Encyclopedia of Sport: Every sport from around the world
Topend Sports Logo

Ski Orienteering

Ski Orienteering is a winter sport of the orienteering discipline which takes place in snow-covered regions, where the objective for athletes is to navigate from the start to the finish through checkpoints riding on skis. The sport requires great deal of physical strength and endurance along with excellent navigational skills and ability to decide on the best route while skiing at a high speed.

competitor at the 2009 World Ski Orienteering Championshipscompetitor at the 2009 World Ski Orienteering Championships

Skis, boots, bindings, and ski poles are the basic equipment required for the sport. Each athlete is handed with an orienteering map, which highlights the control points and the order in which they have to be navigated. The map provides skiers with all the information required to decide on the fastest route. Athletes will be presented with several route choices where even a single wrong decision can cost valuable time.

There are "long-distance" events held over a distance of 20 to 30 km, "short distance" over 15 km, "downhill sprint" that is mostly over a downhill course, and "relay" events.

Ski Orienteering competitions are time based and the skier who completes the checkpoints in the right order in the fastest time is the winner. Each athlete will carry an electronic card which will be tagged to ensure all check points were covered.

The World Ski Orienteering Championships is the highest level competition for the sport and is conducted every odd year. A World Cup is also conducted for the sport every even year. There is a push to have ski orienteering at the Winter Olympics.



Similar Sports

Related Pages

send us a comment Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.

Sport Extra

Check out the 800+ sports in the Encyclopedia of Every Sport. Well not every sport, as there is a list of unusual sports, extinct sports and newly created sports. How to get on these lists? See What is a sport? We also have sports winners lists, and about major sports events and a summary of every year.

 → How to Cite