no
In ski racing, downhill skis are the longest, but slalom skis are the widest.
you bend down, don't turn, keep skis straight, and you do better the more weight you have
Quite a bit is different. The gear is different, the skis are straight, as opposed to downhill skis being curved (the curve makes it easier to turn on a downhill slope), the boots in cross country are not stationary in the bindings, as downhill boots are, instead you can move the heels, and the poles used in cross country are longer. Also, the slopes are not nearly as steep as in downhill skiing.
over 100mph at least
No, the ski format is used with skins to climb up mountains, not for going downhill. You go downhill in board format. Then back up again in skins with ski format.
The average length of downhill skis ranges from 150-200 cm, with width typically around 80-100 mm at the waist. Downhill skis can reach speeds of 50-60 mph (80-97 km/h) depending on the terrain and skill level of the skier.
Yes, skis WILL help you get downhill faster if there is snow. You need to know how steep the hill is to know how fast you will go. If you add some ski wax to the bottom of your skis, you will go extra fast.
Alpine Touring, also known as Randonnée, is a type of backcountry skiing. Randonnée ski bindings are a cross between standard downhill bindings (toes and heels locked in) and telemark bindings (only toes locked in). With randonnée bindings, the skier can clip down the heel piece when skiing downhill (like downhill bindings) and release it when skating or climbing (like telemark bindings). Special ski boots are used with both telemark and randonnée; though, randonnée boots have rigid soles like standard downhill boots. Also, randonnée bindings can release during falls, but telemark bindings cannot. And a skier need not learn to turn differently on AT skis, as with telemark skis, since the heel can be clipped down. As for the skis themselves, AT skis are typically much wider and heavier than a basic ski-area ski, as they are used more often in deep powder and ungroomed conditions; though, randonnée bindings can be mounted to most skis. All Mountain skis are a mid-width type of ski, such that the skier can handle well in both groomed and ungroomed/powder conditions--the latter not as well as with AT skis.
When you store downhill skis over a long period you should put a storage wax on. This is a special wax designed to keep the bases from drying out and cracking. A good place to store your skis would be a place that is cool and has a medium humidity. Too dry will dry out your skis. Dark is also good as bright sunlight can damage the graphics and will make the temperature rise and fall which will also damage your skis.
Not unless you are a ski racer yourself, and were lucky enough to get top of the line equipment. World Cup skiers get the best race skis that their factory makes. They have many different pairs of the same type (downhill skis, for example) that they will test to see which are the fastest. Race skis are highly specialized and differ greatly from demo skis or skis that the public usually buys. You can see this reflected in the price. Race skis typically run $800-$1000 for the skis, not including bindings.
There are some main types of Ski turns, the Stem turn, the Stem Christie and the Parallel turn.Stem TurnThis is the turn first learned when beginning to ski.Going slowly downhill, with your skis in the 'Pizza', or 'Snow Plow', position, simply start putting more weight on the inside edge of one of your skis. To turn left, you put more weight on the inside edge of your right edge. This will cause your right side to go down the hill more than your left, resulting in a basic turn, maintaining the V or Plow ski position.To turn back the other way, repeat.Stem Christie (Stem/ Parallel)When learning how to do parallel turns, you will first do a combination of the two. You can start with your skis parallel, but to initiate your turn, you make a V, as in the Stem turn, with more weight on the bottom foot. Once you are nearing the end of your turn, you bring (either sliding or physically lifting it) your top foot parallel with your bottom foot, so you are skiing parallel again. Eventually you can reduce the amount of 'V' used in a turn, through practice, until you are making true parallel turns.Parallel TurnsThis is achieved through practice, and basically involves keeping your skis parallel throughout your turn. This can be done in two ways.Old School: Keeping your weight more to the back of your skis, you transfer your weight to the inside of your ski edge. This will cause both of your skis to slide in one direction, together. You can also do this by jumping, lifting your skis into a sideways position while in the air, so you land sideways, effectively 'turning'.Carving: Doing a carving turn involves utilizing the side-cut of your skis, and can only be done on a 'carving' (all modern skis are carving skis) ski. Instead of leaning back, and letting the ski slide, you put the weight on the front inside edges of your skis. As these edges grip the snow, the skis will make the turn on their own, as long as you have your weight on the edges, or front 'shovel' of the skis. The size of the turn will depend on technique, and the skis turn 'radius'.Most intermediate to good skiiers will be using a combination of the Old School turn and Carving, until they are confident enough to really use their weight and skis to carve properly.