IPC Disabled Alpine World Cup
Encyclopedia
The IPC Disabled Alpine Skiing World Cup is an annual circuit of elite disabled alpine skiing
competitions, regulated by the International Paralympic Committee
(IPC) and the International Ski Federation
(FIS).
Held at ski areas across Europe
, North America
, and East Asia
, the World Cup consists of timed races in five disciplines: slalom
, giant slalom, super G, downhill, and super combined . Medals are awarded for the top three men's and women's finishers in each of the three disability categories: standing, sitting, and visually impaired. (For a detailed description of the classes within each of these categories, please see "Paralympic alpine skiing
.") After each race, points are awarded to the top 30 skiers in each disability category who finish within a certain percentage of the winning time. 100 points are awarded to the winner, 80 for second place, 60 for third, and so on, down to one point for 30th place. In each disability category, the male and female athlete with the most points at the end of the season wins the overall World Cup title and a large glass trophy, the crystal globe. Smaller globes are also awarded for athletes with the highest point totals in each of the five disciplines. Additionally, a Nations Cup trophy is awarded to the country that accumulates the highest point total.
The World Cup is held every year, and is considered one of the premier competitions in disabled ski racing
, along with the Winter Paralympics (held every four years) and the Disabled Alpine Skiing World Championships
(to be held every two years beginning in 2009). Many consider the overall World Cup globe to be a more valuable title than a Paralympic or World Championship gold medal, since winning it requires a racer to ski at an extremely high level in several disciplines throughout the racing season—not just to perform well in a single race.
Disabled ski racers who aspire one day to compete on the World Cup attempt to qualify on one of the Continental Cup circuits: the Europa Cup (or "European Cup") in Europe
and the Nor-Am Cup in North America
.
-sanctioned World Cup race was held in Breckenridge
, Colorado
, USA in December of 1999, with the first World Cup titles awarded in the spring of 2000. In 2004, the administration of the World Cup circuit, and disabled ski racing in general, passed from the FIS
to the IPC
, although the FIS is still involved in some aspects of the tour. For example, a FIS technical delegate still oversees each race.
Paralympic alpine skiing
Paralympic alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. Paralympic alpine skiing is one of the sports in the Paralympic Winter Games...
competitions, regulated by the International Paralympic Committee
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports...
(IPC) and the International Ski Federation
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
(FIS).
Held at ski areas across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, the World Cup consists of timed races in five disciplines: slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
, giant slalom, super G, downhill, and super combined . Medals are awarded for the top three men's and women's finishers in each of the three disability categories: standing, sitting, and visually impaired. (For a detailed description of the classes within each of these categories, please see "Paralympic alpine skiing
Paralympic alpine skiing
Paralympic alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. Paralympic alpine skiing is one of the sports in the Paralympic Winter Games...
.") After each race, points are awarded to the top 30 skiers in each disability category who finish within a certain percentage of the winning time. 100 points are awarded to the winner, 80 for second place, 60 for third, and so on, down to one point for 30th place. In each disability category, the male and female athlete with the most points at the end of the season wins the overall World Cup title and a large glass trophy, the crystal globe. Smaller globes are also awarded for athletes with the highest point totals in each of the five disciplines. Additionally, a Nations Cup trophy is awarded to the country that accumulates the highest point total.
The World Cup is held every year, and is considered one of the premier competitions in disabled ski racing
Paralympic alpine skiing
Paralympic alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. Paralympic alpine skiing is one of the sports in the Paralympic Winter Games...
, along with the Winter Paralympics (held every four years) and the Disabled Alpine Skiing World Championships
Disabled Alpine Skiing World Championships
The IPC Alpine skiing World Championship, along with the Winter Paralympic Games, are the most prestigious level of international competition in Paralympic alpine skiing...
(to be held every two years beginning in 2009). Many consider the overall World Cup globe to be a more valuable title than a Paralympic or World Championship gold medal, since winning it requires a racer to ski at an extremely high level in several disciplines throughout the racing season—not just to perform well in a single race.
Disabled ski racers who aspire one day to compete on the World Cup attempt to qualify on one of the Continental Cup circuits: the Europa Cup (or "European Cup") in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Nor-Am Cup in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
History
Although disabled ski competitions date to the mid-20th century and the first Winter Paralympics were held in 1976, the Disabled Alpine World Cup is relatively new. An unofficial circuit began in the late 1990s, but the first FISInternational Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
-sanctioned World Cup race was held in Breckenridge
Breckenridge, Colorado
Established in 1859, the historic town of Breckenridge is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Summit County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a population of 4,540. The town also has many part-time residents, as many people have vacation homes in the area...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, USA in December of 1999, with the first World Cup titles awarded in the spring of 2000. In 2004, the administration of the World Cup circuit, and disabled ski racing in general, passed from the FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
to the IPC
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports...
, although the FIS is still involved in some aspects of the tour. For example, a FIS technical delegate still oversees each race.
Winners
| Year | Standing skiers | Sitting skiers | Visually impaired skiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Iveta Chlebakova (SVK Slovakia The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south... ) |
Laurie Stephens (USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... ) |
Pascale Casanova (FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... ) |
| 2005–06 | Lauren Woolstencroft Lauren Woolstencroft Lauren Woolstencroft is a Canadian alpine skier. She is an electrical engineer working with BC Hydro. She graduated with an electrical engineering degree from the University of Victoria. She now resides in North Vancouver... (CAN Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... ) |
Laurie Stephens (USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... ) |
Sabine Gasteiger (AUT Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... ) |
| 2006-07 2007 Disabled Alpine Skiing World Cup The 2007 edition of the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup were held from January to March, 2007. It was the eighth season of official World Cup competition in alpine skiing where athletes with a disability compete.-Calendar:-Visually impaired:... |
| Year | Standing skiers | Sitting skiers | Visually impaired skiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Gerd Schönfelder Gerd Schönfelder Gerd Schönfelder is a German alpine skier, one of the most decorated in history.He is a multiple Paralympic Champion. He won his first three gold medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics... (GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... ) |
Martin Braxenthaler Martin Braxenthaler Martin Braxenthaler is a German monoskier and Paralympian. He has participated in alpine skiing at four Winter Paralympic Games, in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010... (GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... ) |
Nicola Berejny (FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... ) |
| 2005–06 | Gerd Schönfelder Gerd Schönfelder Gerd Schönfelder is a German alpine skier, one of the most decorated in history.He is a multiple Paralympic Champion. He won his first three gold medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics... (GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... ) |
Martin Braxenthaler Martin Braxenthaler Martin Braxenthaler is a German monoskier and Paralympian. He has participated in alpine skiing at four Winter Paralympic Games, in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010... (GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... ) |
Chris Williamson (CAN Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... ) |
| 2006-07 2007 Disabled Alpine Skiing World Cup The 2007 edition of the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup were held from January to March, 2007. It was the eighth season of official World Cup competition in alpine skiing where athletes with a disability compete.-Calendar:-Visually impaired:... |
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 2000–01 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 2001–02 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 2002–03 | Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
| 2003–04 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 2004–05 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 2005–06 | Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
| 2006-07 2007 Disabled Alpine Skiing World Cup The 2007 edition of the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup were held from January to March, 2007. It was the eighth season of official World Cup competition in alpine skiing where athletes with a disability compete.-Calendar:-Visually impaired:... |
External links
- IPC Disabled Alpine Skiing - Schedule, results, rules and more
- Ski Racing magazine - U.S.-based publication that occasionally reports on disabled ski racing
- U.S. Disabled Ski Team - Official web site with news of the U.S. Disabled Ski team