Lindsey Vonn switches from Rossignol to Head Skis

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Sadly it's really just all about the $$$.

"In May, Rossignol asked its skiers, who include Vonn, Ted Ligety and Jean-Baptiste Grange, to accept a 50 percent cut in their fixed salary in response to the economic downturn."


http://sports.yahoo.com/ski/news?slug=ap-vonn-endorsement&prov=ap&type=lgns

make hay while the sun shines...

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

At the level that the top pros are, how much of the stuff they use is the same as the off the shelf gear you and I can buy. I am guessing it is the user, not the brand.

it depnds on the brand...with some their "race stock" skis are several steps away from what is on the world cup, with other brands what you can get through a race center dealer is the real deal.

 

[Hawkshot99]

it depnds on the brand...with some their "race stock" skis are several steps away from what is on the world cup, with other brands what you can get through a race center dealer is the real deal.

Care to share some brands?

Its like in NASCAR. The car says Chevrolet Impala, but there is nothing from Chevy on the car that I can get.

 

[Rambo]

What I'm really amazed at is the possibility that she actually switched ski BOOTS! Usually once a racer finds a boot they like, it's on for life. Don't know what she was wearing before.

"Head officially announced that Lindsey Vonn will be a part of its Race Team for the next five years, skiing on Head skis, boots and bindings."

Lindsey was previously racing in Rossignol boots.

Here is a pic of her testing Head Giant Slalom Race skis

 

[drjeff]

Care to share some brands?

Its like in NASCAR. The car says Chevrolet Impala, but there is nothing from Chevy on the car that I can get.

In many cases that's a GREAT analogy. Especially with a really good pair of speed skis, the manufacturers will often keep the racer on the same pair of skis for a couple of seasons and just change the topskin graphics to match what the latest ones on the market look like.

Boots too, 99.9% of the general public wouldn't even want to ski in what the WC racers use. Those suckers are so stiff with such a snug fit that you'd have a tough time being remotely comfortable in them.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Care to share some brands?

Its like in NASCAR. The car says Chevrolet Impala, but there is nothing from Chevy on the car that I can get.

Head and Fischer's race skis at retail are the real deal...not unexpected from the Austrian brands. I'll be interested in seeing if the Atomics on the WC are really the double deck constructions or if they're just using a graphic or put some placebo double deck looking afterthought on them. Rossi has a more broad range from what you'd find at a race dealer on up to the skis their WC athletes are on.
The differences aren't quite as extreme as the NASCAR analogy...but typically it'll be stiffer flexes and more hand finishing on the bases and edges or a different grind...but it could go all the way to different plates, different shapes, or even different constructions altogether...ie the retail "race" ski is a cap construction but they're using sidewall constructions on the WC.

 

[deadheadskier]

Sadly it's really just all about the $$$.

"In May, Rossignol asked its skiers, who include Vonn, Ted Ligety and Jean-Baptiste Grange, to accept a 50 percent cut in their fixed salary in response to the economic downturn."


http://sports.yahoo.com/ski/news?slug=ap-vonn-endorsement&prov=ap&type=lgns

curious if anyone might know

What is a typical salary for a top flight racer like Vonn?

you know, just in case I consider the career change :lol:

 

[tcharron]

curious if anyone might know

What is a typical salary for a top flight racer like Vonn?

you know, just in case I consider the career change :lol:

I'd guess it's all over the board. What confuses me is, they talk about it as their 'set salary'. I thought there guys all just worked for themselves and where sponsored by teams? I mean, she races as herself, she's not (was) a real rep for Rossignol, was she?