Karpos Becomes Equipment Partner of Germany’s Ski Mountaineering Team Through to the 2030 Olympics

Germany’s ski mountaineers will race in Italian kit from this winter. Karpos, the mountain apparel brand of the Dolomites-based MVC Group, has been named official equipment partner of the German national ski mountaineering team. The deal with the German Alpine Club (DAV) runs until 30 April 2030 and covers both the senior and junior squads. It arrives as the sport prepares for its second Olympic appearance, and as German athletes build on results from last winter.

A deal that runs to the French Alps

The agreement is set to carry the team’s equipment through to the 2030 Winter Games. Ski mountaineering has been approved for the French Alps 2030 Olympics, which run from 1 to 17 February 2030. The programme will have five medal events across sprint, individual and mixed relay. Organisers plan to stage skimo in the Briançonnais region on the Italian border. The sport’s place beyond 2030 is not guaranteed, because hosts propose it for their own edition only.

The partnership centres on a new racing suit. It is due to debut in the 2026/27 World Cup season, and German athletes will test the equipment in training so that their feedback shapes its development. The DAV describes the partners’ shared principles as resilience, freedom of movement and safety. Karpos points to its experience making race suits for six national ski mountaineering teams since 2007. The company says continuous testing with athletes is a hallmark of its approach, and that the process produces solutions that give enthusiasts more lightness and versatility.

Stefan Knirsch, managing director of competitive sport at the DAV, says Karpos brings extensive experience in mountain sport and international ski mountaineering. The agreement was signed by Knirsch and MVC Group CEO Emilio Foà, and the German team visited the group’s headquarters. Alessio Cremonese, MVC Group’s executive president, called the DAV a natural partner.

Who is Karpos?

Karpos is the mountain arm of a long-established Italian family business. Olindo and Irma Cremonese founded the group’s origins in 1946 as Manifattura Valcismon, a wool spinning mill that later made underwear. In 1972, Giordano Cremonese swapped wool clothing for an acrylic suit to race the Marcialonga cross-country event, which helped launch the Sportful brand. The group went on to buy the cycling label Castelli in 2003, and in 2007 launched Karpos for technical mountain apparel. MVC Group is headquartered in the Dolomites, owns Sportful, Karpos and Castelli, and has a private equity partner.

Karpos has built its skimo reputation through national teams. It has kitted out Italy’s squad for more than a decade, and it also supplies Spain. Its Alagna Lite is a “near suit” for racing and high-output touring. Its ambassadors include French athletes Xavier Gachet and Samuel Equy.

A German team on the rise

Germany’s skimo programme brings recent results to the table. Tatjana Paller won bronze at the 2025 World Championships. At the 2026 European Youth Championships, the German team collected ten medals and finished third in the medal table.

The sport’s Olympic debut gave the team its biggest stage. Paller, Helena Euringer and Finn Hösch took part in Bormio, competing in their first Olympic Winter Games. Paller reached the final of the women’s sprint and finished fourth. She was three seconds behind bronze. Switzerland’s Marianne Fatton won gold, France’s Emily Harrop took silver and Spain’s Ana Alonso bronze. Paller is a 30-year-old former national cyclist from Lenggries who switched to skimo. Paller and Hösch finished seventh in the mixed relay.

What it means

For the DAV, the partnership offers stability and a development path to 2030. The federation calls it an opportunity to improve the team’s conditions for athletic development. For Karpos, it adds another national team to a portfolio built around ski mountaineering, at a time when the sport’s profile is rising. A suit built with direct input from a team that is competitive but still chasing its first Olympic medal also gives the brand a showcase.

Closing thoughts

Ski mountaineering races are won on tiny margins, and Paller’s three seconds in Bormio show how small they can be. Equipment is one of the few areas where a federation can look for gains. If the new suit works as intended, it will first be tested at this winter’s World Cup. By 2030, with a larger Olympic programme and a French Alps course waiting, the German team will be hoping that the margin is on its side.