You won’t need special equipment to get started with adult racing. Apart from the skis, boots and poles you already have, the only prerequisite is a helmet. Any approved ski helmet will suffice for training. For GDHL or interclub racing, you must have a helmet with hard ears for GS or Super G. If you want, for SL only you can use one of the special slalom helmets you see the World Cup racers wearing on tv.  Note that there can be “no spoilers, edge, or protrusions” and the presence of helmet-mounted cameras, accessories, mounting brackets, or any foreign object that is affixed to the helmet is specifically forbidden.

However, once you get hooked, get interested in incremental gains or watch your rivals closely, you will discover that shopping, not DH (downhill), is the fourth discipline of adult racing. We are fortunate to have sponsorship support from Squire Johns ski shop, who can meet all of your needs, and Craigleith member Ron Warren, who is the area wholesale distributor for Dynastar and Lange equipment.    The comments that follow reflect the opinions of the author (James Mathers) and, while I hope they will be of interest and assist you in considering options, they should not be taken as objective, complete or authoritative (despite my several years of ski shop employment many years ago!), nor are they endorsed by the Club. 

Skis

There are many differences in design and construction between skis. Length and turn radius are two design features that vary considerably but are easily identifiable. Designed for quick short radius turns, slalom race skis are typically between 150 and 165 cm in length and have a turn radius of 13 metres or less. If you have skis not designed for racing, they will likely be a bit longer length and turn radius than slalom skis, so you will likely find that they are more difficult to use for slalom than other adult racing events.

If you start thinking about optimal skis for adult racing, be conscious of a few things:

• the skis that are optimal for SL are not optimal for GS, and the skis that are optimal for GS are a big handicap for SL, so lots of people have two pairs of race skis

• the skis that are optimal for racing will not be optimal for your vacation skiing in Whistler, so lots of people have three or more pairs of skis

• if you buy the skis that are optimal this year, there will be skis that are more optimal (or less worn out) in a year or two, so lots of people have a garage full of skis

• most manufacturers make “race stock” and “race-inspired” skis that look similar but perform very differently (the skis the World Cup racers hold on the podium are not what they raced on) and you need to know what you’re getting

• particularly with GS skis, what is optimal for a young FIS racer will not likely be optimal for you, so buying second hand doesn’t always work

The fourth point above is a good place to start our discussion. Dynastar has “WC” skis and “Pro” skis. Atomic has “FIS race” skis and “race” skis. Rossignol, which is a sister company to Dynastar, has “WC” skis and 9 and 8 series skis (and so on for other manufacturers). The “WC” or “FIS race” skis are not exactly what the World Cup skiers are using but they’re a reasonable facsimile. You may be able to find demo pairs of these “race stock” skis at Squire John's, and most Craigleith adult racers would readily recognize the difference between them and “race-inspired” skis. They are heavier (especially noticeable in the parking lot trek) and usually stiffer, but if you have the skill and athleticism to put them sufficiently on edge and stay balanced on them, they will provide a more stable ride at speed, better hold on an icy or bumpy course and more performance. If you don’t (yet) have what’s needed, you will find them running away from you shortly before you find yourself climbing out of a snow bank two gates below where you meant to turn. (Click here for more information about our race training programs!)

Many adult racers use or would be comfortable with a “race stock” slalom ski, although many lighter and/or baby boom aged men have chosen to use something shorter than the 165 length that is required for men in FIS races. (Minimum length for women’s FIS slalom is 155.)  Atomic makes a version of their women’s FIS race slalom ski in 158 that is popular among our members. Head makes their race stock slalom ski in 160. (Head race stock skis are designated as “RD.”)

GS skis are a different story. Until a few years ago, FIS-legal race stock skis had shapes somewhat resembling the sidecuts we’ve become used to skiing on, and women’s 183’s with a 23 metre radius were a popular choice for male adult racers. With FIS rulings changing GS skis back to shapes of 15+ years ago, the picture became more complicated.  For several seasons, World Cup men were skiing on 35 metre sidecut skis, although for 2018 the required radius was reduced to 30 metres. While some stalwarts valiantly defend FIS legal GS skis (or maybe legal a year or two ago), the game really changed with the introduction of the Rossignol Masters GS ski for the 2011 season. Originally available only in a 174 length with an 18 metre radius, they offer the sidecut of a “race-inspired” GS ski with the performance of a “race stock” ski and were adopted by male adult racers of all sizes and baby boomer ages to such an extent that they covered the ground in the starting area at the interclub finals like dandelions cover a city park in May. For a while, hardly anyone bought anything else in our little niche market. Beginning in 2014, Dynastar offered essentially the same ski with a different paint job in 175, 180 and 185 lengths and 18, 21 and 23 metre radii, respectively and for 2015 both Dynastar and Rossignol added a 170 cm length with a 16 metre radius that will appeal to strong female racers. The only drawback is that they’re GS skis, and a hazard for SL (see point 1 above).  For several seasons, there was nothing comparable on the market.  More recently, Volkl has introduced the Racetiger Speedwall GS and SL skis, which they call their "beer league" race skis.  Their bright orange and yellow topsheets are becoming more common and offer a viable alternative to the Dynastar and Rossi oligopoly.

For the annual Super G, some have indulged themselves with a pair of Super G skis (again probably from a few years ago when 33 metre radius skis were the norm), many pull out something old and long from the garage (see point 3 above), some rent from the fleets maintained at Squire Johns and other local shops and the rest have fun on whatever they have.

Bottom line suggestion is, if you conclude you’re comfortable on race stock skis, go for SL skis before GS. You will like them for SL and you may find that they’re better than your all-mountain skis for GS. For men's GS, you will not be alone or unhappy if you choose the Dynastar, Rossignol or Volkl masters ski. And if you don’t buy, you will still have lots of fun and will still beat the shoppers if you make better turns!

Boots

Boots can be more complicated to purchase than skis because, above all, you must get something that fits your foot and because you can, and often must, tinker with them much more than you can with skis in order to change the fit and performance. As with skis, there are “race,” “race-inspired” and “not marketed as race” boots, but with boots the “raciest” models available are not nearly as popular with adult racers as the raciest skis that are readily available. Here are a few thoughts:

• Race boots tend to have a narrower, lower volume fit.  Most have a last width (across the forefoot) of around 95 mm. Most non-performance boots have a last width of 100 mm or more. Some of the difference in the shell width may be compensated for by the liner being a bit thinner, which (combined with different materials being used) may also mean the liner doesn’t pack down as much over time.

• With any ski boot, the only difference between a full size (e.g. 27.0) and the half size up (e.g. 27.5) is the insole. Since you should certainly get an upgraded insole of some kind, there is effectively no difference, and many brands only offer half sizes in race boots.

• Most manufacturers designate a flex index for their boots. The stiffest boots have an index of 150 or more, while recreational boots are less than 100. The flex index is not consistent between manufacturers (as DIN for bindings is) and flex on race boots can be effectively adjusted by adding or removing bolts in the spine of the boot. Many male adult racers seem to settle on a boot designated as around a 130 flex.

• Some top end race boots, such as the Lange World Cup models, are “plug” boots and designed to have the insides of the shells ground out to fit. The Langes are designated as having a 92 mm last, which may be an indication of how much grinding may be needed. However, the Lange RS ZA+ race boot is identified as having a 92+ mm last. I understand this means it has been “pre-ground” to 94 or 95 mm.

• Some race boots come with a lace-up liner. It has to be removed from the shell to put the boots on or take them off, but it provides a snugger fit, and removing the liner regularly keeps the boots drier. They also often come with a simple velcro arrangement that allows the placement of the tongue to be adjusted.

• You should get a pair of the thinnest ski socks you can find to try on boots, and you will likely want to wear them at the beginning of the first season. As the liners pack down a bit, you can shift to a somewhat thicker sock.

• Consider buying Booster straps to replace the strap supplied with your boots. The elastic straps allow for a snugger fit without inhibiting flex and the mechanical closure is more effective than Velcro. The straps should be attached to the upper spine of the shell, but fastened around the tongue of the liner, inside the front of the shell.

Since boots are a pretty personal matter, I can simply share my own experience. Many years ago, I foolishly bought a pair of Koflach race boots. They were about as flexible and comfortable as the boots filled with concrete that you see used as door stoppers around the Club sometimes. I fairly quickly bought a pair of Salomon rear-entry boots, which were very comfortable for a number of years, but did nothing for my skiing. When rear-entry boots went out of style and I bought a pair of injection fitted San Marco conventional boots, I recall thinking that nothing I’d ever bought had made a more noticeable change in my skiing. San Marco was re-branded as Head and I had several pairs of them that were at most “race-inspired.”  Since then, I’ve switched to race boots, first a Head Raptor 130 model (now called the Raptor B3) and then a Lange RS140 model. Both lasts are 5 or so mm narrower than the previous pairs, but while they were certainly snugger they are not uncomfortably narrow, as I had thought they might be. The Heads did not fit well out of the box and keeping them on in the store didn’t seem to change much. However, when the liners and the shells were separately heated a bit and I put them back on, the improvement was enormous and apart from one little push in the toe area, I didn’t need anything else done. I found the Lange liners conformed more easily to my foot than the Head liners had. They still needed a lot of wearing around the house in the summer to be comfortable, but when I eventually took them back to the shop to be heated it was just for the finishing touches. Both have adjustable tongues and lace-up liners, the latter being why I chose the Lange 140 rather than 130. I used them each with one bolt and have been very happy with both pairs. (I will say that there is a good reason why the Lange liners come with special features to expedite the installation of boot heaters.)

Most recently, I got a pair of Lange RS ZA+ boots. As described above, they’re somewhat narrower than the Lange 140 boots I had been wearing, which were 97 mm lasts. However, I found them to be at least as comfortable a fit, and the new Dual Core plastic technology makes them easier to get on and off. I find I can ski well on groomers at recreational speeds with the buckles hooked but not closed (Booster Strap on), and they work better for me if I don’t tighten the upper buckles too much, which just stiffens them more than I want.

Bindings

It seems that not much has changed in bindings in recent years, and with integrated plates on most race skis, the choices are often limited to different models of the same brand. The obvious differences are often the range of DIN settings. Note however that, in addition to higher DIN ranges, race oriented bindings often have different release mechanisms.

A bigger question is one’s choice of DIN setting. A calculator for DIN settings can be found here.

For me (James Mathers, born 1954, weight around 160 pounds and a living in hope "domestique" on the interclub team), the calculated DIN setting is 6.5, based on being a type 3 skier. I set my bindings at 9 for racing. I have never suffered an injury while racing or training, although I have suffered various leg injuries while freeskiing, in some cases perhaps because of excessive release settings.  I don't think my setting is aggressive in comparison to comparable racers, but if you'd like to volunteer your details, please let me know at gdhl@gdhl.org.

Other Equipment

Many racers use some additional protective equipment, especially for SL. Pole mounted hand guards are almost essential for cross-blocking in SL. Most pole guards are designed with 180 degrees coverage vertically. I’ve sometimes not screwed mine into the pole grip at the top, with the hope that the resulting added give will reduce the prospect of shattering, pole guards being one of the more over-priced race accessories in my view.  Face guards attached to helmets and shin guards are also often used in SL.

This brings us to race suits.  They come either with padding sewn in at critical locations or without, in which case you can wear separate padding underneath them.  They come in many colours and designs, usually garish.  They are pretty stretchy (I still wear one that fit my then 13 year old son who weighed not much more than 100 pounds) although they gradually stretch out and, as some of our participants will have to reluctantly accept, they don't last forever and the eventual disintegration is not a pretty sight.  But despite manufacturers who apparently refuse to install zippers that would enhance the convenience of use for male wearers and despite the rumoured existence of bands of women who refer to a group of MAMILs (middle-aged men in Lycra) as the “Easter Parade,” most GDHL participants sought the apparently quantifiable time gains and, at least in warmer weather, the comfort and ease of movement that come with wearing a race suit.  

However, for the 2020 season, the GDHL committee determined that race suits would not be allowed in GDHL SL or GS races. They are allowed for the GDHL Super G race and Club Championship races that may be part of the GDHL schedule, as well as for Interclub races. In addition, they can be worn for slalom with a jacket over top, to reduce the wear and tear of gate-bashing on non-race pants. As might be expected, this promulgation resulted in enthusiastic support and opposition. Some lamented being unable to don the race suit as part of the pre-race ritual. (I recall with mixed emotions a young child at the locker beside me asking his father why I was putting on a costume pre-race.) Others attributed the decline of the Georgian Peaks Interclub team to softness resulting from not wearing race suits in their house league. But with COVID, removing a reason to go inside the lodges is probably a good thing.

Perhaps fearing harassment allegations or other problems arising from up close and personal inspection of competitors’ attire, the GDHL committee has not implemented highly technical rules regarding permissible race wear. The first season saw some pretty snug denim jeans being worn, perhaps in homage to Nik Zoricic. My theory is that exterior race wear should not have more than 10% Lycra content, and if it splits during a race the wearer should be disqualified. But basically just stay warm, have fun and expect people to let you know if you’ve crossed their version of the line!