AWARD-WINNING SKI OUTFIT

Seven gold medals, five silver medals and seven bronze medals was the total take for Norwegian cross-country skiers in the World Cup competition in Oberstdorf, Germany, in February 2005. No drugs were involved in this impressive achievement, but we’d like to think that a new ski outfit developed at NTNU was. Here is Marit Bjørgen after the relay race and wearing the suit, which was developed by NTNU professors Sveinung Løset and Lars Sætran in cooperation with ski wax manufacturer SWIX. The aerodynamic speed suit is named Pro Fit. The suit is a result of two years of research; it has undergone extensive testing in the wind tunnel at NTNU, on cylinders, on test dummies, and on people. The shin, knees, thighs and arms have a rough surface, while the hips, belly, chest and back are smooth. The researchers estimated that the suit would save athletes between three and 14 seconds during the course of a 15-kilometre race.