Minimum gear requirements for corporate racing (beer night) league

I'm getting bored with skiing and looking for a challange thought I
might check out the thursday night racing league at the smallish
mountain where I operate a ski lift a few nights a week here in maine.

I did some GS NASTAR racing as a youth. I consider myself an expert
skiier but a novice at racing. I'll be looking to be a drop in addition
to some team that is more out for fun than to win and will represent
myself as not competitive at this point due to my limited racing
expereiece, equipment and lack of a GS suit.

Can I use my all mountain expert skis? K2 Axis XP.

Most of the folks I load on my lift wear a GS Suit. I understand that
on the 22-26 second courses they set at my mountain that a suit can
mean about a .30 second differance. If I opt not to drop the $300 for a
suit what should I wear as the second best thing?

George

Horseshoe_George wrote:
I'm getting bored with skiing and looking for a challange thought I
might check out the thursday night racing league at the smallish
mountain where I operate a ski lift a few nights a week here in maine.

I did some GS NASTAR racing as a youth. I consider myself an expert
skiier but a novice at racing. I'll be looking to be a drop in addition
to some team that is more out for fun than to win and will represent
myself as not competitive at this point due to my limited racing
expereiece, equipment and lack of a GS suit.

Can I use my all mountain expert skis? K2 Axis XP.

Most of the folks I load on my lift wear a GS Suit. I understand that
on the 22-26 second courses they set at my mountain that a suit can
mean about a .30 second differance. If I opt not to drop the $300 for a
suit what should I wear as the second best thing?

George

Shoot, George,
You're in Maine, right?
What's wrong with a tie dyed union suit. About $15 and you local Carhart
dealer.
VtSkier

LOL well I must say that the offical GS skin suits sure do look like
tye dyed union suits! I am going to assume however that because some
fabrics are banned by the FIS that there may be more technology
involved in a GS suit than meets the eye

Geprge

Horseshoe_George wrote:

LOL well I must say that the offical GS skin suits sure do look like
tye dyed union suits! I am going to assume however that because some
fabrics are banned by the FIS that there may be more technology
involved in a GS suit than meets the eye

Well, yeah. The suits are designed to be aerodynamic, which means
slippery. FIS regulates them so that they won't be too slippery for you
to stop sliding if you crash.

If you're not going to buy a GS suit -- and I wouldn't if you're just
trying it out to see if you like it -- just ski in normal ski clothes.
If you're doing GS, you shouldn't need pads, but in case of a close
encounter with a gate, you should be wearing a good set of goggles to
protect your eyes (and, of course, a helmet). Some down-the-road
possibilities are GS poles and a helmet with a chin-guard or bumper
(more for SL than GS), but buy them if and when you need them.

--
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug.

On Sun, 09 Jan 2005 03:29:35 -0800, Horseshoe_George wrote:

LOL well I must say that the offical GS skin suits sure do look like
tye dyed union suits! I am going to assume however that because some
fabrics are banned by the FIS that there may be more technology
involved in a GS suit than meets the eye

For GS you can wear whatever you like, the FIS regulations only apply to
Downhill and Super-G.

People wear catsuits because they don't restrict movement, as well as
the time factor. The GS and Slalom versions are usually warmer than
one designed to pass the FIS airflow test, and certainly warmer than
a union suit.

I also feel that there is a psychological element involved as well.
Because your clothes are not flapping in the wind you don't feel that
you are going fast, so you try to go a bit faster still.

There is a steady trade in second-hand catsuits, they don't lose their
waterproofing when washed properly, but most people just start out
wearing normal ski clothes.

Robert Swindells

"Horseshoe_George" wrote in message
oups.com...
LOL well I must say that the offical GS skin suits sure do look like
tye dyed union suits! I am going to assume however that because some
fabrics are banned by the FIS that there may be more technology
involved in a GS suit than meets the eye

A technical question: are racers banned from skiing naked? I don't mean
compleltly naked, I mean something like swimsuit, helmet, gloves and boots,
so most of the exposed surface is bare skin.

Richard Henry wrote:

"Horseshoe_George" wrote:
LOL well I must say that the offical GS skin suits sure do look like
tye dyed union suits! I am going to assume however that because some
fabrics are banned by the FIS that there may be more technology
involved in a GS suit than meets the eye

A technical question: are racers banned from skiing naked? I don't mean
compleltly naked, I mean something like swimsuit, helmet, gloves and boots,
so most of the exposed surface is bare skin.

No goggles? Would extreme body fur count? As a plus or as a minus?
What if you grease up?

--
Cheers,
Bev
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"It doesn't get any easier - you just go faster."
-- Greg Lemond

In message , The Real Bev
writes
Richard Henry wrote:

A technical question: are racers banned from skiing naked? I don't mean
compleltly naked, I mean something like swimsuit, helmet, gloves and boots,
so most of the exposed surface is bare skin.

No goggles? Would extreme body fur count? As a plus or as a minus?
What if you grease up?


Body fur is hydrodynamic, it flows with the water when you wade. It
might be roughly right for skiing - is there a furry bloke on the group
who could try this one at home and let us know if any of his fur was
blowing the wrong way?

--
Sue ]3(p

F*ck all snow, none forecast.

Robert Swindells wrote:
snip

People wear catsuits because they don't restrict movement, as well as
the time factor. The GS and Slalom versions are usually warmer than
one designed to pass the FIS airflow test, and certainly warmer than
a union suit.

I also feel that there is a psychological element involved as well.
Because your clothes are not flapping in the wind you don't feel that
you are going fast, so you try to go a bit faster still.

There is a steady trade in second-hand catsuits, they don't lose their
waterproofing when washed properly, but most people just start out
wearing normal ski clothes.

I'm still not buying one See you in Courmayeur Robert?


--
Chris *:-)

Downhill Good, Uphill BAD!

www.suffolkvikings.org.uk

Can I use my all mountain expert skis? K2 Axis XP.

At least initially, yeah. Ultimately, you'd probably want racing skis, but
given your situation, I don't know that I'd blow the money on them.

If I opt not to drop the $300 for a suit what should I wear as the second
best thing?

As already noted, one possible "second best thing" would be to wear a suit
that costs a lot less then $300. Racers are always selling stuff in favor of
the latest and greatest. I paid $31.50 for mine.

If not, just wear something comfortable with good freedom of movement and
not too parachute-like. Maybe your ordinary ski pants with a sweater or
fleece pullover.

Incidentally, the FIS does regulate suits for GS and Slalom. Hence, this
language from the equipment rules: "For Giant Slalom and Super G suits'
shoulder and arm sections, as well as knees and shins may be specially
protected. For Slalom suits shoulder and arm sections as well as legs may be
specially protected."

I have to say, I don't say there's any rule that says you have to wear
clothes, other than a helmet ... gloves are "urgently recommended," and
goggles are "recommended," but they don't say anything about pants. Of
course, the cultural background of the rules is French, so there is the
notion that if they don't say something's legal, it may well be illegal,
depending on whatever the officials happen to say. On the other hand, since
the cultural background is French, wearing nothing but a Speedo might be the
thing to do.