Winter Sports Terminology

Alpine skiing

Base: Both the area around the finish line at the bottom of the hill and the depth of snow on the course.
Bib: Tie-on device that contains the skier's identifying number. Top-seeded skiers usually wear bib numbers from 1 through 15.
Carving: Making turns by cutting the edge of your skis into the hill.
Catching air: Becoming airborne, mandatory in freestyle events but often unplanned and unwanted in Alpine events.
Chatter: Skis rattling or vibrating underneath a skier. Ski chatter usually decreases speed.
Fall line: The straightest and steepest line down any slope. Also called the flow line. Skiers traverse a slope when they ski perpendicular to the fall line.…