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Olympians to Wear Space-Age Uniforms in Pyeongchang

The retro-futuristic design was inspired by the iconic suits worn by American astronauts in the early days of the U.S. space program

The U.S. Snowboard Team will only need to travel to Pyeonchang, South Korea to compete in the 2018 Winter Games, but they'll look ready for infinity and beyond with their astronaut-inspired uniforms.

Burton Snowboards has partnered with U.S. Ski & Snowboard for a fourth consecutive Winter Olympics to create one-of-a-kind uniforms for the halfpipe, slopestyle and first-ever big air snowboarding competitions.

The Vermont-based company, a leader in snowboarding apparel and equipment, said the retro-futuristic design was inspired by the iconic suits worn by American astronauts in the early days of the U.S. space program.

The competition jacket and pant are made from a high-tech lightweight fabric coated in very fine, real aluminum.

"It gives that liquid metal look," said Megan Kinkel, a member of the Burton design team.

To pay homage to the spirit of the American space program, the competition jacket also features hand-drawn patches depicting the American flag and "USA" in retro, space-age font. The inside of the jacket is also functional, featuring artwork sewn to the lining that includes Korean translations of helpful phrases like "Do you speak English?" and "Wish me luck!" 

Kinkel said Team USA athletes provided feedback that helped the company finalize the look and feel of the uniforms, and said the final product has been very popular with members of Team USA.

"The athletes were so excited to put this uniform on when we named the team about a week ago," said Whitney Heingartner of Burton. "Everyone has a lot of pride and excitement."

Burton hopes athletes like Kelly Clark and Shaun White will reach for the stars in their outer space-inspired uniforms, and accessorize them with Olympic gold.

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