Hirscher’s VAN DEER changes disputed ski logo, signs young talent

Fabian Ax Swartz Photo Van Deer Racing © Markus Berger

During its first World Cup season, Marcel Hirscher’s new ski brand made news with top race results and a logo dispute with the FIS. Now, VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports is making name and logo changes to its race skis. A fourth alpine racer, only 19-year-old, also signs with the company.

In early 2022, Hirscher announced the development of his ski brand VAN DEER. He hired several skilled and renowned alpine ski technicians and sports scientists, creating waves inside the ski racing world. Ski Racing Media reported: Talent Transfer to Hirscher’s Van Deer.

Before the 2022-23 season, VAN DEER signed three World Cup racers: Charlie Raposo (GBR), Timon Haugan (NOR) and Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR). Kristoffersen kicked off with a third-place finish in the October 2022 season opener in Sölden, Austria. Notably, It was his first-ever Sölden podium finish and in his first World Cup race on the new skis.

The racing success for the new ski brand continued, resulting in Kristoffersen placing second in the World Cup slalom and giant slalom standings. In addition, Kristoffersen captured the 2023 World Championship slalom gold medal. At the same World Championships Haugan earned the bronze in individual parallel and silver in team parallel.

Logo not approved by FIS

However, the first season was not all gold and glory. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) did not approve the updated ski brand logo when the company changed names from VAN DEER to VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports last fall. Last season’s logo, which incorporated the red bull known from the Red Bull brand, conflicted with FIS rules, and the three VAN DEER racers had to compete all last season with their ski logo covered with tape.

This article gives more details on last season’s logo issues:  Van Deer-Red Bull logo disagreement.

New name and logo for 2023-24

The VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports company recently introduced a new name and design for its racing line: VAN DEER Racing. The disputed logo has been changed. The red bull below the deer in last season’s logo has been replaced by the word “racing” spelled out in red letters forming almost the same silhouette as the silhouette of the past red bull.

“All racing models are presented in a new look, which signals the connection to racing even more,” LAOLA1.at quotes on July 5.

Fourth Van Deer alpine racer

In early July, VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports announced the signing of the rising Swedish racer Fabian Ax Swartz. Ax Swartz will be the fourth alpine skier joining Hirscher’s ski brand. The now 19-year-old won the silver medal in slalom at the 2022 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Panorama, Canada.

Ax Swartz, representing the Swedish club IFK Lidingö SLK, added another medal to his collection when he won the 2023 Swedish National Championships in slalom on March 25 in Sundsvall, Sweden. At the 2023 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in St. Anton, Austria, he finished sixth and 14th in the slalom and giant slalom, respectively.

He won the NorAm slalom at Burke Mountain, Vermont, in February 2022: Sweden’s Swartz wins career-first HomeLight Foundation Series NorAm.

The young Swede started in his first FIS race in January 2021 and his first Europa Cup race in February 2022. After the 2022-23 season, he ranked 37th in the Europa Cup slalom standings. He has yet to race in the World Cup. According to the 1st 2023/24 FIS point list (July 1, 2023), Ax Swartz is the best-ranked slalom skier of his age group (2004) and 68th among all age groups in slalom.

Relocating

Ax Swartz has lived on Lidingö since 2011, an island outside Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. Before that, he lived in Switzerland and Spain since he was around one year old. Young Fabian skied quite a bit with his father, a former ski instructor, from age seven. “I already enjoyed it as a child,” he told Mitti.se in March 2022 after capturing the JWSC silver in Canada.

In recent years, he has attended the ski academy in Åre, Sweden, the site of three previous FIS World Alpine Ski Championships. Ax Swartz has also worked with the Kronplatz Racing Center in Milan, Italy, for the past three years. He is a member of the 2023-24 Swedish national team’s “training group 2”. The training group 2 members will mainly aim to race in the Europa Cup but also have an opportunity to race the World Cup, according to the Swedish Ski Association’s website.

Recently, Ax Swartz has decided to move to Salzburg, Austria, which will help him strengthen his ski racing activities, according to LAOLA1.at. VAN DEER colleague Kristoffersen also lives in Salzburg, and the Red Bull headquarters is in the Salzburg area.

Toni Giger impressed

“We are impressed by Fabian’s talent and dedication to skiing. His move to Salzburg shows his loyalty to our company and his striving for an optimal training environment. We look forward to working with Fabian and are confident that he will develop into a strong athlete in the World Cup,” says Toni Giger, managing director of VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports, according to LAOLA1.at on July 5.

World Cup rankings

At the start of the 2023-24 season, the ranks of the athletes signed with VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports are:

• Henrik Kristoffersen, the reigning slalom World Champion from Norway (YOB 1994), holds the 1st position in the SL WCSL and is ranked 2nd in the GS WCSL. In addition, he achieved an impressive 3rd place in the overall standings of the 2023 World Cup.
• Timon Haugan, representing Norway (YOB 1996), secured the 10th position in the 2023 World Cup SL standings and an impressive 3rd place in the parallel event WCSL. However, he achieved the 35th position in the overall standings of the 2023 World Cup.
• Charlie Raposo, representing Great Britain (YOB 1996), has achieved 2 career top-30 GS World Cup results. Currently, he holds the 79th rank on the GS FIS points list.
• Fabian Ax Swartz, from Sweden (YOB 2004), is yet to make any World Cup starts. Currently, he holds the 68th position on the FIS slalom points list and the 216th position on the GS list.

The 2023-24 World Cup season openers for women and men are GSs on Oct 28-29 in Sölden, Austria. Compared to the past two or three seasons, the organizers have scheduled the Sölden race dates one week later this year.

Sources: VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports, LAOLA1.at, Mitti.se, Kronplatz Racing Center, Swedish Ski Association and FIS