Descente and Nastar sign unique deal on racing suits

By Published On: July 13th, 2005Comments Off on Descente and Nastar sign unique deal on racing suits

Descente and Nastar sign unique deal on racing suits{mosimage}Hey racers! Want a top-quality Descente GS team suit for about $300?

After January ’06, you’ll be able to get one. But it won’t be an American or Canadian, Swiss or Spanish team suit. It will be the first of its kind: a suit that is not for World Cuppers, elite national team members or those who hope to get there, but strictly for recreational racers — the huge team of NASTAR participants. The black, gray and white speed suit will sport yellow and red NASTAR logos.

It’s a unique deal that Descente recently signed with NASTAR. The 70-year-old company will also produce logoed jackets, pants, T-necks and baseball caps, all aimed at the NASTAR racer.

The GS suit will be sold at cost, according to Descente North America Vice President Curt Geiger.

“We’re giving this suit away. It’s not just another layer of Lycra, it has a flannel backing, and padding stitched into its own pouch. It’s actually made better than most of our competitors’ suits, with better construction,”
Geiger said.

The deal came about after Geiger and other Descente officials attended the NASTAR National Championships at Park City Mountain Resort at the end of March.

“We were delighted and amazed at the enthusiasm for the sport of ski racing from people who aren’t searching to be on a national team, but just love to race,” Geiger said. “I would watch two 70-year-old guys, one from Michigan, the other from Colorado, that had never met before, but had been watching each other’s results all year long on the NASTAR Web site. They would stand there, and with good humor, challenge each other to go mano-a-mano. I asked one kid how he did in his race, and he proudly said, ‘I was only two seconds out of fourth place!’ We decided right then and there to get involved.”

Bill Madsen, director of the NASTAR program, points out that numbers make the NASTAR racer a desirable demographic.

He explained, “The other day, I was looking at the stats of racers. The number of FIS athletes in the entire world, including alpine, nordic and snowboarders combined, is only about 30,000. But there are over 100,000 registered NASTAR participants who race each year, just in the United States. NASTAR certainly has the clout.”

The non-technical NASTAR courses, offered at 500 resorts throughout the country, have attracted an larger number of participants each year.

It’s another resort amenity, like a terrain park or halfpipe. Every resort’s top three racers in each age category qualify for the NASTAR National Championships. The numbers who attend that event have exploded in the past five years. There are now more than a thousand rec racers who travel from across the country to take part. The NASTAR Finals is the largest ski race in the world.

Geiger said the deal was not a matter of finances.

“We thought of it as a way for Descente to promote the sport of skiing, because that’s where skiing is, with the rank-and-file people who just love to play in the snow,” he said. “We’re taking no profit on it. We’re making it just so people can have a GS suit to go race NASTAR and get excited about the sport.”

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About the Author: Pete Rugh