With Dmitri Komarov and Dmitri Komarov:

So… we’ve all been there. All down hill skaters have spent time on this question: should I buy a suit? It’s a tough, complicated decision with no right or wrong answer. There are a lot of factors to consider and going to experienced skaters for advice often does not help as they all seem to have different opinions on the matter. Contradictory advice will not help you, will it? Aside from that getting a suit is something so personal that only you can decide. So I have put together this article highlighting the pros and cons of having a suit vs not having one. (Although I do suggest talking to experienced skaters about it.) I hope this will help you ask yourself the right questions to help you make your decision.

No Leathers

There’s nothing like the feeling of air on your skin at 80kmph… Faster than that it kinda starts to sting… Still, the freedom of wearing regular clothes to skate down hills is an argument on its own. There’s nothing like it. And it’s one of the reasons I skate down hills. When you put on a suit things are simply not the same. Riding in shorts and a t shirt is like sex without a condom. It’s wild, it’s dangerous, and feels awesome! So fuck yeah. I have to admit that I, myself, usually skate without a suit. I wear my suit at races or when I’m going really fast (like 90+).

If you’re the kind of person that likes to take it easy, if you skate downhill just for fun, if you’re not hitting 100kmph on a regular basis, if you’re not a competitive person, and if you know how to skate in your limits then you probably shouldn’t be worrying about a suit.

It’s totally okay to skate without leathers and, these days, a lot of people are saying that it can even be the safer option. The problem with a suit is that it gives you a false sense of security. You put it on and you feel safe. That millimeter of leather puts your mind at ease but the reality of what we do is harsh. The things that will kill you are: cars, cliffs, and hard objects which you hit (rocks, guard rails, trees, etc.). A suit will not save you from any of those. In fact, a suit will never save your life.

And then there’s the heat. It gets very hot in a suit. Very hot.  It can be a minor inconvenience at best but in serious heat it can be a real concern. At hot summer races I’ve seen people get heat stroke from being in a suit all day. When you get heat stroke the first symptoms are dizziness and nausea and neither of those are safe to be feeling when skating.

So when you consider all that along with the increased mobility of not wearing a suit things start to look pretty good in the favor of shorts and a t shirt.

But if you do wear a suit this doesn’t happen:

Yeah a suit will never save your life but it can save you a lot of pain and trouble. A serious rash can keep you off a board for weeks. And be careful with infections… an infected rash can land you in the hospital. It’s happened to a couple of my friends. So if you’re a fan of riding in shorts and t shirt you better know how to properly take care of road rash.

But no one says it better than Zumee on Silverfish:

“…after my recent fall i realize i now need [leathers] not only for safety but they look sick with a full face…”

Well put, my friend.

And then there are the events. It you want to hit the big races you’re gonna need a suit; it’s mandatory. So if you don’t have one you’ll either have to stand on the side and watch or find a quick, cheap solution. Which brings us to our next option:

Used Motorcylce Suits

The one big upside of this is the price. You can find one for 50$ on eBay or craigslist or whatever other internet thing you like. So there’s no point breaking your head over it. If all you have is 50$ then this is your only option:

However, after doing this myself I have to say that it sucks and it’s only a temporary solution. If you’re getting a used motorcycle suit to do a couple event that’s fine. If you’re getting one because you wanna destroy it before investing in a good suit then that’s fine too. But aside from that there is not much good about this option. And don’t even think about buying a new motorcycle suit. At the prices they go for you can start looking into getting customs.

And let me be completely clear here: new or used the motorcycle suit will not fit you well for what we do.

Although I’ve seen some people get lucky, in general, these things will be very uncomfortable.  Your best bet is to look for a very old suit. As AJ Powell  puts it:

“…vintage leathers have very basic stitch patterns and some racers have been successfully racing there used suits for 10 years. It’s just more difficult to find a 20-30 year old suit and try it on before buying.”

The old suits are what’s best for us because it’s generally just… a leather suit. New motorcycle suit are made with the neutral position as sitting on a bike. Which, if you haven’t noticed, doesn’t look anything like skateboarding (but could be great for playing the piano). You will hardly be able to tuck, putting a hand down to slide will be really awkward, and forget bumping people. Aside from being restrictive it is also bulky and heavy. So it’s about as much fun as skating in a fat suit. Actually, scratch that… skating in a fat suit sounds fun.

But seriously… having a crappy suit can actually be dangerous. Yeah you avoid some roadrash but does throwing yourself down a hill in something you can barely move in sound safe? No… not really… so although this thing will get you through a couple races and maybe a season of skating, eventually you will either burn the fucking thing and skate in shorts or start saving up for the next option:

Custom Leathers

Usually when we say custom leathers we mean this guy:

Kelcey at NJK Leathers has been making suits for downhill skateboarders for a long, long time ; before K Rimes invented the early grab. In fact, Kelcey was making suits when K Rimes was still wearing diapers. Although there are other people who make custom suits for skateboarders there is no one that has done as much work in DH and who offers better service than Kelcey. So if you are looking for a custom suit you should definitely give Kelcey a call.

The up sides of customs are many. First of all it will actually fit. You will be able to tuck comfortably, you will be able put a hand down, and you will be able to put your arms up and bump people when you tuck. But in the end it does not feel like wearing nothing at all…

nothing at all… nothing at all… stupid sexy Flanders. Nice helmet though, is that an Icaro? Anyways, the point is you will always feel your suit. It will not be like sex without a condom. But you do get used to it…

Customs are also very tight. Which is aerodynamic so if you’re looking to get serious about racing you will have to put down for customs. But the tightness of the suit also makes it safer. When you fall the important padding on your knees and elbows stays where it should. A suit that doesn’t fit will move around over your body when you fall. People even get rash through their suits because when your leathers make contact with the ground the leather grips the asphalt and your body slides inside the suit for an inch or so. Kinda sucks when you’re wearing a crappy, uncomfortable suit and fall and get rash anyways. Also, a suit that doesn’t fit you properly can bunch up when you fall and send you into a roll. A tight suit stays on your skin and doesn’t move so it’s easier to control yourself sliding on the asphalt. Cause you don’t want to be rolling…

Of course, the major downside of customs is the price. If you’re ordering from Kelcey expect to pay somewhere around a grand. Which is not chump change. Mine cost 1400$. But at least it’s one of those items that people really like to help you pay for. If you have nice parents they’re always ready to throw down for something related to safety. And sponsors are always ready to throw down on something with their flashy logos all over it that you will be wearing at big events. And, in the end, unless you really like kissing asphalt you’re not gonna need to buy a suit every 3 months; a suit should last you several seasons.

Still… considering a one way ticket to California costs about 200$ for the price of those leathers you could be doing lots of fun stuff. And my personal suggestion is to go out and do fun stuff before buying that custom suit.

So to conclude… as I said before this is a very complicated decision. Take your time and think it through. Hopefully I’ve helped you on the way.

- Dmitri Komarov