Standardization News

The first meeting of ASTM International’s new subcommittee on water sports equipment (F27.80) will be Feb. 27. The group says it aims to create standards that can help test and enhance the performance and safety of products such as water skis, wakeboards, towables/inflatables, and related equipment.

“With new standards, manufacturers will be able to examine and test their equipment to consensus requirements during the design and manufacturing stages,” says ASTM International member Bethany Suderman of Guidance Engineering. “We want people to know that we will be working together to foster a culture of safety, and we encourage anyone interested to join this exciting effort.”

The meeting will take place in conjunction with the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA) Summit in Steamboat, Colorado, USA.

In addition to water skis, wakeboards, and towables, standards from the new subcommittee could include materials used in manufacturing water sports equipment, such as rope, webbing, stitching, and fiberglass composites. Manufacturers, industry groups like WISA, testing laboratories, and consumers will find the standards useful.

Suderman notes that participation from snow skiing and snowboarding manufacturers is expected because of their association with ASTM International’s committee on snow and water sports (F27) that recently updated its name to reflect the inclusion of water sports. “There are many synergies between snow sports equipment and water sports equipment,” she says.