Hairpin Turns in Slalom: next page back 1 page or Page 1

When two vertical gates are set in close proximity they are referred to as a combination, specifically a "vertical combination". A "two gate vertical combination" is a special case that is referred to as a "hairpin turn". The rules require that a minimum number of hairpins be set in each slalom course.Hairpins can be set in one of two ways, although they are predominately set in one manner, as we shall see. The first is so that the fastest line is achieved by skiing above the top pole and entering the first gate from the side opposite the approach. In this is case the first gate of the combination is referred to as an "over gate". The second is so that the fastest line is achieved by skiing directly into the first gate in the combination, or "thru". The first gate, then, is referred to as a "thru gate". It must be remembered that the description of the gates does not depict the correct legal passage. Any means used to properly cross each gate line, from any direction or in any sequence, is legal. However, there is usually one one line that results in the fastest negotiation of the gates. The descriptions here depict the fastest line.