Question about clothing

On TV when watching various races, you always see the competitors in helmets
and in skin tight suits.

At any hills/mountains I have skied at, some people wear a helmet, yet no
one wears those skin tight suits.

I sort of understand why, but....

I also XC Ski on various club owned trails. The clothing that racers wear,
is also seen worn by those who just ski for fun.

Why does this happen?

Micheal

In article gxTmj.43615$fj2.8769@edtnps82,
"Micheal Artindale" wrote:

On TV when watching various races, you always see the competitors in helmets
and in skin tight suits.

At any hills/mountains I have skied at, some people wear a helmet, yet no
one wears those skin tight suits.

I sort of understand why, but....

I also XC Ski on various club owned trails. The clothing that racers wear,
is also seen worn by those who just ski for fun.

Why does this happen?

Micheal

Because downhill racers are sacrificing comfort and warmth for a very
brief run where recreational downhill skiers are out there for hours.

With cross-country skiers, the athletes and the recreation participants
usage profile is much more similar.

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you
sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

"Alan Baker" wrote in message
]...
In article gxTmj.43615$fj2.8769@edtnps82,
"Micheal Artindale" wrote:

On TV when watching various races, you always see the competitors in
helmets
and in skin tight suits.

At any hills/mountains I have skied at, some people wear a helmet, yet no
one wears those skin tight suits.

I sort of understand why, but....

I also XC Ski on various club owned trails. The clothing that racers
wear,
is also seen worn by those who just ski for fun.

Why does this happen?

Micheal

Because downhill racers are sacrificing comfort and warmth for a very
brief run where recreational downhill skiers are out there for hours.

Makes sense, at least for those suits, but what about helmets? When I have
skied, only the little kids have them on. Wouldn't a helmet provide warmth?
Last winter, I took snowboard lessons, and i rented a helmet as well. I
found it to be all I needed on my head.... no need for a touque.


With cross-country skiers, the athletes and the recreation participants
usage profile is much more similar.

What do you mean?

Thanks,

Micheal

MT Washington is great.


--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you
sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

In article UGdnj.43806$fj2.20627@edtnps82,
"Micheal Artindale" wrote:

"Alan Baker" wrote in message
]...
In article gxTmj.43615$fj2.8769@edtnps82,
"Micheal Artindale" wrote:

On TV when watching various races, you always see the competitors in
helmets
and in skin tight suits.

At any hills/mountains I have skied at, some people wear a helmet, yet no
one wears those skin tight suits.

I sort of understand why, but....

I also XC Ski on various club owned trails. The clothing that racers
wear,
is also seen worn by those who just ski for fun.

Why does this happen?

Micheal

Because downhill racers are sacrificing comfort and warmth for a very
brief run where recreational downhill skiers are out there for hours.

Makes sense, at least for those suits, but what about helmets? When I have
skied, only the little kids have them on. Wouldn't a helmet provide warmth?
Last winter, I took snowboard lessons, and i rented a helmet as well. I
found it to be all I needed on my head.... no need for a touque.

Racers are wearing helmets because they are skiing much closer to the
edge of control at higher speeds than typical recreational skiers.
However, some recreational skiers feel they may as well take every
precaution they can.

What has this got to do with clothing?



With cross-country skiers, the athletes and the recreation participants
usage profile is much more similar.

What do you mean?

Cross-country athletes competing in their events are out in the
conditions for much the same time periods that a recreational
cross-country skier is out skiing. The athlete may cover more ground,
but both are expending energy and therefore dissipating heat at similar
rates and thus must wear similar clothing.



Thanks,

Micheal

MT Washington is great.


--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you
sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you
sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

"Alan Baker" wrote in message
]...
In article UGdnj.43806$fj2.20627@edtnps82,
"Micheal Artindale" wrote:

"Alan Baker" wrote in message
]...
In article gxTmj.43615$fj2.8769@edtnps82,
"Micheal Artindale" wrote:

On TV when watching various races, you always see the competitors in
helmets
and in skin tight suits.

At any hills/mountains I have skied at, some people wear a helmet, yet
no
one wears those skin tight suits.

I sort of understand why, but....

I also XC Ski on various club owned trails. The clothing that racers
wear,
is also seen worn by those who just ski for fun.

Why does this happen?

Micheal

Because downhill racers are sacrificing comfort and warmth for a very
brief run where recreational downhill skiers are out there for hours.

Makes sense, at least for those suits, but what about helmets? When I
have
skied, only the little kids have them on. Wouldn't a helmet provide
warmth?
Last winter, I took snowboard lessons, and i rented a helmet as well. I
found it to be all I needed on my head.... no need for a touque.

Racers are wearing helmets because they are skiing much closer to the
edge of control at higher speeds than typical recreational skiers.
However, some recreational skiers feel they may as well take every
precaution they can.

What has this got to do with clothing?

Well, they are clothing, or at least they are substituted for clothing. In
other sports if you do the sport for recreation, you wear very simular
clothing as the competitors. (eg. swimming, xc skiing, biking, etc) I am
just trying to figure out why Alpine skiing doesnt.




With cross-country skiers, the athletes and the recreation participants
usage profile is much more similar.

What do you mean?

Cross-country athletes competing in their events are out in the
conditions for much the same time periods that a recreational
cross-country skier is out skiing. The athlete may cover more ground,
but both are expending energy and therefore dissipating heat at similar
rates and thus must wear similar clothing.

I now get your point, and it is true.




Thanks,

Micheal

MT Washington is great.


--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you
sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you
sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

Micheal Artindale wrote:


In
other sports if you do the sport for recreation, you wear very simular
clothing as the competitors. (eg. swimming, xc skiing, biking, etc)


Um...I swim, but I don't wear a speedo.

(Short pause while everybody breathes a sigh of relief...)

I ride a bike, but I don't wear the bicycle outfit.
I cook recreationally, but I don't wear a chef's toque.
etc. etc. etc.

I am just trying to figure out why Alpine skiing doesnt.

The main thing is practicality. Those ski racing suits are optimized
for a ski run of two minutes or so. If you're skiing any longer than
that they're just not practical.

//Walt





With cross-country skiers, the athletes and the recreation participants
usage profile is much more similar.
What do you mean?
Cross-country athletes competing in their events are out in the
conditions for much the same time periods that a recreational
cross-country skier is out skiing. The athlete may cover more ground,
but both are expending energy and therefore dissipating heat at similar
rates and thus must wear similar clothing.

I now get your point, and it is true.


Thanks,

Micheal Artindale wrote:
(snip for brevity)

Michael, did you get the answer you were looking for?

The real answer is that Alpine racers do wear exactly
what their recreational counterparts wear...
right up the the moment their race begins, then they
strip down to their racing suits to eliminate as much
drag as possible, because races are won in hundredths
of seconds, run their race, and bundle up again at
the bottom.

Now, for my question of you.

Several years ago, my soon to be wife and I took a trip
to Nova Scotia for two weeks to make sure we could stand
each other in close proximity for extended periods. That
part of the trip worked since we are now married and
have been for some time now.

The reason we picked Nova Scotia is that Kentville is
my father's hometown and I had never seen Cape Breton
Island. It was a nostalgia trip for me and just an all
round nice trip. We found the old homestead and then
circled the Cabot Trail. I noted a ski area in Ingonish.

I thought it was great that there was a ski area with
a view of the Atlantic. Neat. My question is, is it
a decent place to ski?

Another regular poster here made the same trip, IIRC,
last summer (LAL?) and probably has the same question.

I picked you up as being from NS from your ISP's
website, if you are wondering. I've also noted other
rather small ski areas in other parts of NS, but I
liked the idea of the one in Ingonish the best.

Additionally, I have always thought of NS as Vermont
with an ocean. This may be clouded because I've never
been in NS in the winter.

VtSkier

Micheal Artindale wrote:
... I am
just trying to figure out why Alpine skiing doesnt.

Just don't get a boner in a racing suit. HTH HAND

On Jan 26, 8:13*pm, "Micheal Artindale"
wrote:
On TV when watching various races, you always see the competitors in helmets
and in skin tight suits.

At any hills/mountains I have skied at, some people wear a helmet, yet no
one wears those skin tight suits.

I sort of understand why, but....

I also XC Ski on various club owned trails. The clothing that racers wear,
is also seen worn by those who just ski for fun.

Why does this happen?

Micheal

I wear a skin-tight suit. Underneath three layers of fleece and gore-
tex.

On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:28:41 -0800 (PST), Richard Henry
wrote this crap:

I wear a skin-tight suit. Underneath three layers of fleece and gore-
tex.


Such looooxury! We could never afford such clothing. Underneath my
ski clothes, I'm naked.




My T-shirt says, "This shirt is the
ultimate power in the universe."