Couple of recent moves to Head

[Muleski]

A few weeks ago it was announced that Tina Wierather was leaving Atomic, and has signed with Head. You may recall that she won this year's SG globe.

Today the announcement was made that Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway is making the same move. Kilde is a force. He won the SG globe in 2016. He's generally acknowledged to be the next absolutely top level speed skier on the WC. He is young. Not yet 25. He is talented and ultra competitive.

Tina trains with the Swiss team, and is a good friend of Lara Gut, who made this same ski switch two seasons ago. Kilde trains with Svindal and Jansrud. My hunch is that Atomic's best skis just do not time as well for these two athletes. Atomic surely did not want to lose them.

This past winter, when we got to watch some WC skiing with Bode doing the commentary, I recall him making more comments about Kilde's equipment and ski problems than any other skier. The skis did not run well, regardless of the hill. He also mentioned other problems...could be boots. Regardless, Kilde was apparently very frustrated with his "material", though quite professional.

Rumors are that Wierather is a LOT faster on her new stuff, and that it also just feels better and faster to her.

Wonder if we'll see a big signing or two by Atomic. Most contracts actually run through an Olympic year. Was sort of surprised to see the timing on these.

Guess we'll see how it works out. Atomic obviously has the two biggest names in the sport on their stuff....even more resources to devote to them!

I'm sure that MS and her people will have the option of picking up any of TW's quiver of skis. At least testing the SG's against her other options.

Obviously Head CEO Eliasch will spend as needed to keep adding to his team.

 

[Tricia]

This is interesting.

 

[PisteOff]

I was surprised by these announcements especially considering how well they've done on Atomic gear. Being an Atomic guy myself I am sad to see them go.

 

[Tricia]

Looking for Head's official press release, I came up with this.
http://rebelsclub.head.com/en/news-...-the-head-world-cup-rebels-attacking-vikings/

 

[Muleski]

Jeff, I think the opinion re: Kilde, to be honest is that he has done real well in spite of his Atomic set-up and not necessarily because of it. He is a phenom. Being so closely aligned with Svindal and Jansrud, there is plenty of information to draw on for his team. The comment I heard yesterday was that "he will crush it on Head."

Some decisions re: equipment have largely been driven in the past by money. Plenty of examples. The concensus that I hear is that in the end, Kilde would have likely been able to get at the same figure with either company. Another tidbit that I heard was that there may have been two other brands that tested faster for him that Atomic, other than Head.

His testing might be a complicated deal, too, as he is about as aggressive on the hill
as anybody. Very different that testing for somebody like a precise, smaller, TW. Replicating his racing in testing is probably interesting.

As mentioned, I would bet dollars to donuts that Wierather's new coach and the Swiss shared a lot of data about the extensive testing that Gut went through, before Tina's testing. Tina has no doubt been fast on her Atomic set up. But evidently is expected to be faster.

The boots play into this as well. Lots of issues in recent years for some athletes trying to get an Atomic boot right. Some real problems for a few with Head, too. The Head boot that they built works for Gut, who has tiny feet, like Fenniger and TW. It was a disaster for Mancuso, and took a year to get right back in the day for Vonn.

I would bet that team Kilde will be feeling good about the boot. Might be in the same boot size and design as Jansrud? Similar sized guys. Similar to Pintu and Ligety, too.

As I mentioned, Atomic has the two biggest names in the sport in their stable. I doubt if they will ever move elsewhere. At least in terms of the brand. What they are on/in is a different question. But the resources needed to support them are huge.

I thought the timing on this was different. With the Olympic year. Have zero insight on it. Have just always seen being under contract through an Olympic year as the norm.

Press release is....a press release.

 

[Primoz]

I would say both, Kilde and Wierather are both under "more money" transfer and not because of better skis. Skiing is Eliasch's toy and he want more then they got. Preferably, he would want everything, and he has money to spend for this. This year Head wasn't so great as last few years, so some more spending is appropriate Honestly, I was actually surprised we didn't see (or we just didn't see yet) another switch to Head... much more prominent as Kilde and Weirather both together

 

[PisteOff]

I've watched some video of Jansrud and his teammate testing with the folks at Head. Impressive stuff. I use Head boots on Atomic and Rossi skis. I'm looking at testing some Atomic boots next season and could very likely stick with the Heads. I've no complaints, just being brand loyal........ Everything in my quiver is either Atomic or Rossignol. That goes for the whole family. I've not had the opportunity to make many demo days so I've stayed loyal to a couple brands that haven't let me down. Oh, I do have a pair of Full Tilts I like to wear on the local "hill" when I'm just skiing with the kids/grandkids. They're comfortable, good range of forward flex, and softer for the slower speeds and occasional jaunts through the park.......

 

[Muleski]

@Primoz, I had a conversation this AM with a close friend who is in the thick of this. He's working on a few other athletes' contracts. Atomic absolutely was willing to pay Kilde, I hear. As you well know, he's a perfect mix of age and results. They did not want to seem him on white equipment. Maybe it's just my friend's read.

Kilde and his people have lost faith in the Atomic product, and think it's held him back. Or so I hear from people in the Norwegian system. I have heard it for a year. Some is probably in his head {no pun intended}. Do you know his tech? I know that the skis were not running well. Had a couple of pretty good conversations about this right after WCF's when the Norwegians were still in Aspen. It sounded like the typical frustrations....questioning everything.

I am linking together a few dots, but I think that the skis that may have tested the best may have been Nordica. And zero chance of them paying Head/ Atomic money. Would that make sense to you? I think Nordica is tapped out on contract money. Or has far less to work with.

Weirather being paid much more seems like a given. Also hear that the skis work a bit better for her. But my hunch would be that they offered her a big increase in contract, they tested the material, and decided that it made sense. The stuff will work well and it's a lot more money. I would doubt if Atomic would see any reason to match The Godfather's spending on her.

I think that there are more athletes to follow, as you mention.

Eliasch very much looks at this like a factory team. It's interesting. And he has a huge war chest of money! No doubt about that.

Money does talk. I was front and center through some friends for Bode's first huge deal with Rossignol. The "testing" was done by phone, and in conference rooms!

Very few choose product over money. The key is to have you guys work up the money for the best equipment for you. Sometimes it works. Other times not. Right?

What is more interesting to me is to see the guys MUCH farther down the WCSL, and how they are making decisions. All about the product and support that they can get. Contracts are really minimal. Have a few young friends wrestling with it right now.

 

[ScotsSkier]

I can neither confirm nor deny that I will be switching to a full Head set up as opposed to just slalom for next season........please address all inquiries to my agent.....


OTOH, I do have 2018 Rossi slaloms coming so .......

 

[Muleski]

I can neither confirm nor deny that I will be switching to a full Head set up as opposed to just slalom for next season........please address all inquiries to my agent.....


OTOH, I do have 2018 Rossi slaloms coming so .......

You certainly have plenty of snow to get your test team on it!

More inventory for sale? HaHa!

 

[PisteOff]

You certainly have plenty of snow to get your test team on it!

More inventory for sale? HaHa!

Inventory for sale???

 

[Primoz]

@Muleski as far as I know, you are right about Nordica. Everyone are raving about their skis (I still need to care enough to borrow pair from friend who's serviceman for one of racers on Nordica to try them myself), yet noone is skiing them. Not really sure if it's true or not, but there's too much rumors about this on WC, that it would be just wrong rumor. Rumor is, they signed really high deal with Neureuther few years ago, and they simply run out of money for everyone else. That's reason they dropped whole women program, and that's reason, or at least is supposed to be reason, they dropped everyone else except Dopfer (there's still few others skiing on Nordica, but noone is getting some serious support and/or money for it).
Also as far as Atomic goes, I have few friends who were dealing with them in past, and had their racers on it, so I can totally imagine this what you wrote is completely true. Based on this what I know, I can imagine it's super hard to work with Atomic if you are not Austrian (or Shiffrin at the moment), as no matter how good you are, you are second class racer for them. So I believe Kilde wasn't getting attention and service (and most likely also money) he wanted and expected. But thing is, Head is definitely not the company to go for if you want better stuff, but money vise it's probably only option, as they have by far highest budget on tour, and most likely they are the only company with no budget cap when it comes to signing new contracts.
For guys lower down the ranking, I would say there's big big part of them signing for Head with different reason... Based on this what I see, it's much more of "if skis are so good Ligety is winning everything, and Head has 80% of medals on WCH or Olympics, they they have to have good skis, so I will switch to Head too", then "I will get better support and service from Head then from some other company". Especially as support is not all that great from Head if you are not one of their top top racers. I have seen lot of things, which are far from normal and fair, but on the other side they are understandable considering they really care only about their top tier guys.

 

[ScotsSkier]

Inventory for sale???

Always! what do you need??

 

[PisteOff]

Always! what do you need??

I'd like to upgrade from my Rossi 165 Radicals to a pair of newer Redsters but it's not something I have to do......

I've also been coveting a 90ish all mountain. I go straight from race stock to a pair of Souls. The only thing I have in between are a pair of Pursuit HP's.

There's always stuff to want right?

 

[Muleski]

@Muleski as far as I know, you are right about Nordica. Everyone are raving about their skis (I still need to care enough to borrow pair from friend who's serviceman for one of racers on Nordica to try them myself), yet noone is skiing them. Not really sure if it's true or not, but there's too much rumors about this on WC, that it would be just wrong rumor. Rumor is, they signed really high deal with Neureuther few years ago, and they simply run out of money for everyone else. That's reason they dropped whole women program, and that's reason, or at least is supposed to be reason, they dropped everyone else except Dopfer (there's still few others skiing on Nordica, but noone is getting some serious support and/or money for it).
Also as far as Atomic goes, I have few friends who were dealing with them in past, and had their racers on it, so I can totally imagine this what you wrote is completely true. Based on this what I know, I can imagine it's super hard to work with Atomic if you are not Austrian (or Shiffrin at the moment), as no matter how good you are, you are second class racer for them. So I believe Kilde wasn't getting attention and service (and most likely also money) he wanted and expected. But thing is, Head is definitely not the company to go for if you want better stuff, but money vise it's probably only option, as they have by far highest budget on tour, and most likely they are the only company with no budget cap when it comes to signing new contracts.
For guys lower down the ranking, I would say there's big big part of them signing for Head with different reason... Based on this what I see, it's much more of "if skis are so good Ligety is winning everything, and Head has 80% of medals on WCH or Olympics, they they have to have good skis, so I will switch to Head too", then "I will get better support and service from Head then from some other company". Especially as support is not all that great from Head if you are not one of their top top racers. I have seen lot of things, which are far from normal and fair, but on the other side they are understandable considering they really care only about their top tier guys.

@Primoz , I think we are looking at this very similarly. With respect to Kilde and Head, what I hear is that he will be assured of great product. You may recall when Pintu moved to Head, and was shocked to find that he would not have access to essentially the same GS skis as Ligety. It got smoothed out, but it was ugly and should have been worked out before he signed. In this case, I think it was perfect. Eliasch would not be outspent, that group is tight {Svindal, Jansrud, Kilde}, and they and their servicemen will be working hand in glove. I think Kilde will have great skis. There is talk that these guys may be sharing skis....kind of unheard of. One of the things that I admire about this Norwegian team is that they actually are a team. The opposite of other federations. And also agree that Atomic and a non Austrian as their top speed guy is a problem!

I have quite a bit of experience with athletes who fall far down the pecking order, in terms of getting the best product and service. These are guys who might get an occasional WC start, are not at the top of the Europa Cup or NorAM standings. It never ceases to surprise me how they are shocked when they get a pair of skis passed down to them that were originally in the ski group of one of the top guys, getting the best service. As you know, the skis are night and day. Now, of course you need a skier with the skills to be able to take advantage of the difference. But yes....the guy who is thinking that he is getting great skis from a company like Head is not getting close to the skis that the top guys are.

So...some of the companies who do not have a budget close to Eliasch {I guess that would be everybody else!}, or let's say do not have a big budget, at different times have really great skis, which can in fact be obtained by younger guys, and those who are showing talent and promise and climbing up the ranks. I hear from domestic coaches here in the US that Nordica probably example A....if you can get the "real" top end skis from Europe. I have a couple f younger friends who coach very high end athletes who will be in the USST system soon, and a huge part of their work is to get their guys {and women} on the right skis. Those skis are typically sourced through personal relationships here in the US, and extending into the European race rooms.

For this group, nobody is getting paid. In some cases, they are paying for some of their skis.....even if it is cash "under the table" to the right person. It's all about getting the best skis for them.

Among younger kids, it is amazing to see how many U12 and U14 girls just have to be on Atomic because of MS, or on Head because of Gut and Vonn. I know coaches who spend a huge amount of time undoing that thinking, to make sure that they kids are on the right stuff for them, at their age and size. It might be Atomic, Head, Rossi.....but it's not because of which big names are under contract. Now these coaches are not the norm. An awful lot of kids and families are not getting that kind of advice. And the big names help sell quite a bit of junior race product.

I hope that there are not too many FIS skiers, say with 50 point or lower profiles buying skis because of who win s on the brand on the WC. Worse yet are the ones who chase free product, and end up with free, poor, and slow skis!

Interesting game, isn't it?

Thanks for your insight!

 

[hbear]

I can neither confirm nor deny that I will be switching to a full Head set up as opposed to just slalom for next season........please address all inquiries to my agent.....


OTOH, I do have 2018 Rossi slaloms coming so .......

The 2018 Rossi SL (Dynastar SL) is a great ski. Rossi with better top sheets however! A nice progressive flex with pop but don't feel boardy. No matter what I try, I still love the feel of the Rossi SL. Dislike their GS offering however and do elect for Head for GS skis. The damper feel is much more confidence inspiring for me on a course.