Eschler's ice innovations to appear at 2010 Winter Olympics

05 Jan '10

2 min read

In 1974 a Swiss speed skater named Franz Krienbühl developed the fi rst one-piece speed skating suit to optimize the aerodynamics of his racing gear. Today, 35 years later, Switzerland is still the home of innovative sports apparel. Swiss knitwear specialist Christian Eschler AG presents high tech fabrics for the speed suits of various national teams at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Managed by the third generation, Swiss brand ESCHLER has a long and famous tradition in developing premium knitwear for elite sportswear. For the Winter Games in Vancouver, ESCHLER supplies brands Nike and Descente that produce the speed skating racing gear for the world's leading speed skating nations. Nike engineers the suits for the US, Dutch and South-Korean national teams, Descente for the Japanese and Canadian squads.

Four different ESCHLER fabrics are used in one single speed skating suit. Each body zone is equipped with a particular construction: the one-suit system utilizes extremely durable and cut resistant fabric in critical zones which are specified by the International Skating Union (ISU). Tight compression material on the thighs reduce muscle vibration and support the muscle movement. While behind the knee and on the inner thigh, thin, yet durable fabric is used. Further, mesh inserts guarantee improved moisture management and ventilation. The material surface has been optimized in many lab and wind tunnel tests – in the end, aerodynamics are a crucial factor when it comes to shave off those milliseconds that separate the gold medalist from the rest.

ESCHLER – Touch Swiss Comfort: Founded in 1927, the Christian Eschler AG quickly advanced to become one of the world's leading manufacturers of functional knit fabrics. Today, the family owned business, based in Bühler/ Switzerland, is managed by the third Eschler generation and specialises in sportswear, work wear, technical textiles and lingerie. As one of the first textile companies, Eschler committed itself to an environmentally friendly production cycle by becoming a bluesign system partner (www.bluesign.com). The independent bluesign standard meets strict requirements regarding sustainability, health and safety as well as resource efficiency.

Eschler

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