While speed skaters already wear helmets for protection from concussions, the Cambridge Speed Skating Club in Canada installed a special mat system this year to further protect skaters should they have a spill in races. All speed skating clubs in Canada will eventually be required to fit rinks with a mat system within the next two years.
The new mat system reportedly consists of three layers and a total of 28 inches of foam. The new mats cover the boards in all of the “red zones” – the areas where high-impact crashes might occur, including behind the nets and at the left-turn walls. The layers include nine inches of highly compressible foam, with an additional nine layers of firmer cushioning, along with a final 10-inch mat with a honeycomb-style interior designed to reduce impact with the boards. A total of 36 mats are used during practice and 112 during competitions.
Hopefully these mats will keep the skaters safer during any impacts.
[Via The Record: Safety mats reduce concussion risk for speed skaters]