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Professional and Olympic skiing have many of the same roots and techniques, but the focus of the Olympic events is narrower than dedicated skiing events such as the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. These dedicated events allow athletes to focus on much more technical parts of skiing (such as telemark skiing, which combines several events including a jump and a slalom, and which uses specialized skis attached only at the front). These differences, though valid for enthusiasts, would likely not be noticed by the Olympics’ much broader audience.

Olympic skiing is more reserved, because it focuses on the skill of the athlete rather than his marketability. There are several forms of olympic skiing, and although we will not list all of them, there are some broader categories that divide the sport.

Snowboarding has also been included in this section, because it uses many of the same techniques as skiing and takes place on similar terrain.

Slalom
Skiiers race on a winding downhill track, and must keep on the outside of flags which the track is formed around (the olympic colours are typically red and yellow). Notably, the rules are only concerned with the skiiers’ actual skis, so athletes will frequently whip their torsos into the flags to hug corners as tightly as possible.

Ski jumping
One of the few ski events that does not use poles, ski jumping is the practice of using an enormous ramp positioned on the side of a hill to fly as far forward as possible. Skiiers competing in this sport often position their skis in a V shape and twist their ankles upward as much as possible to glide better. Professionals can remain airborne for very long periods of time depending on the size of the ramp and the track leading to it.

Trick skiing
Similar to a slalom, but instead of competing for time, skiiers ski a track with two or three opportunities to perform tricks, which are graded by judges. At the olympic level, skiiers are often given a second attempt to average their scores and prevent outlier performances.

There are several different types of trick skiing, such as the halfpipe, or mixed tracks that feature rails and small ramps. The exact specifications vary from each Games to the next.

Cross-country skiing
A form of skiing that prioritizes endurance and consistency over alpine skiing’s blazing pace. Skiiers ski on flat round compared to alpine slopes, and races lengths are often multiple kilometres. The challenge comes from consistently pacing oneself rather than the barely controlled accident that is an alpine skiing run.

Biathlon
A form of cross-country skiing that combines the endurance of that sport with the precision of marksmanship: athletes ski for great distances (while carrying rifles) before making quick stops to fire at targets marked at specific distances. Because the events are timed, skiiers make these shots facedown in the show with their skis and poles still attached.

Biathlon is an interesting sport because it is one of the most visible remnants of the Olympic Winter Games’s roots as the Nordic Games, which existed around the turn of the 19th century. Few other countries had the right kind of environment for skiing and shooting, but in a Nordic or Scandinavian country, combining the two was often a matter of necessity if you wanted to eat.

Snowboarding
Snowboarding has many of the same broad goals as skiing, and many of the same goals (control the board, complete a challenge quickly, perform tricks to gain points from the judges, etc.). The sport first originated in 1965, and originated as a recreational activity in contrast to skiing, which has many practical applications for hunters and rescue personnel.

The most distinctive feature of snowboarding is as simple as it looks: athletes compete with two feet on a board instead of two skis. This allows them to be more stable than skiiers, and for amateurs to take up the sport with less work on their balance. Aside from the different stance, the sports are quite similar, and their Olympic events are also quite similar: athletes take part in races, trick competitions, and combinations thereof. There is no snowboarding equivalent of biathlon or ski jumping.

History
Skiing has been around as long as the Olympic Winter Games have existed. It is a popular and simple sport, which gives it enduring appeal for spectators and organizers alike.

Differences
[list any notable differences from the professional sports played the majority of the time]

Olympians
[mention any notable athletes who achieved success at the olympic games in this sport]