Henrik Kristoffersen ends four-year Van Deer partnership

One of the world's strongest alpine skiers, Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen, has announced the end of his partnership with Van Deer, founded by Marcel Hirscher. The athlete announced the decision on social media, and it was later confirmed by the Van Deer - Red Bull Sports team.

Over four years of working together, Kristoffersen and the team achieved notable results. In a Van Deer press release, the Norwegian thanked the team and noted that they had won World Championship gold, the World Cup slalom title, Olympic bronze and 25 podium finishes. According to the athlete, the separation was not easy, but both sides concluded that it would allow them to gain new momentum and open up new opportunities.

Kristoffersen joined the team of Hirscher, his former main rival, in 2022. By then, Hirscher had already founded his own alpine ski brand. After finishing on the podium in his debut race in Sölden, the Norwegian continued to make regular podium appearances and won six World Cup races.

Kristoffersen's main achievements on Van Deer skis:

• 18 podium finishes;
• 2023 World Championship gold;
• the Slalom Crystal Globe in the 2024/25 season;
• an Olympic bronze medal in 2026.

The last season, excluding the Olympic medal, did not go entirely smoothly for the Norwegian. He won just one race - the night slalom in Schladming. In the final standings, Kristoffersen finished fourth in the World Cup slalom rankings, seventh in the giant slalom standings and fifth in the overall World Cup standings.

Van Deer operating director Toni Giger called Henrik's performances in the team's first year in the World Cup outstanding. According to him, they played a decisive role in the rapid establishment of Van Deer - Red Bull Sports in alpine skiing, and the entire journey together was extremely successful. At the same time, Giger stressed that development and change are crucial in elite sport. Therefore, after four years, the two sides decided to end their partnership, believing that now was the right time. Van Deer wished Kristoffersen all the best in his future career.

Photo: footage from the SRF Sport television channel
12:40 31.03.26