Ski star Kristoffersen reveals: This is how he ended up with ex-rival Hirscher

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The duel between Marcel Hirscher (34) and Henrik Kristoffersen (29) thrilled ski enthusiasts for years. The Austrian and the Norwegian gave each other nothing, especially in the slalom. The races thrived on their rivalry – until Hirscher resigned in September 2019.

Two years later he founded the ski brand Van Deer and made the big coup possible in the spring of 2022. He took the former competitor under his wing. However, the first step in this collaboration did not come from Hirscher, as you would expect. On the contrary. When his phone rang on May 2, 2022, the Austrian initially thought it was a joke. Kristoffersen was on the other end of the line and said, “Please let me test your skis!” The secret about the beginning of the collaboration is now revealed.

“I’m having a lot of fun”

The rest is history. Kristoffersen signed with Van Deer and achieved with his Rossignol slats what he had never been able to achieve before. He finished third in the giant slalom in Sölden (Ö). He celebrated his first victory in just the seventh race with Van Deer and became world slalom champion in February. No wonder, he now tells “OE24”: “I can hardly wait for it to start in Sölden.” The giant slalom is on the program next Sunday. It is not the first time that he is enthusiastic about the collaboration with his ex-rival. «I have a lot of fun with Marcel and the other people from Van Deer. It is definitely more fun to work with Marcel than against him.”

The team is great in other areas too and does everything they can to ensure he has the best equipment and can win races. Because victories are the goal – and beating Marco Odermatt (26). Kristoffersen doubts whether the man from Nidwalden will dominate again like last season: “I can’t imagine that things will be the same for Marco every year as last year.”

Instead, he thinks it’s possible to be a few tenths faster in every run with Van Deer. “If that happens, we will win more races.” Whether he can actually beat Odermatt remains to be seen.

Kristoffersen wants to become an Ösi

The Norwegian not only loves Austria when it comes to Skimarke, he is also blown away by our eastern neighbors in other areas. The 29-year-old has lived in Salzburg for years, as have his wife and three-month-old son. “We will live 100 percent in Austria until the end of my career.” He doesn’t know yet what happens next.

But it is not impossible that he will remain there even after his resignation. And that’s not all: Kristoffersen plays with the Austrian passport. “If dual nationality is possible, then I would like to say yes,” he reveals in the podcast “Sport & Talk from Hangar-7” on “Servus”. (bir/che)

Source : Blick