What Are Women's Speed Skating Suits Made Out Of?

Speed skating is a competitive event where skaters will reach sometimes dangerous speed attempting to cross the finish line first. As with any sport, athletes will every advantage they can, and sometimes that means wearing the proper attire. Technologically advanced speed skating suits, which can be made for men and women, are made out of a variety of fabric types to enhance performance and help clinch victory.

  1. Friction Reducing Fabric

    • One of the components of a woman's speed skating suit is a friction reducing fabric. The fabric isn't used to reduce the friction between the skater and the air -- the suit's entire purpose is to do that -- rather, this fabric is specifically found beneath the arms and between the thighs. The friction reduction allows the skater to move her arms and legs faster, which results in more speed overall.

    Dyneema

    • While not all speed skating suits use Dyneema, which claims to be the strongest fabric in the world, the Dutch Olympic short track team used suits that incorporated this fabric in 2010. Thin and single layer, Dyneema reduces weight and friction, while at the same providing high abrasion resistance to protect the wearer from injury in the event of a fall. Suits that don't use Dyneema use other abrasion resistant fabrics for protection. Dyneema allows suits to be made of a single layer, rather than the double layer more common in the past.

    Rubberized Knit

    • Rubberized knit fabric is used to make the hood of a speed skating suit. These hoods serve to trap heat in and make the head more aerodynamic. The rubberized fabric allows air to move smoothly over the skater's head, and it keeps the ears tight to the head and the athlete's hair pressed down and out of the way.

    Thinfit

    • In order to assist in making the skater more aerodynamic, a women's speed skating suit needs to assist airflow in sliding over her body as she moves. Thinfit, and other similar fabrics, achieve this purpose for the suit. The bulk of a suit is made up of material that is extremely thin and contoured, but which is more aerodynamic than human skin. It helps reduce friction between the air and the skater.