Giant slalom specialist Alexander Schmid was disqualified from the Giant Slalom World Cup in Beaver Creek last weekend. The reason: His binding plate was two millimeters too high. In alpine ski racing, disqualifications and rule violations occur less frequently, but every now and then athletes get caught – sometimes very prominent ones. A quick overview of important rules, bans and bizarre regulations.
oxygen masks, Cryo chambers etc. prohibited
Alexander Schmid is not the first unlucky German from Beaver Creek: the giant slalom in Colorado almost ended in drama for Stefan Luitz too. In 2016, the Bavarian won his only World Cup race. But Bayern’s victory was almost denied. A trainer gave Luitz oxygen at the start. Because “scientific and medical equipment” – these include, for example, oxygen masks or cryo chambers – are prohibited, Luitz was disqualified. Only after a legal dispute was the former giant slalom specialist able to officially secure victory.
Fluorine wax ban was Mowinckel and Bassino’s undoing
At the start of the 2023 World Cup in Sölden, Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel left the finish area in Sölden completely detached and in tears. The athlete in the first race of the season was disqualified after the first round. The reason: When checking the material after the first run, the FIS officials discovered that the fluorine level on their skis was too high. Fluor wax, i.e. ski wax with fluorine content, was banned by the FIS at the start of the season. The World Ski Association wanted to send an ecological signal by banning substances that have been proven to be toxic and carcinogenic. Although there were not many other similar cases following the Mowinckel drama, as feared, athletes do get hit every now and then: for example Marta Bassino in March of this year in Are.
Half a second decides: Patrick Feurstein with an early start
Ski racers not only have to show up at the start on time, they also only have a short time window to start: five seconds before the start signal and five seconds after the start signal. The World Cup athletes must trigger the start gate within these ten seconds. Every now and then, racers get hit here too: Austrian Patrick Feurstein was half a second too early in the giant slalom in Adelboden and was disqualified – in the very race in which the ÖSV athlete would actually have scored points for the first time in his World Cup career. Incidentally, this mishap also happened to Feurstein’s compatriot Rainer Schönfelder in Adelboden in 2007.
Millimeters decide: Alexander Schmid isn’t the only one who stands too high
The most recent disqualification case in the Ski World Cup – Alexander Schmid and his binding plate that is too high – is not the first of its kind. The Swede Sara Hector, for example, was excluded from the race at the slalom in Are in March 2025 for exactly the same reason. But it’s not just the plate that can be too high: the height of the ski boot also has to be right, as the Austrian Mario Scheiber found out the hard way in 2009: He came second in the Bormio downhill run – but was later disqualified.
Prohibition of Carbon inserts
Three new rules have repeatedly made the headlines in recent months: One of them is the ban on carbon shin insoles. A turning point in the matter was Cyprien Sarrazin’s serious fall in Bormio last year. It was quickly rumored that the carbon inserts that the Frenchman had used had something to do with it.
Last season, the loose carbon parts were inserted between the ski boot tongue and the shin – on the one hand, to relieve the strain on the shin so that athletes with shin problems could also ski without pain. On the other hand – according to the accusation – the carbon inserts are intended to lengthen the levers, increase the power transmission and thus lead to a significantly higher risk of injury. However, when the carbon guards were banned, the outcry was loud: critics pointed out that there was actually a connection between the shin guards and serious injuries. The FIS has now banned it anyway.
Airbag requirement
What’s different this winter: All athletes who take part in a speed race (super-G and downhill) must wear an airbag. Last season there were exceptions that allowed ski racers to avoid the airbag. Since this season, however, no one has been able to get by. The athletes wear the airbag under their racing suit. Here’s how it works: Sensors detect a fall within milliseconds and inflate a gas-filled air bag over the back, neck and chest. The main purpose of the airbag is to minimize the risk of life-threatening injuries.
Cut-resistant underwear
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde’s serious fall in Wengen highlighted the urgency of cut-resistant materials in ski racing: The Norwegian suffered a deep, gaping cut on his calf. A photo of it that he later posted on Instagram made many followers shudder. All athletes in the World Cup – in all disciplines – must now wear cut-resistant underwear.