Because of the sport's dangerous nature, there are strict equipment guidelines and if any item of a skier's gear does not pass an inspection after each run, the athlete is disqualified.
Men's alpine skis must be a minimum of 155 centimetres (about 5 feet) in length; women's skis must be at least 150cm.
At the bindings, the skis must be at least 60 millimetres (about 2.5 inches) wide.
In slalom and giant slalom, the minimum height of the ski's shovel tip is 50mm. In downhill and super-G, the minimum tip height is 30mm.
There are no restrictions on the maximum length, weight, camber, flexibility or composition of the skis.
The greater the height of the heel inside a ski boot, the more movement and control a skier has.
But the maximum distance between the ski boot sole and the base of the heel is 45mm for women and 50mm for men.
In the downhill and super-G, poles are curved to fit around the body to reduce air resistance.
In the slalom events, poles are straight and usually have plastic guards covering the knuckles to prevent any injuries which could occur when the skier knocks a gate while brushing past.
