Paula Moltzan Leaves Rossignol, Becomes First Female Athlete to Join Marcel Hirscher's VAN DEER-Red Bull

Paula Moltzan is making the most significant equipment switch in women's alpine skiing, leaving Rossignol after more than a decade to join Marcel Hirscher's VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports race program — becoming the first female athlete to sign with the brand.

The American ski racer leaves Rossignol after more than a decade to join the upstart brand, coming off the strongest season of her career

The move unites one of women's skiing's most in-form racers with the sport's most talked-about new venture. Hirscher, the legendary Austrian who retired as one of the greatest alpine skiers in history, launched VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports as a disruptive entry into the World Cup equipment market, initially focused on the men's circuit. Moltzan represents the program's first major step into women's racing.

"The most successful ski racer starts his own ski brand. New team, new approach, new era," Moltzan said in announcing the deal. "Like everyone else, I was blown away when VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports entered the World Cup."

The timing of the switch is striking. Moltzan, 32, arrives at the new program on the back of the finest season of her career. During the 2025-26 campaign she recorded four World Cup second-place finishes and claimed Olympic bronze in the team combined event at the Cortina Games. She also has World Championship gold in the team event from 2023 and giant slalom bronze from the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach to her name.

While some might view a major equipment change in one's thirties as a gamble, Moltzan’s statistics suggest she is entering her prime. The move follows a blockbuster 2025-26 season where the American recorded:

• Four World Cup podiums (all second-place finishes).

• Olympic Bronze in the team combined event at the 2026 Cortina Games.

• Top-tier consistency in both Slalom and Giant Slalom.

“I’m 32 now, but I still feel like I’m on my way to my career peak,” Moltzan said during the announcement. “The most successful ski racer starts his own ski brand. New team, new approach, new era. Like everyone else, I was blown away when VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports entered the World Cup.”

Far from viewing her age as a reason to settle, Moltzan sees her best skiing still ahead of her.

For Marcel Hirscher, the 8-time overall World Cup champion, expanding into the women’s field was less a matter of "if" and more a matter of "who." The brand has been notoriously selective with its roster, focusing on athletes who mirror Hirscher’s own obsessive attention to detail and technical precision.

“We always make sure that personality and performance potential match,” Hirscher noted. “Paula brings both. Expanding into women’s ski racing has always been part of the plan, and we are thrilled to have an athlete of her caliber leading that charge.”

Hirscher had already planned the entry into women’s ski racing when founding the brand: “We needed four years to establish ourselves well on the men’s side. We’ve achieved that, and now is the right time for the next chapter in women’s racing. It’s a big project because there are differences in ski length and construction.”

For Paula, her personal environment is key to success: “My team setup is unique. My husband Ryan Mooney is also my serviceman. Chronologically, it actually worked the other way around: Ryan has been servicing my skis since 2016 and we got married four years ago. I think we’re the only married couple traveling together on the World Cup tour. At the beginning of our relationship, we talked a lot about the pros and cons of love and work. Now I know it’s the best thing that could have happened to me.”

This skiing power couple has brought home a medal from each of the last three major events to Vermont. Looking ahead to the highlight of the coming season—the 2027 Ski World Championships in Crans-Montana—Paula and her partner still have plenty to work on at VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports.

“A new era - exciting. For someone as competitive as I am, it’s exactly the right kind of summer program.”

The partnership marks a watershed moment for VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports as it grows beyond its origins, and for Moltzan as she bets on a bold new chapter at the height of her powers.