giant slalom

The giant slalom is a longer version of the slalom—the type of skiing and snowboarding event that takes place on a winding, downhill course marked by a series of boundary poles or gates, which the racer is required to stay between while attempting to cross the finish line in the shortest possible time.

There are several slalom events in the Winter Olympics. In skiing, these include the slalom, the giant slalom, and the super giant slalom (popularly called Super G). The giant slalom and the super giant slalom feature longer courses and more widely spaced gates than the regular slalom, with super giant slalom having the longest course.

In snowboarding, there is an event called the parallel giant slalom. (In slalom events, the word parallel indicates that two racers compete simultaneously on identically spaced courses).

Such competitive skiing events are categorized as types of Alpine skiing (in contrast with Nordic skiing, which includes cross-country skiing and ski jumping). Alpine skiing is sometimes more generally called downhill skiing. The term downhill is also used in a more specific way as the name of the Alpine skiing event that takes place on a relatively straight downhill course—without gates.

There are also giant slalom events in the Paralympic Winter Games

In slalom events, the gates or poles are laid out in different variations and combinations based on the course and the competition rules. It is common for racers to hit the gates as they pass them in order to take the most direct (and fastest) route to the next gate.

Example: She’s a veteran of the slalom, but this is her first time competing in the giant slalom.

The term giant slalom has been used since at least the 1950s. The first records of the word slalom in English come from the 1920s. It comes from the Norwegian word slalåm, from sla(d), meaning “sloping,” and låm, meaning “track.”

The creation of competitive slalom is credited to Arnold Lunn, a British skier and winter athlete who developed the sport in the 1920s.

The slalom event in skiing was first included in the Winter Olympics in 1936. The giant slalom event was added in 1952, and the super giant slalom (super G) event was added in 1988. The first snowboarding giant slalom event was featured in 1998.

What are some words that share a root or word element with giant slalom? 

• super giant slalom
• parallel giant slalom
• slalom

What are some words that often get used in discussing giant slalom?

• skiing
• snowboarding
• Alpine
• downhill skiing
• Winter Olympics
• Paralympic Winter Games
• gate
• pole

There are giant slalom events in both skiing and snowboarding.

A super run by Alex Tilley in the giant slalom.

She finishes in 22nd 💪#TeamGB | #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/sfpq7YUfoc

— Team GB (@TeamGB) February 7, 2022

Haiti will make its Winter Olympics debut at #Beijing2022 with ONE participant.

Richardson Viano will represent his country in the men's giant slalom.

Talk about a one-man-army 😤 pic.twitter.com/EyQqoEx4Lu

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) February 4, 2022

🇦🇹 Benjamin Karl from Austria barreled down the course to win #gold in the men's #snowboard parallel giant slalom at the Beijing #Olympics.

Tim Mastnak from 🇸🇮 Slovenia took #silver while Vic Wild from the Russian Olympic Committee took #bronze https://t.co/RrqLwsgNj7 pic.twitter.com/Sr5JvpPBqr

— Reuters Sports (@ReutersSports) February 8, 2022

True or False? 

Of all the slalom events, the giant slalom features the longest course.