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Heya Norway! Hystad Solberg and Grahl-Madsen join Marcel Hirscher’s World Cup team

A slalom skier passes a gate on a snow-covered slope wearing VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports skis. He is wearing a black helmet with a flame design, yellow and purple ski goggles, and a white racing suit featuring the logos of Helly Hansen, DNB and Telenor. In the background, snow-covered conifers can be seen against a backdrop of light snowfall.

Power play at VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports ahead of World Cup winter No. 5: Eirik Hystad Solberg and Hans Grahl-Madsen are joining Marcel Hirscher’s race team as two Next Gen Norwegians. Can they follow in the footsteps of Timon Haugan and, after switching equipment, make the leap to becoming World Cup winners?

May brings fresh momentum. With American Paula Moltzan as the first woman on the World Cup team, VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports is opening a new era in women’s ski racing. With the signings of Estonia’s Tormis Laine and Lithuania’s Andrej Drukarov, Marcel Hirscher’s brand is making a clear statement for internationality.

Eirik Hystad Solberg (23) and Hans Grahl-Madsen (22) are the two Next Gen Norwegians following Timon Haugan’s path. Haugan (29) was one of the very first racers to put his trust in VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports race equipment back in 2022 — and since switching to VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports, he has developed into a World Cup winner.

Marcel Hirscher: “I see a lot of potential in all of them”

Marcel Hirscher sees strong growth potential in all of the new athletes: “In every ski career, there are moments when a change can create real momentum for the bigger picture. Timon Haugan has shown what can become possible with the right environment and a professional approach to equipment. I see our new athletes Paula, Tormis, Andrej, Eirik and Hans at a similar point to where Timon was back then: they all have the potential to take the next step — and we will do everything we can to help them reach the next performance level.”

Eirik Hystad Solberg: A name for the future?

“We live together. We train together. We travel the world together as friends.” That is how Eirik Hystad Solberg describes life as a ski racer on the Norwegian ski team. Sporting culture and team spirit have always been at the heart of the philosophy behind Norway’s extraordinary ski careers.

The new feeling comes with success. Last winter, Eirik noticeably increased his Top 10 rate: fifth place in the World Cup slalom in Madonna di Campiglio with bib number 33 — in the end, he missed out on his first World Cup podium by just one tenth of a second. Eighth-place finishes in the slaloms of Schladming and Kranjska Gora, as well as seventh place at the Olympic Games, confirmed his upward trend.

What is still missing to reach the very top is what VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports is now set to help him find: “I got a call on a Sunday evening and by Monday, I was already doing my first material tests on the Reiteralm. This is a team that feels like family, with an incredible amount of know-how in ski racing. It is the right environment for me: what Marcel’s experts told me during our first meeting has already helped me move forward.”

Hans Grahl-Madsen: “As close to perfection as possible”

Hans Grahl-Madsen (22) is also looking to take the next step. In the European Cup, he is already among the race winners; in the World Cup, the Next Gen talent is gaining a stronger foothold with every race. The 22-year-old’s vision: “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that skiing is the meaning of my life — but it comes pretty close. In any case, ski racing is the challenge in life where I want to get as close to perfection as possible.”

“Hansi,” as his teammates call him and Eirik Hystad Solberg feel the spirit at VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports in much the same way: “The progress Timon has made is motivating for both of us. As athletes, we always have questions about equipment — at VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports, we get answers.”

In fact, the brand also expects the new “Nordic Triple” setup with Haugan, Hystad Solberg and Grahl-Madsen to bring additional momentum.

Eirik and Hans live together in Norway’s capital, “because that’s where our team base is, and travelling from Oslo is the easiest.”

There is still some time before they set off again to travel the world together as friends. Over the coming weeks, they will recharge their batteries at home and train for next winter. After that, they will head to New Zealand for on-snow training.

“We are looking forward to the detailed work with the VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports team — new era, new challenge,” the two Norwegians agree.

A ski racer wearing a race suit and the VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports PRO BOOT
A ski racer is being pulled uphill on skis by a snowmobile next to the ski slope

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