2017-18 Alpine Equipment Regulations are Now Finalized

Major changes to the GS radius and ski length requirements are in place for U19’s and U16’s. These 2017-18 Alpine Equipment Regulations were approved in May 2017 at the FIS/USSA Spring Congress.

2017-18 U21, U19, U16, U14 USSA RULES FOR GS:
The new 2017-18 USSA GS rules are deregulated. What this means is that USSA rules for GS require skis 17 meters or greater in radius, with no ski length requirement. What this means is that for GS, any appropriate length ski for an athlete’s development with a radius over 17 meters is legal for all GS racing in the United States.

This is a big departure from the 2016-17 regulations that required women to be on skis greater than 25 meter and men to ski 30 meter or greater skis. With the new rules you should keep in mind that when choosing skis, you should pick the skis with the length and radius most appropriate for the individual athlete’s ability level.

2017-18 U21 and U19 FIS GS RULES:
The new 2017-18 FIS rules governing ski radius and length dictate 193cm (+/- 5cm) (>30 m radius) skis for men, and 188cm (+/- 5cm) (>30 m radius) skis for ladies. These sizes are required to compete in FIS races for athletes U19 and older.

2017-18 U16 and U14 FIS GS RULES:
For younger FIS athletes, the new 2017-18 rules dictate 188cm max (+/- 1cm) length skis with a 17 meter or greater radius for both ladies and men.

Stand height (ski+plate+binding) for all FIS athletes remains at 50mm maximum. There is no standing height rule for USSA athletes. We expect the boot height requirement to remain at 43mm – from the boot sole to the top of the footbed.

Click HERE to compare the new rules to last year’s rules.

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Click this link below to print out a copy of the complete 2017-18 Alpine Equipment Regulations.

2017-2018-Alpine Equipment Regulations

For more information, please visit the USSA.org or FIS-Ski.com websites.

Goggles and their Importance to Ski Racers

Good goggles are of utmost importance to both ski racers and recreational skiers. We have been watching the progression of goggle choices by world cup racers this season. You will notice that there has been a steady upwards trend of racers for the last couple of years who are now choosing goggles with the finest optics, (and double lenses) over the more traditional “single lens” race goggles of old. Most racers know that the single lens goggle was used to reduce the distortion that double lens goggles used to have. Well times have changed, and double lens goggles are now available from all of the major brands that have distortion free lenses. And with a double lens, you avoid all of the fogging issues that single lens goggles have.

Goggle size is also something else that has changed drastically. Being able to see well and having ski boots that fit perfectly are in our opinion the two most important things to concentrate on when you are outfitting a skier. Goggles have gotten bigger for a good reason – you can see more stuff with a bigger goggle. Frameless goggles provide great peripheral vision, and semi-frameless ones give you great vision, with a little more sturdiness in the frame. Say “No!” to tiny goggles and you will end up being a happier skier.

When choosing a goggle, you should always ensure that it has a seamless fit with your helmet. If you are purchasing both a new helmet and new goggles, start with the helmet, then find goggles that work with it. The Visual (aka Variable) Light Transmission (VLT) factor of the lens is an important consideration. A VLT rating of 42% means that 42% of the light will actually get through the lens to your eyes. If you ski mostly on the the east coast of the United States, a VLT in the range of 45-80% is where you should start looking. Skiers at higher altitudes in the western US, Canada, Europe and the southern hemisphere may need goggle lenses with a VLT number in the 10-30% range. On a snowy day, everybody needs goggles with a high VLT. Glare is reduced by mirrored coatings on the lenses – and mirrored coatings are available in a variety of thicknesses and colors.

Peak Performance Ski Shop carries goggles by Oakley, Smith, POC, Shred, Uvex, Briko, Scott and Bollé. Each company has worked hard to improve their optics and also helmet compatibility. Oakley has invented Prizm™ technology to increase contrast on snow, Shred’s NODISTORTION™ technology reduces distortion due to elevation changes. The liquid cast NXT™ option from Shred is used by the US Air Force. POC has recently partnered with Zeiss Optics to provide crystal clear vision and better quality lenses. Uvex stands for “ultraviolet-excluded.” Their lenses provide 100% filtration of UVA/UVB/UVC rays. Their decentered lens technology reduces edge distortion. These are just some of the examples of the technologies built into your goggle that you may not be aware of.

It is important to remember that lens choice is a very personal thing, and that everyone’s eyes are different. What works for your friend may not work for you – for a variety of reasons!

Alpine Ski Race Suit Care

It’s that time of year – where the race suits are getting heavy use, and the race suit owners are worried about whether the suit will make it until the end of the season.

Ski race suits are constructed with fabrics that are very stretchy, and susceptible to damage. The biggest culprit is Velcro – which can rub the suits and cause them to pill and run.

We recommend that you keep your race suit in its own compartment of your gear bag – away from any shin and arm guards with Velcro straps. If your bag doesn’t have a separate compartment, just put the suit in a separate cloth bag before you stuff it in your gear bag.

Machine wash your suit in cool water with perfume and dye-free detergent. Use the “gentle” or “delicates” setting on your washer. Hang to dry. We do not recommend dry cleaning your alpine race suit.

Don’t forget that Peak Performance offers race suits by Spyder, Arctica and Sync. Click HERE to see what suits we have in stock, or give us a call at (802) 422-9447.

Ski race suit Information

Why do ski racers wear a ski race suit?

Ski race suits are often called speed suits or GS suits. The purpose of the ski race suit is part clothing, part equipment. The ski racer wears a race suit instead of multiple layers of clothing and a jacket and pants. The ski race suit provides protection from the elements and performance enhancement. A properly fitting ski race suit allows for the wide range of unrestricted movement that is necessary for the dynamics of ski racing. Ski race suits allow the ski racer to be more aerodynamic, which makes them ski faster.

There are two types of suits for ski racing: DH suits and GS suits.

DH suits are worn for racing the speed events of Downhill and Super G. They are not padded, so they have more stretch and can be worn tighter to be more aerodynamic. Because they have more stretch, they tend to fit a wider range of body shapes and sizes. A DH race suit can be worn for SL and GS racing as well, the racer would just need to wear separate body armor for protection.

GS Suits are for racing the tech events of Slalom and Giant Slalom. These suits are padded, and because of the way the pockets that hold the padding is sewn in the suit is less stretchy than a DH suit. The padding in a GS race suit offers additional protection from impact with ski racing gates. The padding in most higher quality GS suits is also removable. In order for the padding to offer the proper protection, the suit needs to fit properly. If the ski race suit is too big or too small and the pads do not line up to cover the areas of the body they are intended to cover, they will not provide the proper protection.

Both types of ski race suits are made from the same type of fabric: an (approximately) 80% Polyester, 20% Spandex blend. The performance level of the suit is determined by the porosity of the fabric or aerodynamic porosity. The aerodynamic porosity of the fabric used in a FIS certified ski race suit is lower than ski race suits used by younger, lower level racers. This means less air penetrates through the suit making it more aerodynamic. These more aerodynamic FIS certified ski race suits are also more expensive than the race suits made from higher aerodynamic porosity fabrics.

There are several manufacturer’s that make ski race suits. Here is a list of the more popular brands:

Spyder
Arctica Race
Sync Performance Wear (formerly Ski Racing Development – SRD)
Karbon
Louis Garneau
POC
Descente
Phenix
Energia Pura

For more information on the history of ski race suits, read the Ski Racing Magazine article: Fast and Curious: Once and Oddity, speed suits have become an essential piece of racing equipment.

At Peak Performance Ski Shop we carry the largest selection of ski race suits in Vermont and offer racer pricing every day of the year.

What is Race Day?

Race day means different things to different people.

When you say “Race Day” to most ski race parents they assume you are talking about the day you have to order your race skis through the ski club or team to get a discount.

Race day is usually associated with a club or team and held at a shop that primarily sells recreational skis and equipment, not race specific skis and equipment. It is typically one evening a year in early fall when they need you to come into the shop to order the skis you need from their vendors catalogs in order to get a race discount. Usually you need to order at least 2 pairs of skis from the same vendor. They don’t stock race skis, so you cannot see the skis or flex them. You look at it in a catalog and tell them what size you think you need. Then you pay for it and come back for it when it comes in 30 – 60 days later.

Race day at Peak Performance Ski Shop is different

We do have an annual “Race Day” event. Each year it is typically the 3rd Sunday in September from 10am – 2pm. At Peak Performance Ski Shop’s Race Day event you can see all the upcoming seasons race skis and race product from all the top ski race brands: Atomic, Blizzard, Briko, Dynastar, Fischer, Head, Lange, Leki, Nordica, POC, Rossignol, Shred, Slytech, Sync, Spyder, Tecnica, Uvex, and Volkl. You can try on boots. You can flex skis. You can see how one brand of skis in a certain length compares to another brand in what is supposedly the same length (you know this can vary sometimes, right?) You can try on pants, race suits, helmets, and gloves – and even get racer pricing on them! You can buy everything you need for the upcoming ski racing season in one shot and walk home with it in hand if you really want. Or you can decide on what you want and pick it up and pay for it once the snow flies. Whatever works best for you. We want to make junior ski racing as easily accessible and attainable by all.

Race day at Peak Performance Ski Shop is a fun day. It’s a day for Killington Mountain School ski racers from all over New England (and a few International students) to meet up and get reaquainted after summer break. It’s a day for Killington Ski Club racers from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Hampshire to see their racing pals before the snow flies. It’s a day to hang out and talk to the race reps – many of which were very accomplished ski racers in their day. There are lots of great ‘door prizes’ from the racing companies like ski and boot bags, hats, t-shirts and even a pair of skis! There’s also ski racing schwag like stickers and posters and bracelets and lip balm. It’s a little different each year, but no matter what it’s a great day for junior ski racers, high school or collegiate racers, beer league racers and masters ski racers alike.

So join us Sunday, September 20, 2015 from 10am – 2pm for Peak Performance Ski Shop’s 6th Annual Race Day. RSVP to raceday@peakskishop.com to let us know your coming.

Hope to see you in September.

How to choose a Back Protector for ski racing

A back protector is an important piece of protection for a ski racer.

POC Spine VPD 2.0 Vest back protector for ski racing — POC Spine VPD 2.0 Back Protector Vest

Everyday we get asked about back protectors…”do I need to wear a back protector?” or “who needs to wear a back protector?” or “do they really work?” We cannot answer these questions for you, but what we can do is educate you to help you make a more informed decision for yourself. Back protectors are designed to distribute impact pressure across your entire back in the event of a crash or fall. Instead of taking a sharp hit to one specific spot when you fall, a back protector will absorb the force and distribute it more evenly. This helps you to avoid broken vertebrae.

POC Spine VPD back protector for ski racing — Vest-style back protector from POC

Slytech 2nd Skin Back Pro XT - YXTBPLC back protector for ski racing — “Back pack-style” back protector from Slytech

In Europe, wearing a back protector is the norm for all skiers. Here in the United States back protectors are primarily worn by competitive skiers – whether they be alpine racers, freestyle competitors or big mountain skiers. There are several different back protectors on the market. The two brands we like the best and sell in our store are POC and Slytech. Both brands have done extensive R & D and offer products that meet the highest US and International safety standards.

POC coccyx protector that can be added to a POC back protector

There are several different types of back protectors, but all perform essentially the same function – protecting your back! One style is somewhat of a “backpack” style – where the back protector sits against your spine and is held in place by a waist belt and suspenders. On this style of back protector racers can remove the waist belt and suspenders and just stuff the actual back protector into their race suit while racing. Another style of back protector is an actual mesh vest with a pocket in the back that the back protector goes in that holds the protector at exactly the right spot for proper protection. For racing, the back protector in this vest could be removed and stuffed in a race suit as well. There are also additional coccyx protectors available that velcro onto both of these styles of back protector for additional protection. Choosing the style that is right for you is really a function of comfort, and if you are a racer – comfort and whatever fits within the guidelines of your sport.

Once you have chosen the style of back protector that is right for you it is essential to get the proper fit. Mike Martini of POC Sports USA explains proper fit in this video:

For proper fit of a back protector you should make sure that the protector covers from C4 on your spine (the knob you feel just below the base of your neck if you tilt your head forward) to the top of your tailbone (L5), which is just above the top of your butt crack. It is important to make sure placement of the back protector is correct so that it does not interfere with your helmet when you are squatting down (or when a racer is in a tuck position). Since the back protector will be partially in your pants, you might also want to make sure that your pants still fit comfortably when you have your back protector on.

Back protectors are increasingly the norm among skiers and ski racers all over the world, but they don’t help you if you don’t wear them or they don’t fit right. There is no one single style of back protector that is better than any other. The most important considerations when choosing a back protector is that it is properly sized and the most comfortable to you.