An air bag system that could have a big impact on safety in skiing is being tested on the World Cup circuit for the first time this week.
Werner Heel of Italy and Jan Hudec of Canada wore the air bags behind their necks in downhill training on Thursday.
Working with the International Ski Federation (FIS), the Italian manufacturer Dainese has been collecting information from skiers for four years to find the exact algorithm as to when the system should go into effect - in other words, at what point in a fall can a racer no longer regain control.
"We are very close," men's World Cup director Guenter Hujara said.
Up to six skiers will wear the air bags in downhill training sessions for the rest of this season. They have not been approved for races yet.
A similar air bag system has been in use in motorcycle racing since 2009.
That bag inflates when the body leaves the bike with a forward rotation, whereas in skiing the exact moment when a racer loses complete control varies from one crash to another.
Dainese collected information from skiers by lodging chips in their back protectors that record speed, angular rotation, acceleration and other information.
While skiers have been wearing the chips for four years, this was the first time a skier had worn an air bag on a World Cup course.
"This is a giant step," said Vittorio Cafaggi, Dainese's strategic development manager.
Neither Heel nor Hudec crashed on Thursday.
Other safety improvements the FIS has been working on are non-abrasive under garments and orange gates to alert skiers to dangerous sections in downhill courses.
