No worries even if you are Euro you still don't get it... at least I don't. National team clothes are something you earn not something you buy. But that's just me, which is proven over and over again on every even smallest ski place (or road/trail for bike/running apparel).
Well, you know, once upon a time, in the post Tomba years, the then national clothing provider was advertising that for each kit sold, a certain percentage was being devolved to support the National Team (then in budgetary dire straits).
Maybe it's still so nowadays, what with all the logo royalties of pins and badges on a jacket.
What I was referring to is that the American Flag itself is a powerful and sought-after symbol here, for whatever reason. So, obviously, USA Team clothing replica articles sell well. Me myself would be tempted to purchase one, but my budget doesn't allow for that, not this year at least, so I'll pass. After all, the EA7 Italian Team clothing replica is available for sale as well at shops, but I haven't seen many of those out in the public, at least not at my area.
We had some young kids from Chile in their team kit, looked pretty sharp. I skied in the summer once in Les 2 Alps and the Italian youth teams were all kitted out in their various jackets and pants.
We had an Italian coach, ex downhiller. Not advisable to try and follow him on the “warmup run”, which was just mach schnell. Maybe it was skewed by him, but I got the sense that Italians really have a thing for downhill.
Ah, yes, usually in my area most teams wear "Vitalini" kits or "Energia Pura" ones, other teams are starting to go to Kappa. Other providers are "JAAM" (provider of the ski instructors/ski coaches national associations)... and "Hey". Kits are purchased by the teams, in colour of their choice,with their own logo and (hopefully) sponsors.
Concerning the mach schnell thing...
Downhill only, not so sure. "Speed" in general, yes...
For sure, ski instructors/ race coaches here, being 97% of racing background extraction, have a penchant for speed
As for the "general skiers' population"
Most of the skis sold here are GS or GS-like-racecarvers models (oftentimes, just the top sheets saying "GS" or "Race", what's under the covers, is another story)...A colleague of mine, general skier like me, used to boast that he would ski on SG skis only because he liked speed.
I had my doubts about that for at least two reasons
-To use real SG skis out in public, on an open to the public run, would spell disaster, or really badly skiing technique to keep speed in check, let alone finding one pair for sale...so, in the end, the user wouldn't enjoy it, not to mention if he/she would hit someone...
-I already feel uncomfortable skiing out of a GS course my R>21mt GS skis (not to mention the R>25 mt ones). I do it, but it means that I am on the lookout for "traffic" even more than what I usually do.
kappa-usa.com
and we should probably remove it before it gets hurt.
