S K I N S U I T S !

Waiting for the pictures to load? That's what the text is for, to give you something to do while you wait :-) !

They are called skinsuits because because the best of them fit skin-tight. The term is usually used to describe any one piece speed skating outfit (tights & jersey). The skin-tight fit helps the speedskater skate their fastest because:

1: It is aerodynamic. This is most important for long track skaters because the resistance from air flow over the skaters' body has a very large effect on the large 400 meter long track. This has a great effect on the skaters' speed and finish time. The effect is less noticeable in the 111.12 meter short track, since it is in a relatively small hockey rink.

2: Freedom of movement. This allows the skater to use the arms and legs to their fullest, without the energy consuming resistance that would come from regular clothes, say for instance, a pair of Levis.

Pictures done yet? No? OK, as you will see, the skinsuits come in many colors and neat designs. They are made of a stretchable material, usually spandex and/or lycra. It takes great skill to make them correctly, so that they will stretch in all directions.

OK, most of the pictures should be finished loading by now. I would like to say a special thank you to the many skaters who allowed me to take pictures of them in their skinsuits for this web page. And now on with the show

Alysa and Brian show off their custom skin suits. The availability of a large variety of prints in the lycra material make a similarly large variety of personal custom designs possible. In addition, the material is silk-screenable (assuming that's a word), increasing the variety even more.

Rusty Smith, wearing his 1997 World Short Track Team skinsuit, made by Mizuno. When a skater qualifies for a US Speed Skating Team, they usually receive a set of team skins, gloves, and warm-ups from sponsoring companies

And the name is so the skaters know who is beating them!

World University Games Team Member Scott Koons shows off another true short track skin suit from the World University Games.

David Tamburrino with his World Long Track Team skin suit made by Mizuno. Below is a close-up of the USA graphic on his thigh.

Too bad Skylur is wearing a 't' shirt over his skinsuit, because it's a neat one, with flames all over. Skaters often wear 't' shirts during workouts, but not when actually racing. I'll see if I can find a better picture of him, but for now...

Okay, here's a much better picture of Skylur's "flame suit" ! Neat, huh?

Here are a few other snazzy skin suits.

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