long live tech suits!

We all remember "that Olympics" where the tech suits were thought to have been just a little too good to be true, and with the WTC banning them for Ironman races, many thought tech suits such as the pointzero3 and nero where lost to us.

Maarten van der Weijden rocking the PZ3

Oh ye of little faith! You can still use tech suits in a whole range of open water races around the world, and our competition to win a choice of pool or tri swimskin has people coming up with some pretty major events that have not banned these dreamy, super quick suits, such event is the Rottnest Channel Swim!

So this got us reminiscing on the milestones of these sleek and super speedy suits... enjoy.

• 2006: Normann Stadler (along with 16 other pros) wears the first ever pointzero3, winning the event, and setting a swim PB in the process.
• 2007: 600 athletes line the start of the Kona Ironman World Championships in the pointzero3 swimskin and pointzero3+ , including both eventual winners.
• 2008: The Nero comp swimskin (fully functional pool suit) is released in May. It is the dominant suit at the World Open Water Swimming Championships, worn by the winner of the 25km World Championship. Numerous world records are set in the pool using Nero comp swimskins.
• 2008: At the Beijing Olympics the first Olympic Gold medal in Open Water Swimming is awarded to Dutch athlete Maarten Van Der Weijden wearing the Nero 10K swimskin.
• 2009: The Nero comp range is rejected by FINA along with other companies’ suits due to the arbitrary ruling that they ‘may trap air’. This results in a huge worldwide media interest following blueseventy. The exposure of ‘non scientific’ reasons for banning suits by certain FINA officials sees a reversal of the decision on all rejected blueseventy suits.
• 2009: 800 competitors (over half the field) wear a blueseventy swimskin at Kona. The PZ3 (a welded version of the pointzero3 swimskin) is released.
• 2010: The neroTX textile race suit for the pool is released, and is worn to numerous National championship titles.
• 2010: WTC changes the rules for triathlon swimskins. blueseventy releases the new textile PZ3TX swimskin, and two new triathlon apparel lines. Feedback from professional athletes regarding the PZ3TX is outstanding.
• 2011: The Rottnest Channel swim allows swimskins for it's 2011 event, as they have clearly demonstrated safety and comfort benefits to the competitors.
• 2012: blueseventy tech suit day is celebrated internationally.  Oh wait.  That's not official yet.

Tech suits are not only quick, they also provide extra warmth and protection from the waters where a wetsuit isn't suitable.  Ask the event organiser if you can use your swimskin, or check out our guide to what's legal here.  Chances are you can!