuted at theWinter Olympics in1952 atOslo,Norway, run atNorefjell. The GS has been run in every world championships and Olympics since. Originally a one-run event, a second run was added for men at the world championships in1966, run on consecutive days, and at the Olympics in1968. The second run for women was added at the world championships in1978, and made its Olympic debut in1980.
The world championships changed to a one-day format for the giant slalom in1974, but the Olympics continued the GS as a two-day event through 1980. Also scheduled for two days in1984, both giant slaloms became one-day events after repeated postponements of the downhills. Following the extra races added to the program in1988, the GS has been scheduled as a one-day event at the Olympics.
Upon its introduction, giant slalom briefly displaced thecombined event at the world championships; it was absent in 1950 and 1952. The combined returned in1954 inÅre,Sweden, but as a "paper race," using the results of the three events (downhill, giant slalom, and slalom), a format used through1980. The combined returned as a stand-alone event at the world championships in1982 atSchladming,Austria, and at the 1988Calgary Olympics. It was changed to the super-combined format (one run of slalom on same day as downhill) at the world championships in2007 and the Olympics in2010.
In the following table men's giant slalom World Cup podiums from the World Cup first edition in 1967.[10]
Racers with the mostWorld Cup podiums in giant slalom.[11]
| # | Skier | Total | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ingemar Stenmark | 72 | 19-02-1989 |
| 2 |  Marcel Hirscher | 59 | 24-02-2019 |
| 3 |  Michael von Grünigen | 46 | 15-03-2003 |
| 4 |  Ted Ligety | 41 | 28-01-2018 |
| 5 |  Alexis Pinturault | 41 | 12-03-2023 |
| 6 | Marco Odermatt | 38 | 12-01-2025 |
| 7 | Benjamin Raich | 35 | 01-03-2015 |
| 8 |  Henrik Kristoffersen | 33 | 27-10-2024 |
| 9 |  Alberto Tomba | 31 | 06-01-1998 |
| 10 | Hermann Maier | 28 | 23-10-2005 |
| 11 | Phil Mahre | 26 | 05-03-1984 |
| 12 | Gustav Thöni | 26 | 02-01-1977 |
| 13 |  Marc Girardelli | 26 | 27-03-1993 |
| 14 | Massimiliano Blardone | 25 | 13-02-2016 |
| 15 | Bode Miller | 21 | 08-12-2013 |
In the following table women's giant slalom World Cup podiums from the World Cup first edition in 1967.
Media related toGiant slalom skiing at Wikimedia Commons| Nordic skiing |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine skiing |
| ||||||
| Other skiing | |||||||
| Freestyle skiing | |||||||
| Snowboarding | |||||||
| Technique / learning | |||||||
| Equipment | |||||||
| Resort amenities |
| ||||||
Authority control databases: National |
|---|
