Salomon alpine racing family gears up for World Cup season
The alpine ski racing community is buzzing with anticipation as the kick-off to the World Cup season gets underway this weekend.
The giant slalom in Sölden, Austria is the yearly “start house” for athletes to showcase the hard work they’ve put in all summer.
After off-season equipment testing, fine-tuning, and tireless efforts on and off the slopes, the moment of truth has arrived for Salomon athletes and their fellow World Cup competitors. Following the green light from the FIS, Sölden is all set to challenge the best skiers in the world once again.
Saturday belongs to the women, and leading the Blue Family’s charge is giant slalom queen Marta Bassino. Salomon teammates Michelle Gisin, Ana Bucik, Alice Robinson and Asja Zenere will also join her on the Sölden slopes. Bassino and Robinson have previously set the tone with successful performances at the Austrian resort. Robinson earned her maiden victory in Sölden in 2019, while Bassino’s 2020 triumph marked the beginning of her giant slalom dominance.
On the men’s side, Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt is coming off a season in which he won the overall World Cup title for the second consecutive season. He also won the Giant Slalom season title in 2022 and 2023. In addition, he won the giant slalom at the World Championships in 2023 and at the 2022 Olympics. In addition, Odermatt has two victories and one 2nd place finish in the last three seasons on the Austrian glacier while wearing his trusted Salomon S/RACE boots. In 2021, he even shared the podium with Salomon teammate Roland Leitinger. Besides Marco and Roland, who have had a knack for kicking off the season with a podium result, expectations are high for Luca de Aliprandini, Victor Muffat Jeandet, Adam and Andreas Zampa, and Christian Borgnes, all eagerly awaiting to pull on the first race bib of the season.
Sylvain Leandre, Salomon Alpine Racing Manager, said: “We believe in creating exceptional gear, but we don’t believe in doing it on our own. We have built a team of top talent, which is critical to the evolution and development of the skis and boots they rely on. From athletes to technicians, the development team, and designers, we are what we call the Blue Family’ because there truly is cooperation at all levels. Every person’s role is critical to the success of the others. I couldn’t be prouder of that and I’m excited to witness the successes this Family will celebrate over the season.”
The whole Salomon Alpine family wishes our athletes the best of luck in Sölden and in the races to come. See you on the slopes!
