When did they start using aero helmets?
I grew up with the guy on the far left. First instance I can see on his IG was for a Team Pursuit event in 2022.
The guy Josh interviewed here: https://silca.cc/en-ca/blogs/marginalgains/getting-airo-with-ingmar-jungnickel
Ingmar Jungnickel, is an aerodynamics guy and has been working with the US Speed skating team to improve their times so some areo bleed is expected. In short track speed skating aero type helmets have been around for a long time, these are just the most recent iteration and much more what one would call a true aero helmet.
I don’t know about in competition. Last time I saw, they were still just using the aero hoodie suit. I still speedskate (well, I haven’t in the last couple years but I’m still capable) and I wear a helmet because I’ve split my head open in a fall before. Of course, I live in the desert so I skate on pavement but falls can do a lot of damage regardless, and those guys are hauling booty!
They’ve been wearing helmets in short track for a long time.
They also ride bikes a lot 
Short track, yes. Long track, this is still fairly new.
They’re literally Rudy Project Wings
Now some long track events require the same safety equipment as all short track events.
The Mass Start, Team Pursuit & Sprint are the events.
The safety equipment: Helmet, white safety gloves, neck guard, Kevlar underwear and more.
I did not know this! The Kevlar underwear surprises me. Anyone know the reasoning behind that?
Errant blade across the flesh
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The great Eric Heiden won five gold medals at the 1980 Olympics in speedskating then became a pro cyclist. He won the 1985 US pro championships and finished the ‘85 Giro and started the ‘86 TdF. Didn’t finish the TdF because of a crash. So yeah, he rode his bike a few times.
Erin is a big fan. I’ll see her on the roads out here in utah all the time.
yes the speed skate blades are razor sharp.. having sharpened a few in my time…. so cut guards like Kevlar is essential safety equipment.
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2022 sounds about right. Went to the 2024 World Cup stop here in Salt Lake and most of the pursuit teams wore aero helmets, mostly Rudy Projects. Think the US team rolled them out sort of in conjunction with the push tactic replacing rotation.
Unless there’s some regulation against them, lets start getting some AeroHead 2’s on those skaters
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