[Photo: Sporting Pictures (UK) Limited]

If you think that you might be the next Alberto Tomba, if you need extra motivation to work on your skiing, or if you simply want to have some fun, why not have a go at competing?

Open competitions

Many resorts offer the chance for interested skiers to have a go at racing. Some have parallel courses set up permanently, where you can pay to race against a friend. Others participate in nationally-administered schemes, such as the American Nastar system: you ski a set course, comparing your time to one put down by an international racer.

Open mogul or slalom competitions are sponsored by local businesses in many resorts. These are open to visitors, and prizes are given in various categories. The emphasis is usually on picnicking and having a good time.

If you start to get more serious, you can enter a pro-am competition, in which members of the public are invited to pit themselves against professional racers in parallel competitions. These are particularly popular in moguls, and the prize money can be substantial.

Ski clubs and national selection systems

Almost every country has a system of ski clubs which organise training and competitions in each discipline.

In Britain, competitions are organised on snow in Scotland and also on dry slopes around the country. The Home Nations' (England, Scotland and Wales) Councils select racers for their national team from local clubs, and the British team is selected from these skiers by the British Ski Federation.

In the United States, the system is administered by the United States Ski Association (USSA) and in Canada by the Canadian Ski Association.