The Vortex C2 speed skating suit, worn by Jeremy Wotherspoon and Catriona LeMay Doan. (Mike Ridewood)

When Canada's speed demons go for Olympic gold in Salt Lake City, their skinsuits will get top marks for technical merit and artistic impression.

The Spiderman-like uniforms to be worn by Canada's alpine and speed-skating superheroes has everyone talking -- possibly more than when Roots launched their official Olympic uniforms and famous red-wool poor-boy cap.

The cutting-edge racing designs combine the technological know-how of Descente sportswear company with the aesthetic eye of American Oscar-winning costume designer Eiko Ishioka, of Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Cell fame.

"When you are coming down the hill and your body is cutting through the air at a high speed for over 11/2 minutes, this is where the suit can make all the difference. We're talking one one-hundreths of a second," says veteran "Crazy Canuck" Olympian skier Ken Read.

Canada's downhill skiers will wear the Vortex C1 suit, technically engineered to maximize stability and reduce drag.

The suit is designed in a patriotic metallic red with shaded yellow areas to highlight the body's natural heat zones. The front and back features the names of 600 Canadian cities while the names of each ski team member run down the right arm.

Equally as innovative are Descente's Vortex C2 speed-skating uniforms. "They are designed to control and reduce turbulence through the use of silicon strips forming a spiral pattern around the thighs and lower arm," says Dr. Ruth Morey Sorrentino director of research and technology at the Calgary Olympic Oval. This "Muscle Suit" is made from a red featherweight filmy fabric with iridescent shading around the muscle groups to make them stand out.