Ester Ledecká will race on HEAD equipment for the 2026-27 season, joining a World Cup roster that has added several high-profile athletes during the offseason.
The 31-year-old Czech speed specialist joins the HEAD Worldcup Rebels following a career that has included Olympic, World Championship and World Cup success in both alpine skiing and snowboarding.
Ledecká famously won Olympic gold in super-G at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, producing one of the biggest surprises in Olympic alpine history. She has since established herself as a consistent contender in the World Cup speed disciplines.
Most recently, Ledecká earned downhill bronze at the 2025 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach. During the 2025-26 season, she finished fifth in the World Cup super-G standings.
She has four alpine World Cup victories and 12 podiums to her name. Her wins have come in the 2019 Lake Louise downhill, 2020 Val d’Isère super-G, 2022 Crans-Montana downhill and 2024 Saalbach-Hinterglemm super-G.
Ledecká has also finished as high as second in the season-long downhill standings, achieving that result in 2019-20 before placing third in 2021-22.
HEAD Takes on Ledecká’s Two-Sport Challenge
Ledecká’s move presents HEAD with a particularly unusual equipment challenge. In addition to competing in alpine skiing, the Czech athlete remains one of the world’s most accomplished alpine snowboard racers.
Her career across the two sports includes five Olympic and World Championship titles.
“Ester Ledecká is, of course, a very special athlete. Her dual focus on alpine skiing and snowboarding presents a new and exciting challenge for us,” HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber said.
Salzgeber believes finding the right equipment setup could put Ledecká in position to contend for World Cup discipline titles.
“She has already demonstrated her immense potential, most notably with her Olympic victory,” Salzgeber said. “If we can perfectly fine-tune her equipment to meet her needs, I expect her to compete at the highest level in Downhill and Super-G and challenge for the Crystal Globes.”
Ledecká: “We Can Achieve Great Things Together”
For Ledecká, the equipment decision came down to finding a setup she believes can support her unique demands as a two-sport athlete.
“I am convinced that ski and snowboard equipment is like a magic wand – it chooses the rider, not the other way around,” Ledecká said. “Anyone who truly understands equipment knows this.”
“I can only trust its decision, and I am convinced that we can achieve great things together.”
The Czech racer becomes the latest major addition to HEAD’s World Cup roster. According to the company, Henrik Kristoffersen, Christof Innerhofer, Alice Robinson and Lara Colturi have also joined the HEAD team.
Ledecká, who was born March 23, 1995, in Prague and represents TJ Dukla Liberec, is expected to continue focusing on downhill and super-G on the alpine World Cup circuit.
Her move adds another proven speed contender to the HEAD Worldcup Rebels as teams and athletes continue preparations for the 2026-27 World Cup season.
Source: HEAD press release, Aug. 19, 2026.
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