Posted on February 27th, 2010 in Race, Slytech Athletes No Comments »
Reduced Drag Destroyer Shin Guards
Today’s Men’s Alpine Ski Slalom is lining up to be a stacked field of competitors. With tough tight technical turns, each requiring the athlete to slap the gate out of the way with the pole guard and shin guard, aerodynamics and reduced friction of the guard on the pole is of utmost importance.
Slytech’s 3 raised fin concept does exactly that… it keeps the contact surface of the shin and arm guards to a minimum on the gate, thereby reducing drag.
Also important is the back protector. Often times, racers will catch an edge and literally get launched into the air several feet and slammed down hard on their back (that happened to Lindsey Vonn in the Women’s GS a few days ago). Skiing is a dangerous sport and protective gear is an absolute must if you want ski another day.
Amongst today’s Shredders who use or have used Slytech (either the guards or the back protector) are:
- Ted Ligety(USA)
- Jimmy Cochran (USA)
- Marc Gini (SUI)
- Reinfried Herbst (AUT)
- Marcel Hirscher (AUT)
- Nolan Kasper (USA)
- Sandro Viletta (SUI)
- and many more…
The first run starts at 10AM PST, so make sure to tune in to your country’s TV coverage to see the drama and glory unfold!
Posted on February 22nd, 2010 in Race, Slytech Athletes 2 Comments »
If you checked out the alpine ski action at the Olympics, then you would have seen a whole lot of racers dawning Slytech Protective Gear.
Here’s just a brief rundown:
- Bode Miller used Slytech Nervous Arm Guards in his silver medal performance in the Super G.
- Silvan Zurbriggen was on Slytech Nervous Shin Guards in his bronze medal super combined performance.
- Ted Ligety rocked the Nervous Arm and Shin Guards in his 5th place Super Combined finish.
- Julia Mancuso and most of the US Ski Team hittin’ it with Slytech Nervous Shin Guards and Arm Guards. Julia got ANOTHER SILVER!
Racers on the start list for tomorrow’s Giant Slalom who have worn Slytech in the past and are likely to use us again include:
- Ted Ligety (USA)
- Tommy Ford (USA)
- Jake Zemansky (USA)
- Bode Miller (USA)
- Silvan Zurbriggen (SUI)
- Marc Berthod (SUI)
- Didier Defago (SUI and winner of the Olympic Downhill Gold)
- Andre Myhrer (NOR)
- Sandro Viletta (SUI)
- And several more…
Keep an eye out for our boys tomorrow at 10:30 Pacific Time from Whistler Creekside. Giant Slalom, baby!
Were you able to check out the TRUTH IN MOTION broadcast on NBC yesterday? If not, you really missed something quite worthwhile.
Good news is, you can catch it again at the following times:
Universal Sports: Sunday January 31, 10-11pm
Monday February 8, 8-9pm
Thursday February 11, 9-10pm
While a lot of the story is about Ted Ligety’s road to Vancouver as he fights for top spot on the squad and his 2006 Torino Olympic Gold, the heart of the story really centers around the Slytech crazy man Jake Zamansky.
It’s Jake’s dedication to even just make the US Olympic Squad and qualifying or else be faced with imminent retirement that helps make this documentary compelling. Stunning visuals (thanks to funding by Audi) and the directorial work of Brett Morgan, make this a must-see for any ski racing fan. Check it out!
Jake Zamansky Audi Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek Photo © Eric Schramm
Posted on January 19th, 2010 in Race, Slytech Athletes No Comments »
Ted Ligety reacts to an excellent second run to finish 8th in the Wengen slalom (Doug Haney/U.S. Ski Team)
Slytech Nervous Shinguards representing in Wengen, Switzerland this past weekend. The Ted Ligety + Silvan Zurbriggen duo bringin’ it home in both the Super Combi and the Slalom:
Friday’s Super Combi:
3rd Silvan Zurbriggen
5th Ted Ligety
Sunday’s Slalom:
6th Silvan Zurbriggen
8th Ted Ligety
Racers are always looking for any possible advantage to shave even just a mili-second off of their time. Whether it’s the particular wax that’s used, the ski edges that are tuned in a specific way, the material of the speed suit or the way the shin guards slap the gates away, everything comes together.
We reported last February that several racers grab the Slytech’s even though they are sponsored by other manufacturers. We’ve been told that it’s because they have what racers call a more “elastic feel.” The result is less energy wastage of the protector hitting the gate, allowing the skier to plow through efficiently.
Ted in Wengen
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Ted Ligety gets a handshake from U.S. Ski Team technical Head Coach Rudi Soulard following the men's slalom in Wengen where Ligety finished 8th (Doug Haney/U.S. Ski Team)
