An air hole. As the first speed events of the Ski World Cup begin on Friday, December 6, in Beaver Creek (United States) with the men's downhill (Friday) and the super-G (Saturday), new regulations come into play. . Wearing an airbag vest is now compulsory for men's and women's competitions. A decision that divides, so much so that the FIS had to grant several dozen exemptions to skiers who do not want to wear it.
“You have to know how to progress in sport in terms of safetyhowever, assures Adrien Théaux, dean of the French downhill team at the age of 39. All sports evolve. The halo in Formula 1, they were all against it and it saved a lot of drivers.”
Used for almost 10 years, first in skicross, then in alpine skiing, the airbag vest has emerged as a new protection for skiers. Even before the obligation for the 2024-2025 season, many of them used it on the world circuit, both in competition and in training. “In alpine skiing, we are around 70%, but much more in training“, specifies Michel Vion, former president of the French Ski Federation (FFS) and now secretary general of the International Ski Federation (FIS). However, some still remain skeptical about its effectiveness.
Despite the obligation introduced this season, the FIS has granted 38 exemptions from competing with the airbag for this year. “In the interest of fairness for all athletes, FIS will accept additional official requests for exceptions from national federations at any time during the 2024/2025 season, provided that the athlete meets the specified criteria [contrainte médicale, technique ou physiologique]”, the FIS tells us.
The world ski body has approved two brands for airbag vests this season. The product works using onboard predictive algorithms, which detect the fall and trigger the inflation of the airbag in less than a tenth of a second before impact with the ground. Combined with the helmet, it helps protect sensitive areas in the event of falls such as the back, thorax, spine and hips, and can prevent serious injuries to the upper body.
However, their use can be uncomfortable and bother skiers. Roland Assinger, head coach of Austrian skiers, mentions the fact that vests can be disturbing for some short skiers, or on the contrary for tall ones. “The airbag was designed for motorcycle riders, who are on average 1.70 m tall and weigh 60 kilos. It is not comparable to the morphology of a Vincent Kriechmayr or a Lara Gut-Behrami“, he emphasizes in the Swiss daily Blick.
Michel Vion has heard of this problem and is talking about a large number of developments for optimized comfort. For him, after years of improvement, the “product is completed” et “has proven itself“.
Gianluca Rulfi, head of the Italian women's team, declared, still in Blick, to be very doubtful about this equipment: “I think the airbag is a stretch between costs and benefits. Until it is upgraded, the normal back protector is enough for me.“Currently the cost of an airbag vest can range from 650 to 1,000 euros.
Those who resist also claim a lack of aerodynamics and time lost at the finish of the descent. An argument that Michel Vion denies: “Airbags do not affect performance. It's also a question of knowing how to adapt, of working with Marc Odermatt or Cyprien Sarrazin who have been doing it for several years, have adapted with it and know how to find their position. It's not a shell, it's armor, just extra thickness.“
At 39 years old, Adrien Théaux believes that “it doesn't change anything. Tests were carried out with the French team, there is no change“, he reacts on this point. He has been wearing it for many years and is satisfied with it. On the world circuit for 20 years, the skier from Val Thorens regrets that some of his counterparts refuse to wear the airbag. “We don't have the same relationship with the fall. There are some who have not experienced death. We knew her [avec le décès de David Poisson en 2017]. As a result, we don't all have the same view on safety. In France, we are perhaps more concerned by that.“French skiers have not requested exemptions and will wear airbag vests,” the federation specifies.
In this dangerous sport, where speeds can sometimes reach more than 160 km/h, safety measures are not negligible. “Little has changed after the death of David Poisson for skier safetynotes the skier from Val-Thorens, who made his World Cup debut in 2006. Whether in training or in competition. The nets are the same for example. We need to have more protection. What the FIS tried to do with the airbag is going in the right direction and they are going backwards with the exemptions…“
Skiers with vests, others without, that's the start of the problems, according to Xavier Fournier-Bidoz, manager of the French men's speed team. “It's always the same. As long as it is obligatory, and there are exemptions… They must apply their rules as they must. Each time, they leave doors open for some and that is not right. That's going to cause problems.“
With an obligation that is really no longer one, the question of fairness arises. The FIS is working in parallel on the use of highly recommended “anti-cut” technical underwear, which should be compulsory from the 2025-2026 season.
