Yes, that means you. Welcome to the Band of Heroes. 

Every four years, Rossignol refreshes its ‘Band of Heroes’ campaign to reflect a fresh new direction and a new cycle of competition. This time, it’s about you.

Previously, Rossignol’s Hero designation was reserved for its top athletes. Now, regardless of age or skill level, Rossignol athletes are here to cheer you on, just like you’ve supported them all these years. It’s time to share the love of skiing with everyone. It’s time to make ski racing feel limitless.

Rossignol’s Global Race Manager Jérôme Noviant knows how difficult, even taxing, ski racing can be. One hundredth of a second can be heartbreaking and the smallest mistakes can sometimes have devastating results. Participants in such turbulent sport can feel isolated at times, but positivity is stronger than pain and frustration. Noviant’s goal is to focus on the positivity and community inherent to the sport to make ski racing more inclusive and approachable, to grow the community even further.

“Kids often quit racing because it’s very  demanding and difficult. There is a lot to overcome but   to keep going and never give up on racing will ultimately benefit you in ways you can’t always imagine at the time,” says Noviant. “It’s a very interesting and exciting passion and hobby. You will feel it forever in your heart.”

Noviant deeply loves ski racing. He is passionate about the sport and the community. He retired from racing on the World Cup three decades ago, but chose to stay and continue to support ski racers. He has experienced the best and worst of ski racing from several perspectives over a long career. Why has he decided to stay in the industry? You guessed it: love for the sport.

According to Noviant, love is the driving factor behind this refreshed version of the Band of Heroes.

“We are not talking only about victory, to be No. 1, to smash your competitors . We want to celebrate the joy and happiness of Racing.   Being a racer sometimes is not very easy, but in the end, you  ultimately come away with  good memories and good experiences,” he said. “When you cross the finish and you’re watching the clock, you see No. 1 or No. 2, or you see some green on the screen, this is the excitement  that we are highlighting and want to share  with  the world.”

Everyone’s journey differs, but the shared experiences create an incredible bond throughout the ski racing community. Skiers learn from each other every day. They find ways to support teammates and even competitors. The ski community needs each other to keep improving, to keep growing, he believes.

Racers watch their competitors ski in order to learn from them. The baby-powder-in-the-socks trick has been passed down year after year while faithful teammates carry their friends’ jackets down on cold days. Coaches patiently comb through video with athletes when they’re struggling; course workers do everything in their power to keep courses safe; parents give up relaxing weekends to travel hours for races.

Right now, dreams are coming true for a select few, but other accomplishments deserve to be celebrated as well. A young racer may have cross-blocked their first slalom gates today, an athlete might have taught an alpine teammate how to skate-ski to help them cross train, or maybe someone had the best run of their life. Rossignol celebrates the big and small successes — because they all matter.

Every skier is a fighter and deserves the “Hero” title. For generations, skiers have learned from each other, looked up to their competitors, and learned from their mistakes to develop a lifelong passion. A passion handed down through generations. It is time to embrace  this community as a whole and help foster the growth and passion of the sport of ski racing. Every racer is a legend and deserves to be supported in reaching their goals. 

Noviant said it best: “If you are a racer, you are in the Band of Heroes and Rossignol is here to support you.”

Finally, get ready to see some cool new graphics:

Enter the raffle below for a chance to win some sweet Rossignol swag.

Keep sharing the love, continue to crush it and never forget, you’re a Hero.