I often go downhill skiing (aka alpine skiing) in Colorado. In fact I just got new skis and bindings.
Wow that sounds exciting, I've never done skiing before. Is the equipment expensive?
Alpine skiing equipment is a little expensive but the bigger cost is lift tickets. Because alpine skis don't have free-heel bindings like cross-country skis, you can't easily move uphill with them and a chairlift is necessary.
Oh I wouldn't like sitting on those chair lifts, I don't do well with heights. Is the goal of alpine skiing basically to just get to the bottom as fast as possible?
Some skiers do that. They follow the fall line of the mountain to attain the maximum possible speed. However, you have to stay in control. Personally, I like to perfect my form.
Yes I can definitely imagine that you wouldn't want to lose control when going that fast. How long have you been doing this for?
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a recreational activity and Winter Olympic and Paralympic sport that involves descending a snow-covered slope while standing on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet.
The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the United States in the 1960s, became a Winter Olympic Sport at Nagano in 1998 and eventually was featured in the Winter Paralympics at Sochi in 2014. Its popularity (as measured by equipment sales) in the United States peaked in 2007 and has
skiing uses a specialized type of equipment. Generally, Telemark skiers use flexible Alpine skis with specially designed bindings that fix only the toe of the ski boot to the ski, thereby creating the "free heel". Oftentimes the heel is attached to the front of the binding by a hinged cable, which holds the ski boot firmly in the binding. These bindings are often non-releasable.
Telemark racing.
Originally made popular as a mode of backcountry transportation, Telemark skiing is now a World Cup sport focused on