Freestyle Skiing - Ski suit

The suit worn during skiing competitions is an important gear. The suits have turned out to be a lifesaver for the skiers during crashes. The movement of the skier’s body is crucial, which is why the layers were brought into use. The skiers are instructed to wear the suits above the innerwear. The innerwear maintains the flexibility of the body, whereas the race suit saves the body from cold. The International Ski Federation has clearly shared the specifications of the ski suits in their equipment rule book. 

Standard Ski Race Suits  

The specification of a skiing suit prescribed by the federation is given below: 

• The base material used in the suits must be textile fabric except for rubber, leather, neoprene, vinyl, or any material or fabric similar to them. Patches could be of any material.  
• The ski cross suit must not have protection or padding or anything attached to it with a zipper, velcro, or other means. 
• Any means that makes pant leg faired or aerodynamic is restricted.  
• The gap between the materials must be 80mm, measuring from the knee cap to the top of the ski boot. 
• Outside the measurement regulation, 2mm in width and 5mm in length is tolerated. 

Evolution of Ski-suits Over the Years

The first ski suit dates back to 1920. The popularity of the sport and consecutively the suits grew massively over the years. It was 1930 when women skiers wore ski suits which soon became a fashion statement. The suits were made of cotton flannel lining, and had heavy wool. In the same year, skirts were introduced as the part of ski-suit for women. With time, the suit underwent modifications like adding zippers to the leg section, and the material changed to gabardine. By 1970, the wool in the material of ski-suit was replaced by synthetic fabric. The modern ski suits are waterproof, breathable, flexible, and are available in various colours.