www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../19679.asp
The most substantial change, of course, is that suits would no longer be allowed to extend past the knee.
My personal opinion is this is sort of an arbitrary change. What really should be changed--if anything--is what types of materials are allowed and maybe testing protocol to approve a suit. I don't really think requiring suits to end at the knees would affect much.
Hofffam, I wouldn't necessarily call a parent buying a tech suit (not talking B70 or LZR here) a "spendy parent." Way too pejorative. I think Geek, despite his newly civil mode, would still call this remark ludicrous.
Anyone care to venture a guess how much I've already spent this year on my 8 and 6 year old getting them ready for their little weekend ski team? Before even a single flake has flown? And my little dears are not at all serious about it -- we only run one pair of skis each, don't own a portable tuning bench, don't travel to races, and I refuse to buy them downhill suits as the aerodynamic advantages seem lost on me while they travel aimlessly through the gates at a pace equal roughly to the brisk walk of an aquarobe.
Let's just say I could buy them each a B70 practice suit, a race LZR, a fresh pair of goggles for each race, and several new smoothskin caps with their names and "The Next HoffPhelps" emblazoned on them and still come out ahead.
Any parent of a kid who plays hockey, or travel soccer or lacrosse, or high level baseball, tennis, golf, or pretty much any sport which uses any equipment at all, will likely have the same sad tale to tell. In the continuum of the cost of sports with I suppose yacht racing, polo, and international dressage at one end and cross country running at the other, swimming is a lot closer to the cheap end, even with the tech suits factored in.
But my Little Dears each seem to enjoy skiing -- and swimming. I enjoy skiing with them, and the team teaches them good fundamentals, gets us to the mountain every Saturday, and helps them get their little kid ya yas out and sleep at night, which come to think of it are similar to the reasons the older one started swim team this year. And most important, it isn't an effing video game simulation of a real sport, it's actually getting away from the giant screen and out into the (gasp) real world doing (oh the horror) real things. And so The Darling Wife and I will make what we deem to be reasonable, judicious parental decisions regarding their gear after considering each Little Dear's respective enthusiasm for the respective sport requiring an investment in equipment.
That said, I'm perfectly OK with a ban on the speed suits for 12 and unders. Just one less decision to hassle over. I wish the ski powers that be would follow what I understand to be Canada's lead and ban the downhill suits for the little ones.
Hofffam, I wouldn't necessarily call a parent buying a tech suit (not talking B70 or LZR here) a "spendy parent." Way too pejorative. I think Geek, despite his newly civil mode, would still call this remark ludicrous.
Anyone care to venture a guess how much I've already spent this year on my 8 and 6 year old getting them ready for their little weekend ski team? Before even a single flake has flown? And my little dears are not at all serious about it -- we only run one pair of skis each, don't own a portable tuning bench, don't travel to races, and I refuse to buy them downhill suits as the aerodynamic advantages seem lost on me while they travel aimlessly through the gates at a pace equal roughly to the brisk walk of an aquarobe.
Let's just say I could buy them each a B70 practice suit, a race LZR, a fresh pair of goggles for each race, and several new smoothskin caps with their names and "The Next HoffPhelps" emblazoned on them and still come out ahead.
Any parent of a kid who plays hockey, or travel soccer or lacrosse, or high level baseball, tennis, golf, or pretty much any sport which uses any equipment at all, will likely have the same sad tale to tell. In the continuum of the cost of sports with I suppose yacht racing, polo, and international dressage at one end and cross country running at the other, swimming is a lot closer to the cheap end, even with the tech suits factored in.
But my Little Dears each seem to enjoy skiing -- and swimming. I enjoy skiing with them, and the team teaches them good fundamentals, gets us to the mountain every Saturday, and helps them get their little kid ya yas out and sleep at night, which come to think of it are similar to the reasons the older one started swim team this year. And most important, it isn't an effing video game simulation of a real sport, it's actually getting away from the giant screen and out into the (gasp) real world doing (oh the horror) real things. And so The Darling Wife and I will make what we deem to be reasonable, judicious parental decisions regarding their gear after considering each Little Dear's respective enthusiasm for the respective sport requiring an investment in equipment.
That said, I'm perfectly OK with a ban on the speed suits for 12 and unders. Just one less decision to hassle over. I wish the ski powers that be would follow what I understand to be Canada's lead and ban the downhill suits for the little ones.
