Lindsey Kildow signs multi-year headgear endorsement deal with Red Bull energy drinks

Lindsey Kildow signs multi-year headgear endorsement deal with Red Bull energy drinksAmerican downhiller Lindsey Kildow is about to sign a contract committing her to wearing the Red Bull logo on the front of her helmet this season. The multi-year endorsement deal is a significant milestone for Colorado’s top ski racer, who turns 21 next week.

“I’m really excited,” said Kildow in a Wednesday night phone interview. “It’s a great opportunity to work with an awesome company that’s so supportive of their athletes.”

According to stringent International Ski Federation rules, a limited space on the front of the helmet or hat is the only area where athletes can wear the logos of non-industry products.

As such, it is often the primary source of income for top stars like Bode Miller and Hermann Maier, who have lucrative headgear endorsement deals with Barilla pasta and Raiffeisen bank, respectively.

During training on Tuesday in the Alps, Kildow wore her new helmet with the ubiquitous clashing bulls logo. When she returns home to the Rocky Mountains in several weeks, she will sign the finalized contract with the Austrian energy drink company.

“It’s really fun to see these sorts of deals happen for these guys,” said Mark Ervin, vice president of winter sports for IMG, the talent agency Kildow signed with in May. “It says a lot for the state of ski racing today.”

Ervin, who brokered the deal, would not disclose the terms of the contract, although he admitted that there were several companies vying for the space Red Bull has rented out.

Red Bull is a prominent corporation with a reputation for seeking top adventure-sports athletes. Its contract with Kildow is a sign of both her growing prominence in the sport and the company’s faith that this season’s Olympic Winter Games will increase Kildow’s exposure.

Kildow visited Red Bull’s training facility this summer in Fuschl, Austria, near Salzburg. “It’s a sweet training facility that I can use in the summer and between races,” she said in Wednesday’s interview.

Red Bull also sponsors American downhiller Daron Rahlves and German all-rounder Maria Riesch.

“Very few companies contribute beyond monetarily to the success of a ski racer,” said Ervin.

Kildow, who formerly wore the logo of Colorado’s Vail Resorts on her helmet, is one of the U.S. Ski Team’s top medal hopefuls for the upcoming Olympics.

Her World Cup season begins on Oct. 22 at Soelden, Austria. Log on to skiracing.com for complete coverage.