Speed on Skis

Submitted by nestorb on Wed, 2006-12-06 09:11.

December 6, 2006 -- Generally, only world-class skiers have the luxury of knowing exactly how fast they are going on the slopes. The Silva Tech4O Snow Sports Speedometer, right, (www.tech4o.com) gives less-celebrated skiers their speeds, with a miniature version of the technology used by highway patrol officers to catch speeders. Once clipped to a skier’s leg, boot or chest, its small radar sensor bounces radio signals off the snow to calculate speed and distance, then transmits the information by a coded wireless signal to a wristwatch receiver, which can store up to a week’s worth of data. The basic package is $180; a wireless heart-rate monitor, which is also compatible with the watch, sells for $70. Extreme skiers, whether cross-country or downhill, need not worry about going beyond the speedometer’s limits. It can handle speeds as slow as 2 miles an hour or as fast as 99.