With eye on safety, FIS regulates skis and standheights

With eye on safety, FIS regulates skis and standheights{mosimage}VILAMOURA, Portugal – Both skis and standheights will be altered for the 2007-08 season. Citing the rapid increase in injuries, particularly to juniors, the FIS and the Ski Racing Supplier Association, which is composed of most hardgoods manufacturers, agreed to make changes which would lower standheights and increase ski widths.

Guenther Hujara, the men’s World Cup race director, said the changes have to be made due to the rapid increase in lower leg injuries, primarily knees.

“We feel that these changes will have a positive effect on reducing the number of injuries we are experiencing,� he said.

The new maximum standheight of ski, plate and binding will be 50 millimeters, reduced from 55 mm. In addition, boot height will be restricted to 43 mm from the current 45 mm.

Ski widths will be expanded as well. Currently the minimum width for all skis is 60 mm. Under the new rules, ski-width minimums will be as follows: for slalom, 63 mm; GS and SG skis, 65 mm; and downhill skis, 67 mm.

Giant slalom ski radiuses will be regulated as well. For men, the GS ski minimum radius will be 27 m and the women’s 23 m.

There will be no tolerance variation of any of the above.