VAN DEER-RED BULL SPORTS ACCELERATES WOMEN’S ALPINE EXPANSION WITH TRIO OF AUSTRIAN TEEN SIGNINGS

Marcel Hirscher’s Van Deer–Red Bull Sports has taken a decisive step into women’s alpine racing by signing Austrian teenagers Hannah Fedrizzi (17), Hannah Embacher (17), and Romy Sykora (18) to its FUTURE TEAM, the company announced as it continues to build out a female program following the May signing of American World Cup racer Paula Moltzan.

The three additions — described by Van Deer as part of its development-focused FUTURE TEAM — bring youth and national depth to a roster that until recently was concentrated on the men’s circuit. Van Deer positions the FUTURE TEAM as a talent pipeline that pairs on-snow development with off-snow education through its FUTURE COLLEGE, a program designed to prepare young athletes for the demands of elite racing and public life.

Why the signings matter

• Strategic expansion: The signings come roughly a month after Paula Moltzan became the first woman to race on Van Deer equipment, signaling a deliberate push to establish a presence in women’s World Cup and development circuits.

• Local talent focus: By recruiting three promising Austrians, Van Deer taps into one of the sport’s deepest national talent pools and strengthens its ties to Austria’s alpine development system.

• Long-term development: Van Deer’s FUTURE TEAM framework emphasizes both technical progression and athlete support systems, suggesting the brand intends to cultivate long-term competitive success rather than short-term signings.

Background on the brand

Van Deer–Red Bull Sports was launched by Marcel Hirscher as a joint venture with Red Bull and has steadily built a selective race roster since its 2022 debut. The brand has focused on technical precision and a curated athlete list; the recent female signings mark the next chapter in that strategy as Van Deer broadens its footprint across genders and age groups.

What to watch next

Observers will be watching how quickly the new signees progress through FIS and Europa Cup events and whether Van Deer pairs them with experienced coaches and race programs that can accelerate their transition to higher-level competition. The combination of Paula Moltzan’s World Cup experience and the three Austrians’ youth creates a roster mix that could allow Van Deer to test equipment and athlete-development approaches across different stages of a racer’s career.

Bottom line: Van Deer’s recruitment of Fedrizzi, Embacher, and Sykora is a clear signal that the brand is moving beyond a men’s-only identity and investing in a structured, multi-year approach to women’s alpine racing.