Hermann Maier shifts from Atomic to Head

By Published On: June 20th, 2007Comments Off on Hermann Maier shifts from Atomic to Head

Austrian ski racing legend Hermann Maier is leaving Atomic – the company with which he has grown to prominence – for Head.
    “Hermann Maier has always been an absolute superstar,” said Johan Eliasch, CEO of Head NV. “When we decided one year ago to give elite sports as the main driver of innovation an absolute priority in the course of the repositioning of Head and to reorganize the team, Hermann Maier was on top of my wish list — he simply is a phenomenal skiing athlete.”

AUSTRIAN SKI RACING legend Hermann Maier is leaving Atomic – the company with which he has grown to prominence — for Head.
    “Hermann Maier has always been an absolute superstar,” said Johan Eliasch, CEO of Head NV. “When we decided one year ago to give elite sports as the main driver of innovation an absolute priority in the course of the repositioning of Head and to reorganize the team, Hermann Maier was on top of my wish list
he simply is a phenomenal skiing athlete.”
    Klaus Hotter, executive vice president of Head Skiing Division, said the athlete from Salzburg with an outstanding personality is a perfect fit for the existing strong team, which assembles such charismatic athletes as Bode Miller, Didier Cuche and Marco Büchel. “Apart from a clear claim to leadership regarding technology and innovation, Head stands for the emotion and passion for sports,” Hotter said. “This is 100 percent true for Hermann Maier, who has become an almost supernatural figure due to his exceptional skills and unique career."
    Head Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber holds Maier’s step in high regard
as a former Austrian national team athlete, Salzgeber understands that the experienced sportsman has taken his time for the decision and is fully convinced that it has been the right one: “A change of material can boost your spirits and be a new and crucial motivator for experienced athletes as demonstrated convincingly by Didier Cuche,” Salzgeber said. “He was more successful with Head in the past season than ever before in his career and has never thought of ending it.”
    In a release, Atomic said, “We regret Hermann’s decision for which financial reasons were the crucial factors at the end. Atomic has made him a highest possible offer to further compete on our brand and our products. … The winter sports industry faces a very difficult market environment which makes radical savings in all areas indispensable. For this reason, we could not meet Hermann’s financial perceptions.”
    In 2006-07, Atomic enjoyed its most successful World Cup season ever, with 41 World Cup wins, 58 percent of the possible victories and 93 podium places. Head, though, claimed the two men’s speed discipline titles, with American Bode Miller earning the super G crystal globe and Switzerland’s Didier Cuche winning the downhill season title.
    Maier, 34, is third on the all-time World Cup men's wins list behind Ingemar Stenmark and Marc Girardelli. He finished the 2006-07 season with eight World Cup top 10s, but just one podium, a third in super G at Hinterstoder. He ranked 19th overall, 18th in downhill, sixth in super G and 16th in GS.

 

 

 

 



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About the Author: Pete Rugh