13 athletes, 28 crystal globes, six Olympic victories: At the Atomic Media Day 2026, the world's largest ski manufacturer presented its World Cup team at the Rettenbachferner glacier, where the racing skis are made, about two weeks before the start of the season.
This year, the route to Sölden leads via Altenmarkt. Atomic The company brought its 2026 Media Day back to its headquarters, welcoming over 60 journalists from numerous countries right next to the factory where the skis for the World Cup are manufactured. The program included a brand and
Product update, the official presentation of the Redster team, and individual interviews with Mikaela Shiffrin, Sofia Goggia, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, Manuel Feller, Marco Schwarz, Raphael Haaser, Zrinka Ljutic, Alex Vinatzer, Tanguy Nef, Nicol Delago, Fabio Gstrein, Franziska Gritsch and Malorie Blanc.
Where the racing ski comes from
The change of location was deliberate. Hardly any region is as closely intertwined with the World Cup as this one: Zauchensee, Flachau, and Schladming, venues for some of the most prestigious races on the calendar, are practically on the factory's doorstep. In Altenmarkt, when people talk about racing skis, they're talking about top-level production, development, and race service, because skis have been made here since 1955, for beginners as well as world champions.
But that's not all: From skis and bindings to helmets, goggles, and apparel, Atomic now offers the entire product range, from helmets to ski tips. "We deliberately brought the Media Day to our headquarters. This demonstrates that a victory in Sölden doesn't begin at the starting gate. What an athlete tells the service team in the afternoon after training is on the development team's desk the next morning. These short lines of communication allow us to make quick decisions and ensure the credibility of the performance we promise. This is also one of the reasons why the best in the world work with us," summarizes Atomic President Wolfgang Mayrhofer.
And success brings responsibility: „Those who lead the industry should also lead by example. That’s why the fourth edition of our Ski Industry Climate Summit is scheduled for January 2027, where we want to further combine our efforts to secure the future of our beloved sport,” Mayrhofer concluded.
One team, two generations
The record of Atomic's performance in Altenmarkt reads like an excerpt from the...
Skiing history. Mikaela Shiffrin alone, the most successful World Cup skier of all time, boasts six overall World Cup titles, 18 crystal globes, eight World Championship gold medals, and three Olympic gold medals. Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, has five crystal globes. The 2026 Winter Olympics wrote a chapter of their own: Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the giant slalom in Bormio, securing Brazil's first ever Winter Games medal.
Fabio Gstrein from Ötztal won silver in the slalom, while Tanguy Nef from Valais took gold in the team combined. The Olympics were the highlight of a highly successful season for Atomic in alpine skiing, with a total of 46 World Cup podium finishes, 20 victories, four World Cup crystal globes, and seven Olympic medals – achieved by 19 athletes.
But the future carries at least as much weight: Zrinka Ljutic won the 2024/25 slalom globe at the age of 21, Malorie Blanc (born in 2004), also 21, has already secured her first World Cup victory in the speed disciplines, and Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, at just 25, has won the World Cup in two disciplines. The Austrian contingent also forms a strong pillar of the team: five of the 13 team members present come from Austria, including slalom globe winners Manuel Feller and Marco Schwarz.
Next stop: Sölden
„This team embodies the entire spectrum of skiing,“ says Christian Höflehner, Global Race Manager Alpine at Atomic. „On the one hand, you have Mikaela, who has won more World Cup races than anyone before her, and on the other, a young generation like Zrinka or Malorie, who are just beginning to write their own stories. Our job is to ensure that none of them have to worry about their equipment at the start. After an intensive…”
We're well prepared for summer. But Sölden is the first real test every year.
“Positioning – that’s where the clock shows where we really stand.” The giant slalom races in Sölden will open the 2026/27 World Cup winter on October 24 and 25, 2026.