Norway’s ski “power couple” moves base to Salzburg, following Shiffrin and Kilde

Thea Louise Stjernesund and Timon Haugan, one of Alpine skiing’s most visible couples, are relocating from Norway to Austria. The two 29-year-old World Cup specialists will establish a shared home in the Salzburg region, citing shorter travel to races, tax advantages and the chance to spend more time together as the main reasons for the move.

The announcement came during the Norwegian Alpine Ski Team’s partner presentation in Oslo this week, where the pair confirmed they will live in Austria for the remainder of their careers—roughly five to six more seasons—before returning to Norway. They will rent an apartment in the Salzburg area from fellow Norwegian star Henrik Kristoffersen, who has long used Austria as his own European base.

The decision underlines a broader trend among top racers: centralising life in the Alps to reduce logistical strain, maximise training time and optimise finances in a sport where the calendar is increasingly dense and travel-heavy.

A relationship that became public in February

Stjernesund and Haugan have known each other for about 15 years, having grown up in the same Norwegian ski environment and competed together since junior level. They confirmed their romantic relationship in late February 2026, after years of friendship and mutual support on tour.

Their partnership quickly attracted attention in the ski world. Both are established technical specialists with multiple World Cup podiums and major-championship medals. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Stjernesund won silver in the giant slalom, while Haugan added to his reputation as one of the circuit’s most consistent slalom performers.

They have also shared success in team events, winning Olympic bronze in 2022 and World Championship silver in 2023 as part of Norway’s mixed team.

Salzburg as a strategic base

Salzburg sits at the heart of the Alpine racing calendar. From there, key World Cup venues in Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and France are reachable by relatively short drives or train journeys, compared with flights from Scandinavia.

Haugan told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG) that the couple plans to remain based in Austria until retirement, estimating a timeframe of around five to six years. “We plan to spend the rest of our careers there and then return to Norway,” he said.

Stjernesund echoed that logic in interviews with Dagbladet and other outlets, explaining that the move was decided over the summer. “We saw how little time we actually spend in Norway regardless, so we viewed it as advantageous,” she said. “Mainly we are moving to optimise: to use less energy on flights and travelling, and to see each other more often.”

She added with a laugh that there are also “some tax-related advantages” to living in Austria, a point confirmed in several Norwegian reports. For elite athletes whose income is largely derived from international prize money, sponsorships and appearance fees, residence in a country with favourable tax treatment can significantly affect net earnings over a career.

Renting from Kristoffersen

The apartment they will occupy belongs to Henrik Kristoffersen, Norway’s most decorated male technical skier and a long-term resident of the Salzburg region. Kristoffersen has spent much of his adult life training and living in Austria, using it as a hub for both winter and summer preparation.

ABC Nyheter quoted Haugan as saying: “We have been there a lot last winter and in the summer. We feel comfortable there. We thought we might as well change our address to there. We spend more time in Central Europe than we do in Norway. In that sense it is very favourable.”

Kristoffersen, for his part, has joked publicly about the arrangement. In comments reported by ABC Nyheter, he said: “It is still my place!”—suggesting he retains ownership and may return to the property himself in future.

The setup gives Stjernesund and Haugan immediate access to an established training environment, familiar gyms, nearby slopes and a community of racers who already use the region as a base.

Red Bull and logistical advantages

Both athletes are supported by Red Bull, whose global headquarters are in Fuschl am See, near Salzburg. Haugan’s long-standing partnership with the energy-drink brand has included custom training projects, content production and high-profile promotional work.

Nettavisen noted that the new Red Bull agreement makes movement within Europe “far easier” for the couple, given that they will now be living in the same country as the company’s base. That proximity can simplify scheduling for media days, filming and sponsor commitments, which increasingly form a significant part of a top racer’s season.

For Stjernesund, who has grown into a prominent figure in women’s technical events, the move also aligns with her desire to reduce time spent in airports and hotels. “If we want to see more of each other, it makes sense to have a fixed residence in Central Europe,” she told Dagbladet.

Career profiles and ambitions

Haugan, from Oppdal, has become one of the leading slalom specialists on the men’s side. By the end of the 2025–26 season he had recorded 12 World Cup podiums, including six victories, and established himself as a regular threat on steep, technical courses.

Stjernesund has built her reputation as a versatile technical skier, with particular strength in giant slalom. Her six World Cup podiums include a breakthrough Olympic silver medal in 2026, and she has been a consistent points scorer in both slalom and GS.

Neither has yet secured an overall World Cup title, but both are viewed as realistic contenders for discipline honours and major-championship medals in the next Olympic cycle. Sharing a base in Salzburg allows them to coordinate training blocks, share coaching resources and maintain a more stable routine between races.

Part of a wider shift toward Alpine bases

Stjernesund and Haugan are not the first top racers to relocate to Austria for career reasons. American star Mikaela Shiffrin and her husband, Norwegian speed specialist Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, have long used an Austrian base to manage their global schedules. Several other European racers similarly live in or near the Alps rather than in their home countries.

The pattern reflects the realities of modern Alpine skiing: a calendar that stretches from late October to March, with frequent mid-week races across multiple countries; an increasing emphasis on year-round training camps; and growing commercial obligations that require athletes to be available for sponsors across Europe.

For Norwegian athletes in particular, the tax regime is often cited as a factor. Norway’s progressive income-tax system can take a substantial share of high earnings, while Austria offers different structures for residents whose primary income is generated abroad.

What it means for Norwegian skiing

The move does not signal a break with the Norwegian team. Stjernesund and Haugan will continue to represent Norway in all competitions and remain integrated into the national squad structure. However, their day-to-day life will now revolve around Salzburg rather than Oslo or their home regions.

NRK Sport summarised the rationale succinctly: the pair highlight “shorter travel distances to Alpine races and tax advantages” as the main benefits of moving abroad. For a sport in which marginal gains—whether in recovery time, training consistency or financial stability—can shape the length and quality of a career, those advantages are significant.

Their decision may also influence younger Norwegian racers considering where to base themselves as they progress through the European Cup and into the World Cup. If two of the country’s leading technical skiers can successfully combine high-level results with a Central European home, the model becomes more attractive for the next generation.

A power couple with a clear plan

Stjernesund and Haugan’s relocation is more than a personal lifestyle choice. It is a calculated career move designed to extend their peak years, reduce unnecessary strain and improve their financial position while remaining at the sharp end of World Cup racing.

By choosing Salzburg, renting from Kristoffersen and aligning their lives with Red Bull’s European operations, they have created an environment tailored to the demands of modern Alpine skiing. Their plan is explicit: compete at the highest level for the next five to six seasons from an Austrian base, then return to Norway once their racing careers end.

In a sport where logistics, money and time are as critical as turns and gates, the Norwegian “ski power couple” has opted to play the long game—and to do it from the heart of the Alps.