Picture the poor timekeeper standing knee deep in trailside snow at a forest trail
crossroad somewhere at the back of beyond. He needs to record bib numbers.

His 'site' is just at the point where the racer now has a long straight reasonably
downhill run and is in a skating tuck with hands obscuring the front number and the
back number facing the sky on his rounded back.
I've been there. You can only shout for 'Bib number' and hope for an answer.

Those dreadful handkerchief panels and thin tape ties were the worst. Invariably the
racer passed me with one side undone or the whole thing wrapped round his neck.

Watching the new fuller bibs on TV the bib number is a lot easier to pick out on the
TV screen, it tends to stay put around the racers waist and it can be pulled down
with one hand after a fall.