Winter Sports cover a wide array of activities, from ice skating to bobsledding. However, there may be no winter sport more popular than downhill skiing. Take a trip to any ski resort, and it’s evident that thousands of Americans have taken an interest in this exciting activity.

     Skiing has been around for thousands of years, dating back to pre-historic Norway. Since then, the sport has evolved in numerous ways, and made its way to snowy slopes around the world. It’s divided into multiple categories, including: alpine (basic downhill skiing), freestyle (skiing with aerial tricks) and nordic (long jump skiing). Skiing has also been very popular at the Winter Olympics, with 8 different events dedicated solely to the sport.

    Also, separate skiing events for persons with physical disabilities have been created, such as the Paralympic Games. These events attract thousands of athletes from around the world to the slopes.

    But why is it so popular?

   Many people in New England have grown up skiing. For example, from the age of 3, your parents put you on a pair of skis and sent you to ski school every day for a week. From there, skiing became natural to you. I can remember my first day of skiing, almost 15 years ago. I’ve been going north every winter since to ski.

   For others, it’s the learning curve. Skiing is among one of the easiest sports to pick up. Unlike snowboarding, which can be a very bruising and frustrating concept to handle at first; skiers learn techniques such as making parallel turns and stopping fairly easily. Once a skier learns the basics, he or she could ski an entire mountain (as long as it isn’t too steep).

  Skiing is also among the safest winter sports. Instead of having both legs attached to one board, both legs have an individual ski to prevent loss of balance. In addition, poles increase stability when skiers make turns.

    “There’s more mobility on skis,” said senior Dan Palmer. “On a snowboard, I feel like I’m sticking my feet in cement. I’m trapped.”

    Now, say you spot some flashy-looking snowboarders at the terrain park at your local ski area. All those flips and spins look really cool, don’t they? Don’t you wish you could do that on your skis?

Different kinds of skis have been made to accommodate skiers looking to catch some air. Jibs, All-Mountain, or Park skis are designed to improve aerodynamics of the skier, provide cushion for hard landings, and give skis a feeling of in-line skates. These skis are typically much shorter than downhill skis and make for a more extreme skiing experience.

    If you don’t feel like spending more money on new skis, remember that you paid less money on equipment than those snowboarders did.

   If you have family members who ski, chances are their equipment is a hand-me-down. Skis, poles, everything. It all belonged to someone else at one point. On average, skiers spend about $700 for new equipment. Some snowboards can cost as much as $900 alone!

   Skiing is one of the most popular and exciting winter sports around the world. So, next time you’re in the mountains, consider picking up a pair of skis and hitting the slopes!