>> reporter: austrian olympic champ mayer came racing down the mountain and flipped and flew and crashed hard. the crowd held its collective breath as the skier struggled to get his. and he did. in part, because he was wearing a radical new vest with airbags. it's the first time they have ever deployed in a world cup race. >> it's not as big as an airbag in your car. >> reporter: canadian olympic medalist jan haudek helped test