Skiing is a competitive sport where athletes race, jump, and descend on snow using skis attached to boots. Skis are made of a mix of wood, metal, and plastic. Alpine skiing consists of downhill, slalom, and giant slalom (obstacle skiing).

The mixed event includes these three disciplines. It involves standing, holding ski poles, and skiing with skis attached to one's feet on snow. "Stand," "board," "snow," and "glide" are critical elements of skiing.

In the 18th century, skiing gradually evolved into modern competitive skiing. In 1733, the first ski team was formed by Norwegians. The world's first skiing club was established in Oslo, Norway, in 1861, where the first national skiing competition was held. Modern competitive skiing has developed into seven sub-disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined, alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and ski mountaineering.

In 2022, the International Olympic Committee approved the addition of ski mountaineering as a significant event for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

On February 2, 1924, the International Ski Federation was founded, deciding to hold the World Championships regularly from 1925 onwards, then known as the "Nordic Ski Championships," annually at first and later biennially after 1948.

Pure competitive skiing is notably competitive and specialized, demanding strict conditions beyond the average person's capabilities.

Recreational skiing is pursued for leisure and fitness purposes, with minimal constraints imposed by human factors. People of all ages can effortlessly and joyfully ski on slopes, experiencing the boundless pleasure of skiing.

Due to its thrilling, graceful, dynamic, and versatile nature, alpine skiing is regarded as the essence and symbol of skiing and the primary choice and core activity in recreational skiing. Evaluating skiing skills often uses alpine skiing as a benchmark.

Skiing originated in the icy regions of the Eurasian continent. Initially, in harsh winter conditions, people might have used strips of animal bones tied to their boots as skiing tools, enabling them to roam freely in vast snowy forests, pursuing prey and engaging in daily life and activities.

As time passed, skiing's practical value diminished.

However, due to its closeness to nature and life, skiing gained widespread acceptance, evolving into a modern competitive sport and a recreational activity.

During skiing, individuals experience pleasure and enhance physical fitness through self-control and adjustment. In the United States, around eight million people enjoy skiing.

Historically, skiing can be classified into ancient, modern, and contemporary. Regarding skiing conditions and participants' objectives, it can be divided into practical skiing (used in forestry, border patrol, hunting, transportation, etc., primarily replaced by machinery), competitive skiing (elevating skiing into a competitive sport under specific conditions), and recreational (entertainment, fitness) skiing adapted to modern cultural and lifestyle needs.

While these three types of skiing share similar objectives in equipment, terrain, devices, and technical forms, they still have significant differences in function and other aspects.