Airbags are compulsory in all speed races – Marco Odermatt already wore one last season.Image: trapezoid
The International Ski Federation (FIS) Council confirmed on Friday that the use of airbags will be mandatory in all speed events starting this season. Not all drivers wear it.
At the end of last season, at a technical meeting in the spring, the International Ski Federation decided to make airbags mandatory in downhill and super-G races. FIS council members met via video conference on Friday and approved the rule.
The decision comes in response to a number of serious crashes during the 2023/24 season. This is also in line with the organizing committee’s desire to make the competition safer. “For the FIS, athlete safety is a top priority and is non-negotiable. The introduction of airbags is intended to minimize the risk of serious injury. We want to take all measures to keep skiers healthy,” FIS said Michel Vian, Secretary General of the Association.
Most athletes already use back airbags during competition and training. Most female skiers have worn it for a long time, but there are still some men who refuse the protection. Marco Odermatt is armed since a serious discussion with girlfriend Stella. But Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, for example, was not wearing an airbag when he was involved in a serious car accident in Wengen.
Here's what those affected are saying about the airbags.Video: SRF
While recovering, the Norwegian is still thinking about better protecting himself in the future. Equipped with cut-proof underwear (possibly mandatory from next season), which may prevent him from getting serious cuts, and also equipped with an airbag.
Kilder is not the only one resisting this, however. Last winter, Italian driver Dominik Paris and Canadian driver James Crawford drove without airbags because they said it restricted their freedom of movement. «I am an athlete who loves sports. At first, the airbag restricted my freedom of movement. But it’s much better now,” said Vincent Kriechmayr at the recent opener in Sölden. The Austrian used this statement to prove that a back airbag originally developed for motorcyclists has evolved to meet the needs of skiers.
Example of an FIS-approved airbag developed by Dainese.Image: Dainis
But there are other factors that lead some skiers to still reject this type of back protection. This includes the fact that the airbags can deploy even in the absence of a minor fall, as happened when Stefan Babinsky closed his shoes during training. “If this happens to you in the starting gate, you won't be able to start at half-time,” Kriechmayr stressed.
Matthias Mayer's 2015 crash in Val Gardena also shocked some speed experts. The Austrian fell at a speed of 109 km/h and a force of 13 G, fracturing two thoracic vertebrae. His back airbag certainly saved him from something worse. However, some skiers, including Ted Ligeti, believe Mayer's injuries were caused by the device.
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“I am very skeptical of this system due to the 2015 crash of my Austrian friend Matthias Mayer in Val Gardena. Mayer fractured two thoracic vertebrae while wearing an airbag. To me there is still no evidence of this structure It really prevents injuries,” Beat Feuz, who has resigned, explained to Blick. Even if the manufacturer denies any responsibility, distrust remains.
Despite the disagreements, the International Ski Federation confirmed on Friday the introduction of a new rule. The decision was undoubtedly prompted by Broderick Thompson's fall during downhill training in Beaver Creek in November 2023. The Canadian was not wearing an airbag that day and suffered multiple fractures to his vertebrae, ribs and shoulder blades, as well as a traumatic brain injury. While deep down he still wants to make a comeback because he is a miracle, the road to that will be long and filled with many obstacles.
As for the International Snow Federation, the relevant person in charge firmly believes that if Thompson had been protected, he would not have suffered so much pain.
In 2015, Matthias Mayer suffered a serious fall in Val Gardena.Image source: EPA/APA/EXPA
However, there was no consensus within the committee on whether airbags should be mandatory. A group of experts from the International Ski Federation have long studied the issue and spoke out against the requirement last year. «There is no need to have airbags. Back protectors have been doing great since the 90s. Karl-Heinz Waibel, a working group member and technical representative of the German Ski Federation (DSV), told South Tyrol outlet Sporting News that no skiers had complained of upper-body injuries.
Experts are not fundamentally opposed to airbags. Instead, he recommends focusing on the main problem: severe and recurring knee injuries.
Starting with the race at Beaver Creek in early December, airbags will be mandatory. However, the International Ski Federation noted in its press release that exceptions can be made if protective gear hinders athletes and therefore poses a hazard.
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The International Ski Federation (FIS) Council confirmed on Friday that the use of airbags will be mandatory in all speed events starting this season. Not all drivers wear it.
At the end of last season, at a technical meeting in the spring, the International Ski Federation decided to make airbags mandatory in downhill and super-G races. FIS council members met via video conference on Friday and approved the rule.
