Reporter Column: Winter Break and Skiing
Reporter Column: Winter Break and Skiing
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  • 승인 2022.06.19 23:43
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The winter break in the third year of high school is a good time to invest in hobbies. I fell in love with skiing and visited the Yongpyong ski resort more than 30 times. Skiing is a winter sport activity in which you come down from the top of the mountain while enjoying the view of the mountain range and the open sky. Skiing is attractive in that one can run at a speed that is difficult to experience in daily life and you can directly control the speed and posture. Feeling the air while skiing down at 70km/h is like thin ice crashing on your face which is cool and refreshing.
The 2021/2022 ski season was the first time since middle school that I was able to enjoy my hobby without worrying about my studies. I thought it would be nice for more people to get into skiing during the winter break.
In speed sports, the equipment has a big impact, and the performance of ski equipment varies widely. Beginners find it difficult to purchase equipment. I also had a hard time getting accurate information. I have gathered information that is helpful for beginners when purchasing skis. This information is obtained from experts, including coach Seung-wook Huh, and through my actual experience.
First, beginners must purchase plates of the SL (Slalom) skis belonging to alpine skis. A plate is a piece of equipment that is also called a ski plate or ski. There are various types of plates, and since the slopes of Korean ski resorts have artificial snow and natural snow simultaneously, you must purchase alpine plates. The alpine plate is classified into ‘slalom’, ‘all-round’, and ‘Giant Slalom (GS)’ according to the physical quantity ‘radius’. The SL skis have the smallest radius, and the GS skis have the largest radius. The radius is the radius of the circle extending the curve connecting the thin middle part and the wide end of the plate.
If the turning radius is large, the distance a skier must travel during a large semicircle is large and the time it takes to make a turn is long too. A plate with a large turning radius is not suitable for beginners because advanced skills are required to maintain the turning motion for a long time. Contrary, the smaller the turning radius, the easier it is to change direction and turn while skiing, so an SL plate with a small turning radius is suitable for beginners.
Second, beginners should not buy expensive plates. There are several vendors where you can purchase plates, such as the ‘Danggeun Market Inc.’, and you must buy plates that are on the cheaper side. The higher the price of the plate, the higher the titanium content and the longer the length, so the degree of strength, weight, and long length stand out. Beginners must go through the stage of feeling a sense of force transmission, but the harder the strength, the harder it is to transmit force to the plate, and the longer the length, the heavier the weight, the harder it is to rotate. Expensive plates rather prevent beginners from getting the hang of it, and consequently expensive plates do not help improve their skills. 
In summary, it is recommended to purchase an SL series plate and purchase a cheaper product. In special cases where your weight exceeds 100kg or your athletic ability is comparable to that of a national athlete, you should consult an expert.
I was nervous when I skied for the first time at the beginning of the season, but now I am so glad I started skiing. I hope that POSTECH will open a ski course during winter break so that more people can enjoy skiing.