ÖSV in a New Look

“The style is top-notch! Now we just have to win!”

Cool! The new “outfits” of the Ski Austria stars(Bild: GEPA)

It was about much more than just the outfit: At the presentation of the new ÖSV “outfit” at PlusCity, Anna Gasser revealed that she’s sticking with it. One athlete proudly showcased the new look, but he didn’t quite feel at ease on stage. And Mario Stecher suffered a torn ligament in the movie theater . . .

On Friday, PlusCity in Pasching was transformed into a winter sports paradise. Kids lined up at the interactive stations (such as VR ski jumping or laser biathlon), as well as at the autograph sessions, and the kids’ press conference was also a huge success. And at the World Cup starting house in Gosau, lots of souvenir photos were taken. The kids were beaming. And so was Anna Gasser, who had a lot of fun with her young fans. The “Snowboard Queen” took center stage yesterday during the Ski Austria Stars’ outfit presentation at PlusCity in Pasching.

“A Long Time to Think It Over”
The two-time Olympic champion announced that she will continue her career! “I had plenty of time to think about what’s best for me. But with these three events in Austria,” she told the “Krone,” referring to the Air and Style at Innsbruck’s Bergisel, the World Cup at Kreischberg, and—to cap off her career—the World Championships in Montafon, “it was hard for me to stop. So I’ll take these three select and very special events with me, but I’ll also devote myself to film projects in deep snow, for example. I’m healthy, have already had plenty of days on the snow, and am in great spirits,” said the 35-year-old, who later cut a fine figure on the runway.

ÖSV Sports Director Mario Stecher helped Stefan Kraft (M.) into his 4F outfit(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

Conny Hütter and Manuel Feller had fun with the kids(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

Selfies with Anna Gasser were in high demand(Bild: GEPA)

“Krone” contest winners Elias (12) and Emilia Leonfellner (8) met ÖSV stars like Teresa Stadlober.(Bild: Karoline Singer)

Not only really cool, but also functional
Just like the men’s ski team. “I don’t feel at all comfortable on the runway—but I’m proud to wear the new clothes,” said Marco Schwarz about the outfits designed by ÖSV partners “F4” and “Colmar,” while teammate Manuel Feller joked: “Blacky has the perfect model’s face—and the girls look great, too. The style is spot-on; now we just need to rack up some wins!” Which is exactly what Austria’s “Eagles” are planning. Stefan Kraft smiled: “The new gear is really cool and works for every situation: cold, warm, warming up—and we’re all set for the medal ceremonies, too!”

“Krone” Contest Winners as Runway Stars
While the Ski Austria stars presented the new collection, the“Krone”contest winnerswere backstage, all excited: A drawing determined which child would walk hand-in-hand down the runway with which winter athlete. It was an exciting day on which many a dream came true. Take Laura Nikles (9), for example: She met her big idol, Julia Scheib, had her ski helmet autographed, and even managed to snap a photo with her. By the way, after the fashion show, Laura headed straight to Kaprun, where she took part in ski training herself on Saturday—with one big goal: to be as great as Julia Scheib one day.

A special moment for Laura (9): As one of our “Krone” contest winners, she met her idol, Julia Scheib.(Bild: Karoline Singer)

Neo’s Secretary General Praised by the Boss
“We really like the collection, and the quality is superb,” said Daniel Tschofenig, who was also impressed—as was President Roswitha Stadlober of Neo Secretary-General Jan Überall: “He’s a hard worker who’s capable of so much. We work closely and well together.”

“It’ll be fine by the time the season starts”
So, is everything perfect? Not quite! Mario Stecher had a rough time: The sports director tripped on a step in the movie theater and limped all afternoon: “I heard a snap—it’s definitely a torn ligament in my ankle.” He added: “But I’ll be fine by the time the World Cup races start!”