how fast do slalom skiers go

Most competitive slalom skiers typically reach around 40–50 mph (about 65–80 km/h) in short bursts on a race course, while recreational skiers are usually closer to 20–40 mph (30–65 km/h).

Quick Scoop

• Elite slalom racers can hit peaks near 80 mph (around 130 km/h) on the steepest parts of certain courses, though average race speed is lower because of constant turning.

• Typical recreational alpine skiers on slalom-style runs cruise closer to 10–20 mph if they are cautious, up to roughly 40 mph if they are skilled and push a bit harder.

• In water‑ski slalom courses, boat speeds for adults are usually in the mid‑20s to mid‑30s mph (about 24–36 mph), with 36 mph a common top competition speed for men and 34 mph for women.

Alpine vs. water slalom

• Alpine slalom skiing : Very tight turns and dense gates mean technique and agility matter more than raw top speed, so racers “spike” speed between turns rather than holding a downhill-style maximum.

• Water slalom skiing : The boat speed is fixed by the rules; difficulty is increased by shortening the rope, not going dramatically faster, so skier speed hovers around the boat’s 30–36 mph range.

Simple HTML table of example speeds

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Type of skiing</th>
      <th>Typical speed range</th>
      <th>Who/where</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Alpine slalom (elite racers)</td>
      <td>~40–50 mph bursts, up to ~80 mph on steep sections[web:1]</td>
      <td>World Cup / Olympic-type courses</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Alpine slalom (recreational)</td>
      <td>~10–40 mph depending on skill and terrain[web:1]</td>
      <td>Resort groomers and local race courses</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Water-ski slalom (competition boat speed)</td>
      <td>~24–36 mph, with 36 mph men’s, 34 mph women’s top course speeds[web:5]</td>
      <td>Tournament towboats on slalom courses</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Little perspective

Watching TV coverage, slalom can look slower than downhill, but those rapid, edge‑to‑edge turns at 40+ mph are happening just meters from the gates and the ground, which is why crashes look so violent even at “modest” speeds.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.