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Jason Kurth

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I stumbled upon this pic on lange's instagram and it sent me down a rabbit hole of figuring out what the hell is up with the loose suit this guy is wearing.

rqUhqEil.png


turns out he is a ski cross competitor, I don't really follow ski cross but I remembered they had some strict rules about attire and banning tight fitting clothes and that the uniform had to be two pieces and explicitly bans gs/dh suits.

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FIS rules:

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So I'm guessing the oversized suit is to get around the loose fitting requirement, but it's still a one piece race suit that should not be allowed according to the above. I just pulled that from the FIS site, is that outdated or just not being enforced?

Looking at the fis ski cross section seems like half that ski cross guys are wearing these xxl race suits now
 
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Muleski

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Rules are still in effect. I'd bet the Colmar kit is two pieces....same material. Can't really see the waist. The only measurements is the amount of excess material that you need on the arms and legs. The legs need an 8cm gap. I think it's thigh to boot top. Or cuff? Arms is 6cm, below shoulder to wrist. Don't think here's much cheating going on there, but some custom pants. Some of these guys are small....some built like bricks.
 

Karen_skier2.0

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I always got the impression that they did not want ski cross to become a technological battle between the best suits that would limit participation in the sport. I would compare this to the rules introduced into swimming where some of the high tech suits are now banned.
 

hbear

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I think less about tech and more about style.....SX developed much like slope style, freestyle and x games influenced events. Attire resembling as such.

If I remember correctly the French team made waves as the bottom of their pants were a “stiffer” material that could be shaped to be more aerodynamic before the start. (Sochi I think)

Interesting for the kids, no speed suits for SX either. Regular ski jacket/pants.
 

Primoz

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What's up with oversized speed suits in ski cross?
Same thing as in MTB DH, where skinsuits are not allowed and point is too look cool not fast ;) I guess that's how the world rolls today, but if nothing else, there's way more chances for cheating as if normal skinsuits would be allowed (French guys in Sochi for example, and this French suit doesn't really look like normal skiing pants/jacket then the rest of guys are skiing in either).
 
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Jason Kurth

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So those are all two pieces? It's hard to tell, in the first two pics it definitely just looks like a baggy one piece speed suit (guy on the right in 2nd pic looks two piece but two on left don't). Look at the zippers.


I get the argument for no speed suits, that's cool if they want to go that route. I do think proper fitting speed suits look cool. These baggy speed-ish suits look pretty dumb though and are worse than either one.
 

Muleski

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So those are all two pieces? It's hard to tell, in the first two pics it definitely just looks like a baggy one piece speed suit (guy on the right in 2nd pic looks two piece but two on left don't). Look at the zippers.


I get the argument for no speed suits, that's cool if they want to go that route. I do think proper fitting speed suits look cool. These baggy speed-ish suits look pretty dumb though and are worse than either one.

The rules, I'm quite sure, only specify "two pieces", the extra material on arms and legs, and some fabric restrictions. So, think about two piece SL "suits" which some guys have used on the WC for years. The fabric is the exact same, top and bottom. The bottoms are sort of a bib style, with a front zipper. The kit is a tight fit. Hard to tell in some cases that it's two pieces. My guess is that those on the left are similar. Can't tell with the bib. And frankly, IMO, not a big deal.

I know a number of guys who have skied WC SX. Most were also WC alpine racers. I know the spirit of this "rule" was driven by a desire to NOT have the athletes look like alpine racers. It's that simple. Make them look more "cool", etc. Appeal to a different group. Keep in mind this was quite a long time ago.

Well, in some countries, WC level is a big deal. And, IMO, as you see in every single discipline in the sport where there is a clock and no judging, the search is on for every single performance advantage. Some push it more than others. The French have some history there.

The French suits made by Colmar probably have a lot of research that goes into that fabric. And to my eye, if the original intent of the rule was to make the skiers look more "like us" than like "racers", those French suits fail. But if the goal is to be fast, they no doubt work.

The Canadian team has had the plaid lumberjack look, but I'm sure the fabric is "fast."

Fact is that a whole lot goes into winning and doing well in SX. So much more that the clothing. Think about the start, working the terrain, the skis{skis, tune, prep, wax}....and on and on.

It would be pretty easy and obvious to protest ANY skier in a one piece uni, and keep them out of the start, let alone off the podium.

All I can add here. Other than a true men's WC SX ski can be a great ski, depending on where you do your skiing. The skis made by Elan, Head and Stockli {and I'm sure the others} are pretty great.
 

newfydog

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It is not unlike the mountain bikers who wear normal top of the line lycra bike shorts, the type seen on road riders, then cover them with some baggy thing. Men's legs are somewhat like a Saudi women's hair these days, simply must be hidden.
 

n black

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The SX "suits" are pretty much a hypocritical joke. More money is tossed into the tech and more energy is spent skirting the rules than if they'd just allow regular race suits. Who exactly are they trying to fool here? What sort of anti-establishment look are they trying to pull off? It kind of reminds me of how NASCAR is anything but a stock car.
 

fatbob

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They are violating the spirit of the rules which was to prevent the discipline turning into an unrelatable lycrafest. Of course given many of the top participants were frustrated or former speed racers there has been a natural gravitation to the elements of a full speed discipline.

Blame the FIS - they so greedily wanted to get their arms round disciplines they had done nothing to incubate, a few concessions to the original spirit of those sports were a small price to pay.
 

Muleski

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Yep. The "spirit" of the thing is based on how it started. It grew out of the freestyle world, and not the alpine world. So the folks promoting it, pre-FIS were all about looking like non-alpine ski racers. I can see that. I actually LIKE that.

Then.....it morphed, FIS for into it, it became more serious, and yep, it's always been all about the first to finish. So, naturally, teams, federations and athletes want every edge they can get. And most come from alpine backgrounds and fully grasp "fast suit." Doesn't make a difference for so many, and absolutely does for those at the very top. But it looks just goofy. Watching somebody's suit get measured for the amount of loose fabric is humorous......can't stretch the fabric! Cheating....has to be.

On a similar note, with respect to the skis, nobody should assume that a Stockli SX, or even a "SX FIS" is truly the ski that the top male Stockli SX athletes ski. Nicest and most impressive skis that I have skied, on a hard surface with some room is a real deal pair. Graphics said 191cm. Measured 194cm. Radius was marked as >27M, and they were about 30M. They were beautifully built....base, edges, topsheets.....the works. Would love to have seen the insides. I was told three layers of Ti index the foot, two all the way to the tail and tip. A lot of dampening material, and a snappy core. The thing would engage in a turn fast, release fast, skid if needed. Wow. So....I had to get a pair.

Makes no difference the brand, a lot of work goes into making these skis....
 

oldschoolskier

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I always got the impression that they did not want ski cross to become a technological battle between the best suits that would limit participation in the sport. I would compare this to the rules introduced into swimming where some of the high tech suits are now banned.


The change was to ban full body suits and double suiting in swimming. The new suits are even higher tech and insanely expensive as they must now all be FINA approved. Top suits are $500-$700 and don’t last because of how tight they are. I’m writing this as my daughter swims the 800m long course. Think the ski suits are cheaper and last longer :nono:.
 

Ross Biff

The older I get, the faster I was....
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I get the whole " we are rebellious freestyle type guys with baggy clothing" origins of this rule but, pplllleeeaase! Do you want to go faster than the other guys in your heat?. I don't mind watching sx but if if you are trying to grab every bit of speed you can in a tuck but your clothing holds you back, let's also have them wear big oversize , loose fitting helmets with goggles and hats underneath and underwear showing at the pants/ jacket interface!
 

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