Safety Gear

Team,

Over the past few days/weeks, we have had a number of questions regarding helmets and safety equipment:

Helmets

Due to the increased speed and force impact during a crash, helmets for GS (and speed) must be HARD-sided, or have “rigid ear protection” as described by US Ski & Snowboard standards. Soft-eared helmets are only permitted for slalom racing. Please note, the POC Artic SL is a SLALOM helmet. At a glance, it does appear to have hard sides, it is still considered a soft-eared helmet and would not be permitted for a GS race.

Chin bars are an additional piece of safety equipment that are only permitted for SLALOM racing. Chin bars are especially recommended for athletes that are clearing (“cross-blocking”) slalom gates or learning to clear gates. Speaking from experience, taking a slalom gate to the face is not a pleasant experience.

All hard-sided helmets will have a compatible chin bar offered by the manufacturer. Chin bars need to be removed for GS racing and training. Many of you may find it convenient to have two helmets, one for GS and one for SL, so you are not removing a chin bar every other day for practice. For athletes that have only one helmet, it is imperative that it be a hard-sided helmet.

Shinguards and Pole Guards

Shinguards and pole guards are also protection equipment for SLALOM. Pole guards should be removed for GS skiing and shin guards should not be worn. Both of these items are necessary for athletes that are clearing slalom gates and learning to clear gates. Again speaking from experience, shinning a slalom pole without shin guards is not pleasant.

If you have not purchased any pole guards for your athlete, but are planning to, I would highly recommend “closed” guards. My personal favorites are the Leki Closed WC guard. These are a bit larger and, when worn correctly protect the athlete’s thumbs. (Gates to the thumb hurt, and believe it or not, thumb fractures are actually one of the more common injuries in ski racing)

Many athletes, especially older ones, will find it more convenient to have two pairs of poles- one with and one without guards. Again, this is not necessary but pole guards should not be used during GS skiing for safety reasons.

Forearm Guards

Forearm guards may be beneficial for athletes that are clearing GS gates. They are by no means necessary, but do provide an extra layer of protection and may spare a few bumps and bruises.

Back/Spine Protectors

A number of companies offer back/spine protective equipment. These are primarily for older athletes traveling at higher speeds, and those racing speed events such as DH and SG. There are both “hard-shell” and foam options which harden on impact. These are not necessary, but for anyone interested they are more applicable for GS racing for our use. When I was racing, one benefit I found was extra protection from “gate-slap” in GS, when a panel will occasionally twist around and slap you in the back. Gate-slap is primarily affects older racers (U14 and up).

Skis/Boots

Skis and boots are best discussed on a more individualized basis, as equipment requirements and needs vary greatly depending on age, size, and experience.

If you have any questions regarding any of the above information, please feel free to contact me individually on Team Snap or email jbeldin (at) alumni.nd.edu

-Coach Johnathan