Meet Lionel Agoutin, the Man Behind the Ski World Cup Banners

Lionel Agoutin and Lindsey Vonn, credit: Lionel Agoutin

A few years ago, when I was watching the Alpine Ski World Cup on television, one thing kept catching my attention beyond the phenomenal performances and fascinating stories: how coordinated the fans were.

In many grandstands, I could see groups of people wearing matching T-shirts, hats or wigs and, last but not least, an incredible number of banners. Since skiing is such a beautiful and respectful sport, with a close-knit fan community, I started paying closer attention to the details of the crowd.

Banners featuring athletes from across the entire starting field, designed in their team colors, brighten the grandstands at World Cup races and other major skiing events. But who is behind them? Is it FIS? The national ski federations whose logos appear on the banners? Where can I get one to support my favorite athletes?

And then I met him.

He immediately looked familiar from television: a Frenchman hanging banners with rubber ties in the freezing cold of Finland’s Levi, hours before the race even started.

Lionel Agoutin shared with Ski Racing Media the story behind his rather unusual hobby: running the Alpine Ski World Cup Fan Community.

A Shared Birthday and the Lindsey Vonn Fan Club

“My daughter used to compete in skiing at junior levels. She was born on October 18, 2000 — the same day as her great idol, Lindsey Vonn, just a few years later. As a proud father, I supported my daughter. When she got injured and had to stop skiing, she asked me to support Lindsey together with her instead. So I sat down at my computer and created a banner for Lindsey Vonn,” Agoutin recalls the innocent beginnings of his hobby.

Lindsey is a phenomenal skier, and her extraordinary career has naturally attracted enormous public attention. Her fan club quickly became popular and highly visible at major skiing events.

“People started asking for banners. They wanted to be part of the show. And the joy you see when you put a flag or a banner into someone’s hands is really powerful. I enjoy helping make people happy,” Agoutin says about his role in the grandstands.

From Lindsey to the World

People loved the idea, and requests for banners featuring other athletes soon followed, usually from parents or friends who had come to support them at World Cup races.

After Vonn retired from World Cup racing in 2019, Agoutin’s next direction was more or less clear: a wider fan community supporting the entire starting field.

The incredible energy of fans, families and friends of the athletes motivated him to create a website and gradually upload banners for athletes from all countries and teams, available for everyone to download for free.

“There is a lot of work behind it. I can spend hours and days sitting at my computer, editing photos, preparing graphics and communicating with teams or national federations about pictures and logos. Sometimes I’m completely exhausted by this project I’ve created for myself,” Agoutin admits.

But then comes showtime.

All that hard work turns into the joy of fans, the interest of television and other media, the gratitude of athletes and their families, and Agoutin’s own satisfaction.

The Working Team

Lionel works as a flight instructor, so responsibility is certainly nothing new to him.

Neither is oversized luggage.

For some races, he arrives by plane carrying as much as 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of luggage: banners and flags representing countries from all over the world.

Usually accompanied by his partner Wanda and a few friends, he enjoys this unusual hobby almost like a holiday, traveling to different destinations. While discovering new countries and places, they also bring happiness to the fan community — and to themselves.

“The fans are there. They travel long distances to the races, they have their favorites, they cry, they scream, they celebrate. And I simply make them happy by giving their passion something tangible,” Agoutin explains.

Fans and Organizers

Many race organizers communicate with the fan clubs at their events, and Agoutin is no exception.

“It’s different everywhere. It depends on the mindset of the organizer. Some give me free tickets so I can come and help create a show in the grandstands. Elsewhere, they won’t allow you to hang a banner, or they force you to stay seated during the race…”

He says he generally prefers smaller events, although that is not a strict rule. Much depends on communication and the attitude of the organizers.

U.S. races give him the most freedom to “play,” and he keeps a complete set of banners at his friend Ken Willis’ home in the United States.

He also enjoys Courchevel and Levi. During the 2025-26 season, he discovered the charm of Kranjska Gora and Špindlerův Mlýn, where organizers provided him with a dedicated fan club grandstand and adapted it so he could use its full width for banners.

There are also events he no longer returns to because of a lack of interest or complications with organizers. “I don’t really understand it. If an organizer is putting on an event for people, why wouldn’t they allow them to enjoy themselves in such an innocent way?” he asks.

It is no secret that, in the current global economic situation, the number of spectators is declining as traveling becomes less affordable. That makes it even harder to understand why some organizers create additional barriers and restrictions for the very people who are their target customers. And yet, they are happy to feature those same fans in promotional videos to sell tickets…

Sustainability

Considering the environmental impact of fan activities, Agoutin tries to reuse as many banners as possible. When he sees a child’s eyes light up at the sight of a banner featuring a favorite athlete, however, he is happy to let the child keep it.

He prints hundreds of banners every year, including large ones for hanging and smaller versions to hold in the stands.

Above all, he wants to make them accessible to everyone online. The project is noncommercial and based on fan love.

That way, fans can have a favorite banner printed by a local company and perhaps get it signed by the athlete at a race.

His banners can be spotted throughout the season, even at events he cannot attend in person.

He has also started receiving requests for special banners dedicated to particular occasions: an athlete’s first World Cup start, a birthday during a race weekend or another important milestone.

It really is a tremendous amount of work. So naturally, many people ask what he gets out of it.

“Joy. We make people happy. I build relationships, I have many friends, and I understand more about local communities, both within skiing and beyond. The athletes’ families are especially grateful, but I must say that many national federations also recognize and appreciate the fans and my work,” Agoutin says.

When a Dream Comes True

We also spoke about the importance of fans in sport with Eva Lukacova, a devoted Lindsey Vonn supporter who had one very special wish for her 50th birthday: to meet her idol. She could not have imagined how extraordinary that meeting would become.

Agoutin gave her valuable advice. She printed her banner and, with her husband, traveled to the races in Zauchensee.

“On the first training day, I arrived on the mountain and saw the skiers inspecting the course. And suddenly — oops, Lindsey was standing right in front of me! I was literally shaking when she agreed to take a photo with me. She was incredibly kind, and she even let me touch her. I’m laughing now, but for me, it was something unforgettable!”

The next day, Lukacova returned with a gold marker and Vonn’s book. She dropped it in the snow and, when she tried to hand Vonn the marker, accidentally pulled out her lip gloss instead. They both started laughing, and Lukacova got her autograph.

“My heart was pounding with happiness for the rest of the day. And as if that wasn’t enough — Lindsey went on to win the race!”

A Moment to Remember

That evening, Lukacova and her husband attended the winners’ ceremony in the village. She wore a T-shirt with Vonn’s picture, a hat from Vonn’s collection and her banner.

As Vonn was leaving the podium, she spotted Lukacova, took out her phone and took a selfie with her. Lukacova says Vonn later posted the photo on Instagram.

“I almost fainted. Tears, disbelief. What had just happened? It was absolutely incredible! … My dream had come true in the most perfect way!”

Lukacova says she wants people to believe in their dreams and never give up. She says she wears Vonn’s signature embroidered on her ski jacket, owns Vonn’s books and admires her determination. She calls Vonn an inspiration to athletes and non-athletes alike.

Ski Fans Matter

Eva also shared her thoughts on why fan communities matter so much:

“I believe that cheering and fan clubs have a much greater meaning than many people realize. It’s not just about sport. It’s about emotions and a sense of togetherness that, unfortunately, seems to be disappearing from our world.

Fans can remind athletes that they are not alone. They train for countless hours, face pressure, experience doubts, and sometimes things simply don’t go their way. Everyone expects results, but I believe that this is exactly when a fan’s support can become most precious.

A true fan shows an athlete that they are valued even when they don’t win. … That is why all those banners, flags and fan clubs matter. They are not just pieces of fabric.

A banner may not win a race for an athlete, but it can remind them that their efforts mean something to someone. And for fans, it’s a shared experience. Strangers start talking, hugging, cheering together and creating memories they will never forget.

“This is exactly the kind of people sport needs. … For me, it was one of the most beautiful days of my life. Athletes also need people who can genuinely celebrate their performances.”

Without fans, this sport would look completely different.