Why do you hit the gates in the giant slalom?

Answer 1

I think you may be mixing up two different Alpine Skiing events.

Giant Slalom is a course where gates are more spread out. Two vertical poles with a net in between generally make up one gate.

Slalom courses are closer together, with one vertical pole making up each turn/gate.

In Giant Slalom, a racer may hit the gate with their hip or pole, usually when in a tuck.

In Slalom, skiiers cross-block gates with their poles or shins as they are finding a shorter line and setting up their next turn.

Not the best answer, but close enough.

Answer 2

There are a pair of poles that make up each gate, so I think you're referring to the "opens", that appear off to the side (due to the way the following gate must be approached in order to ski the best line). It still has to be there, as per FIS rules, at a minimum when there is a "Hair Pin" or "Flush" (in a case where one pole of the gate is not drilled due to safety or being obviously unnecessary, the plane will still be discernible). So a gate might be wide and horizontal to the fall line ("open") but all the racers start a turn so that it finishes directly below the inside pole of the gate. The poles that make up the gates can be any which way relative to the fall line ("through gates", "over"), depending whether they are set up as a combo, a flush, etc. Sometimes, due to terrain or an attempt to break rhythm and challenge the racers (as well as minimum FIS requirements that include visual rules, etc.) , it turns out that two poles might be placed right next to each other so that the next gate begins immediately, if the mext one is set vertically, such as at the beginning of a flush. So they're not really extra, per se. Picture some gates set vertically ("closed gate") and some horizontally ("open") to the fall line or in between ("offset"). And some starting back to back. Red and blue are traditional colors going back to the days of bamboo and flags, and usually alternate.

Though it may not look like it on TV, there is no one constant rhythm for the racer, nor does one stay dead in the fall line; which makes it technical and difficult. It comes at the racer fast and constant. An overhead diagram (www.owt.com/seltech/alsra/mrt_pics/gate_slalom5_flush.gif) or on-site inspection would likely be more instructive. It was probably easier for the observer back when slalom poles had triangular flags (they went away shortly after the move to plastic breakaways because of safety). Keep in mind this is all different for the other disciplines (Giant Slalom, Super GS and Downhill). Hopefully that helps. God knows that NBC doesn't explain crap to US viewers and then wonders why their ratings aren't better.