Discover the Best Alpine Skiing Betting Offers

Sometimes referred to as downhill skiing, the art of alpine skiing involves getting down snow covered slopes using skis that have fixed-heel bindings. The difference is important when you realize that other skiing disciplines like ski jumping and cross-country skiing use free-heel bindings.

That’s not the only thing that differentiates the activity from other forms of skiing, of course. It’s not unusual for skiers to go ‘off-piste’, for example, sometimes using snowmobiles or even helicopters to get them to the top of an otherwise difficult to reach slope.

The more simplistic version of the pastime takes place at ski resorts where there are ski lifts to take participants to their destination. There are also restaurants on resort and sometimes artificial snow is used to ensure that the slopes are ready for use in the key seasons.

In essence there is actually very little difference between the version of the event that an average punter can take part in and the one that is done by professionals, with the level of difficult of the slopes being the number one deciding factor. It is the competitive version of things that we’re most interested in, with alpine skiing having been part of the Winter Olympics since 1936.

The Equipment

It goes without saying that the most important equipment involved in skiing are the skis themselves. They are improving every year, barely being recognizable compared to those used during the 1980s and offering numerous different types of skis depending on the event that the user is taking part in. If there is a huge amount of fresh snow on the slopes, for example, then powder skis are usually brought in for use, whilst a typical alpine skier would be more likely to use all-mountain skis.

The ski also includes a binding, which is what links the skiers boots to the skis themselves and have a safety release to prevent an injury. There are two main types of binding: the heel and toe system and the plate system.

If skis are the most important piece of equipment then the boots aren’t too far behind, connect the user to the skis and giving them control over the skis themselves. The boots are split into two parts, which constitute the inner boot and the outer shell. The latter is made of plastic and is what clicks into the binding, also offering a buckle to allow users to make sure they’re attached to them securely.

Poles are used to both help propel a skier along and also offer a degree of balance as the skier moves along a slope. They are important, but not as crucial as the helmet that offers protection for the user to avoid a head injury. They are usually made of hard plastic and have an inner liner that is designed to trap warmth inside.

They’re important because in 2014 there were over 114,000 alpine skiing injuries, with head injuries having the possibility of being life-threatening. In the world of alpine skiing between 2 and 4 people will need to see a medical professional per 1,000 skiers on average.

Major Competitions

The world of competitive alpine skiing is broken up into two main disciplines: racing and freestyle skiing. The former includes the slalom, giant slalom and combined race types whilst the latter is more about events such as moguls, halfpipe and skicross. Neither speed skiing nor grass skiing are usually considering to be part of the alpine skiing discipline, though both come under the auspices of the FIS.

When it comes to competitive skiing there are also two things to think about, which are whether you’re looking at generic competitions that any skier can enter or whether you’re more concerned with top-class skiing competitions that are only open to those at the top of their game.

When it comes to the latter there are three main competitions that the best of the best take part in each time they roll around, so we’ll look at them closer.

FIS World Cup

The FIS World Cup is an example of how a group of enthusiasts can influence the biggest movers and shakers in a given sport. It was started in 1966 by a group of friends who loved skiing. They were helped in their desire to make it a major event by the fact that some of those friends included a French journalist, the alpine ski directors of France and others from the USA, but the fact remains that they wanted to start a competition and they did so.

The President of the International Ski Federation, Marc Holder, soon offered it his backing and by the spring of the following year it had become an official FIS event. The event offers numerous disciplines for competitors to prove their worth in, namely:

• Slalom;
• Giant Slalom;
• Super G;
• Downhill;
• Combined.

Points are given to the top finishers in each event and the skier with the most points in any given discipline is declared the winner. The points are awarded as follows:

• 1st: 100 points;
• 2nd: 80 points;
• 3rd: 60 points.

Fewer and fewer points are then awarded to competitors until the skier that came 30th receives just 1 point.

This is an annual event and takes place across a season, requiring immense discipline from competitors and leading to it widely being perceived to be even more prestigious an event than the Olympics. It often takes place around the world and has been known to be hosted by countries as diverse as Argentina and Japan.

When it comes to alpine skiing, there is no bigger international circuit than the World Cup and you can trust that a large number of bookies will price up the various events that are taking place.

World Ski Championships

This International Ski Federation-run event takes place on an annual basis, with the competition tending to run over a fortnight and there are a huge number of disciplines when it comes to the men and women’s event. You often get 75 nations participating overall and World Ski Championships betting tips are provided for all the key disciplines such as Super-G, Giant Slalom and Slalom.

You can look at the results of recent competitions to get a feel for which competitors are likely to be successful, while also judging the course conditions to see who might gain an advantage.

Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics takes place every four years and every skier dreams of landing Olympic gold when they head to the slopes to compete for medals against their rivals. Winter Olympics Alpine Skiing betting tips are provided in the lead-up to the big events. You may inspect what has been happening on the World Cup circuit in the previous season and that usually provides some accurate pointers for what is likely to happen on the big stage. Look at the various markets and try to find something that is attractive to you.

Disciplines

There are four disciplines of Alpine skiing. They include giant slalom, slalom, downhill, and super giant slalom which is also known as Super G. In each of the four disciplines, the primary goal is to cross the finish line in the shortest time possible. To become the winner, you must cross the finish line ahead of other competitors. However, contestants utilize different techniques.

As per the rules put in place, both Super-G and downhill skiing are speed events. The competitors are compelled to generate high speeds since the course has more extended runs, the slopes are bigger, and there are greater distances between the gates.

The slalom and giant slalom, on the other hand, are more of technical events since the gates tend to have more turns and gates. If you are going to do some skiing betting, it is vital that you understand every aspect of the game and how good the players are. That way, you will be able to predict the outcomes accurately.

Downhill Skiing

Downhill is often regarded as the purest form of skiing and it’s very much down to high speed performance where the athletes aim to negotiate a slope in the quickest possible time. Downhill skiing betting tips are provided for all the big competitions and you will find this discipline is a regular feature when it comes to World Cup stages, with each of the male competitors looking to finish top of the overall standings and it’s a case of trying to rack up points that will give them a shot of glory.

Slalom Skiing

As you might be aware, slalom involves a skier negotiating a slope but also working their way around various obstacles or flags. There are variations of this discipline which tend to be called giant slalom, super giant slalom, parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom. You can look up the athletes who have been performing the best and you’ll often find these names at the top of the gambling market, with the prices roughly reflecting the probability of whether they succeed.

Giant Slaloming

This is similar to slalom skiing but the gates that the competitors need to ski through are spaced further apart. This is a technical event as opposed to the more speed-based nature of downhill skiing.

Super-G

This is one of the latest disciplines to emerge in the sport of Alpine Skiing although Super-G betting tips are now widely provided by betting shops considering this is one of the most popular events when it comes to the World Cup circuit. It is regarded as a speed event which isn’t dissimilar to downhill, with competitors needing to turn more where the former is concerned, although each skier only gets one shot at recording a fast time and that can often lead to some outsiders performing above their odds.

Combined

This was the first ever type of skiing to take place at the Winter Olympics and asks competitors to take on one downhill course and two slalom courses. The disciplines are raced on different days and the skier with the fastest aggregate time is the winner.

There is another version of this known as the Super Combined, which adds a speed race in the form of either a downhill or Super-G to a slalom run. Both of those runs take place on the same day.

Skiing Betting Types and Odds

Most skiing bets are straight up wagers on who will win a particular race. They may be for the following type of skiing events. Please note, this is not an exhaustive listing.

1. Cross Country: Cross skiing events are held for both men and women. There are races of varying distances. Competitions may include one-on-one races or team relays.
2. Alpine Skiing: Alpine skiing includes a variety of events, including the Giant Slalom, Slalom, the Super G, high-speed downhill and combination events.
3. Ski Jumping: Ski jumping is an extremely exciting event. It is often a Winter Olympics, fan favorite. Currently, only men can participate. It is considered too dangerous for women.
4. Biathlon: Winter biathlon usually consists of cross country skiing and rifle shooting. There are several different types, including individual, mass start, pursuit, sprint and team relays.

Many skiing bets will be presented as follows:

• Ski Jumper 1 –260;
• Ski Jumper 2 +150.

In this example, Ski Jumper 1 would be the favorite. This is made obvious by the negative number next to their name. This figure explains how much a person will win if they bet on them. A bettor would win $1.00 for every $2.60 they spent wagering on White. Conversely, they would win $1.50 for every $1.00 they spent on Ski Jumper 2.

Skiing Betting Strategy and Tips

Skiing betting can be profitable if a person does their homework, chooses the right sportsbook and thoroughly compares odds. Smart wagering of any kind partly comes down to a bettor doing their research. It is important to spend an adequate amount of time learning a sport, namely who the best players are. As with other sports, form should be taken into consideration in alpine skiing outright betting. If a competitor is skiing well and getting good results, it can boost confidence going into future events, and can often lead to faster times and better final standings.

Online betting sites that have a good reputation for being fair and paying their bets in a timely manner are the best ones to join. Bettors should also be on the lookout for free bonuses. Many will reward new bettors with bonus money they can use to make bets. These monies can come in handy. Skiing bettors must be sure that they compare odds before placing their wager. Most sites will offer different odds. Some will be better than others. Bettors should look for the best wagers they can get. It could make a big difference in terms of payouts.

Skiing betting isn’t as popular other sports. Not only is the interest lower but also there are typically less events to wager on. Because of this, skiing bettors may find their opportunity to wager rather spotty. However, there are a few really exciting events. Individuals may bet on the Olympics and the World Cup. These are two major events that tend to attract more bettors than normal.

For an individual to have the best experience possible, it will important that several things occur. They must do a decent amount of research, compare odds and work with a reputable sportsbook. This of course, will not guarantee that a person will win every one of their bets. However, it can decrease many of the problems commonly associated with wagering blindly and working with unprofessional sportsbooks. The Internet can be a lot of help for bettors looking to study the sport they are wagering on. It can also be used to compare sportsbooks and available odds.