Ski Racing - January 30, 2012

Dainese’s D-Air protection system has been in use on the Grand Prix motorcyle tracks for several years now and has some big supporters. A year ago, an agreement was signed with the FIS to pursue the use of the “air bag suits” to enhance ski racing safety. At Kitzbuehel on Jan. 19, Dainese and FIS held a press conference to show the progress made and confirm a commitment to the project. A feasibility study is set to run through the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Chief among those engaged in the collection of data are Aksel Lund Svindal and Werner Heel.

The D-Air Ski prototype, worn like a back protector that comes over the shoulders, inflates through small gas generators triggered by a “sophisticated set of sensors” in 50 milliseconds and reaches full capacity in 100 milliseconds. Studies indicate it will reduce impact forces transmitted to the shoulders and back up to 85 percent.

Several Grand Prix riders have the same technology built into their race suits. Marco Simoncelli was the first to inflate one in a race. “It’s not a load of bull to advertise a product,” he says in a testimonial video on the Dainese website. “I tried it on my own skin and it works. Now I would never think of riding without it.” Valentino Rossi said when he fell at Mughello, “My upper body, where the air bag was, was unharmed.” Which raises the point that most ski related injuries are to the lower body or head.

“This is just the first step,” said FIS race director Guenther Hujara. “Crashes will happen. Our goal is that they walk away without being seriously injured.” Much of the data that has been gathered in the last year and will continue to be at the forefront of studies, is focused on the “brains” of the system — the part that will read the sensors, digest that information and tell the system when to inflate. It includes GPS, accelerometers and gyroscopes, among other devices, to fulfill that mission.