Gate
A gate is a pair of poles marking a point a competitor must pass through on a marked race course.
Definition
A gate is the basic unit of a marked competitive course. In alpine ski racing it is a pair of poles planted in the snow; in canoe and kayak slalom it is a pair of poles suspended above the water. In both cases the competitor must pass between them, in the set order, for the run to count.
Because gates define the line rather than merely mark the route, how they are set is what makes one event different from another. Tightly spaced gates force short, frequent turns; widely spaced gates allow long, fast arcs. Competitors normally inspect the gate line before racing, since it has to be learned rather than improvised at speed.
Where you’ll hear “gate”
Sports that use this term:
Alpine Skiing
A downhill snow sport where you glide and turn down groomed slopes on a pair of skis.
Kayaking
A versatile paddle sport in a small, low-seated boat, from calm lakes to flowing rivers and sheltered coast.
Canoeing
A classic open-boat paddle sport, propelled with a single-bladed paddle, ideal for calm lakes and gentle rivers.
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- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-08-30
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