The Israel Ski Federation
The Israel Ski Federation was founded in 1976 and was accepted as a member of the International Ski Federation in 1978. The Objective of the Israel Ski Federation is to promote the sport of ski racing among Israeli Skiers.

Most of the Federations activities have been organized around encouraging Israeli children to take up skiing as a sport. Since 1984 Israel has been sending teams of the children to compete in international Children’s Ski Races organized under the auspices of the International Ski Federation. Each year the Federation sends children to compete in Children’s competitions in Andorra, Italy, Slovenia, France and Spain.

Many of these children who started to compete as children have gone on to represent Israel as “Seniors” in ski races all over Europe from Norway to Serbia. Since 1993 Israel has sent representative to compete in the Alpine Ski World Championships.

Marioka, Japan Peter Szollos

Sierra Nevada, Spain Sharone Tzuela, Yulia Wolchoviter

Sestriere, Italy Sharone Tzuela, Yulia Wolchoviter

Vail, USA Sonia Markh, Hila Rosenberg, Aaron Moscovitz

St. Anton, Austria Hila Rosenberg, Katie Hitzig, Eyal Last

st. Moritz, Austria Katie Hitzig, Sonia Markh,
Eyal Last, Shahar Degani, Mikail Renzhin

  Bormio, Italy, Mikail Renzhin, Eyal Last, Gilad Talme

In addition, the Ski Federation has assisted a number of new immigrant athletes to participate in Cross Country events including the World Championships in Obertsdorf, Germany and Wasalopet Marathon races in Sweden, Switzerland and Italy.

Recently the Ski Federation has enlarged it’s scope of activity to include Snowboard and has even assisted Tal Tzomer and Galia Volpe to attend a Snowboard training camp in Solda, Italy. Tal Tzomer represented Israel in a Snowboard Boarder Cross Event in Poland, with good results.

The Olympic Winter Games – Torino 2006
After preparing athletes for the World Championships for over ten years, we now have our first skier who will represent Israel in the Winter Olympic Games. Mikail Renzhin, originally from the Ukraine, immigrated to Israel in 2001, and after four years has finally been accepted by the Israeli Olympic Committee to represent Israel in the coming Winter Games scheduled for Torino, Italy in 2006.

The Children’s Events
Children can start racing in international ski races when they are approximately eleven years old. They can continue to race in children’s events until they are fifteen years old. After that age the competition becomes serious and only the those children who are very committed to an athletic life style go on to race as “juniors” and participate in races organized all over the alps by the International Ski Federation.

Giant Slalom: This event takes place on a hill with a maximum vertical drop of 250 meters it is run in two runs. The number of gates (changes in direction) is equal to 11%-15% of the vertical drop (32 – 38 gates).
Special Slalom: This event takes place on a his with a maximum vertical drop of 120 – 160 meters, with 32-40 gates (changes of direction) including gate combinations which test the competitors ability to adapt quickly to changes in rhythm and pace.