POWERSKIN
The new millennium brought with it another landmark development in racing swimwear,
as full-body suits broke onto the scene. Released in anticipation of the Olympic
games in Sydney, Arena’s Powerskin® set the standard, the product of more than two
years’
research yielding a suit that was 30% lighter, with 15% less water absorption compared
to other polyamide-elastane competition suits, and with a water friction coefficient
of almost zero.
POWERSKIN X-TREME
The outcome of the research revealed four important areas of focus in the construction
of a racing swimsuit – speed, muscle compression, freedom of knee movement, and
adherence to the body. The biggest breakthrough came in the form of small ribs (or
riblets) applied to the surface of the fabric, enabling it to trap microscopic water
molecules, thereby reducing drag by around 9% (compared with the best existing racing
swimsuits) and increasing speed by up to 3%.
The final product to emerge in 2004 after four years of research was Powerskin Xtreme®,
the fastest and the most technologically advanced swimsuit ever made. Built around
the Arena Balancing System – a set of principles developed in order for a swimsuit’s
design to match the ergonomic characteristics and bio-mechanics of a human body
in movement – the swimsuit went beyond pure speed, checking all the key boxes.
POWERSKIN R-EVOLUTION
As impressive as this achievement was, Arena’s research continued – a team of scientists
from the MOX Institute (Milan Polytechnic University) and the University of Reims
conducted mathematical simulations and fluid dynamics tests at the University of
Liege’s Water Tank and the Berlin High Performance Olympic Centre’s Flume, validating
results and taking input at each step from an Arena Elite Team consisting of the
world’s best swimmers. Their efforts came to fruition in 2008 with the unveiling
of the Powerskin R-evolution. The new swimsuit had two distinguishing features –
its unique woven fabric and its breakthrough design and construction.
The state of the art Stealth® fabric was made with half the amount of yarn typically
used in standard woven fabrics, and since its fibres were so thin, it offered greater
density and consequently a 50% improvement in muscle compression. The result was
an incredibly light fabric at only 99 g/m2 that offered swimmers improved body balance
and stability in the water. In addition, the Powerskin R-evolution® had no stitches
– drag’s number one enemy – and was made with a single piece of fabric. The absence
of seams on the front and just 2 low-profile, thermo-fused seams strategically placed
between the legs and on the back resulted in a 20% reduction in drag, and overall
provided a projected 24% longer peak swimming time with a 0,54-second advantage
in a 50m freestyle race.
POWERSKIN X-GLIDE
In 2009 the state of the art shifted once again with the development of Arena’s
Powerskin X-Glide®, a multi-layered full body suit with an SCS/biorubber coating
that trapped air, increased buoyancy, and reduced drag even more than its predecessors.
Utilizing Arena’s patented one-piece design and the ultra-light Stealth® fabric
inside for optimum muscle compression and comfort, the X-Glide® also employed a
titanium alloy between the inner and outer layers to stabilize body temperature,
along with Arena’s Hoop Kompressor® to deliver superior body stability during the
stroke.
Such was the innovation and impact of the X-Glide® – Paul Biedermann wore it at
the 2009 World Championships in Rome and handed Michael Phelps his first major 200m
freestyle defeat in four years– it was named among Time Magazine’s 50 Best Inventions
of 2009.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
However, after the 2009 World Championships in Rome, at which 43 world records were
broken – more than any previous Championships or Olympics – the swimming world’s
governing body FINA imposed a ban on the composite, hi-tech suits as of January
2010, including the following requirements: swimsuit material limited to breathable
fabrics, men's suits cannot extend above the waist or below the knee (jammers),
women's suits cannot extend above the neck (shoulder straps) or below the knee
material thickness limited to 1mm, swimsuit buoyancy limited to defined levels,
suits prohibited from providing any type of stimulation or pain reduction, suits
prohibited from having more than 50% of their surface area covered in non-permeable
materials or no more than 25% each of the upper or lower portion of a suit, air
trapping effects through the application of different materials prohibited. After
a decade of dramatic developments in swimsuit technology, the swimming world was
once again subjected to a major change.
POWERSKIN POST-COMPOSITE ERA
While the new FINA rules mandated a shift in direction for the swimming world, Arena
‘s R&D team were able to build on the foundations previously established, and come
up with yet another range of superior FINA-compliant racing wear: Powerskin ST (X-Raptor),
XP (Z-Raptor+), R-Evo+ (Z-Raptor+), and X-Glide. Including knitted and woven fabrics
with a weight as low as 125 g/m2, the range offers hydro-repellent surface treatment,
optimal compression, minimum surface drag, and low-profile bonded seams offering
superb stability, body alignment, and the
smoothest glide through the water. With a new order established by FINA, and well-defined
parameters to work within, one might think that the options for advancement in the
swimsuit field would be limited. Perhaps they would be … if Arena’s R&D team wasn’t
involved. (Stay tuned for more developments in swimsuit excellence from Arena.)