The former Austrian Alpine ski champion Marcel Hirscher, who retired two years ago after numerous World Cup victories, has begun producing his own skis. His brand, Van Deer, is at least for now distributed only in Austria, through Bründl Sports, and in the Netherlands, through the Duijvestein Winterstore and Daka Sport & Lifestyle. According to the brand’s website, all skis are “developed and personally approved by” Hirscher and “handmade […] in our (manu)factory in Austria.” Snow Industry News reports that the brand’s factory appears to be making skis also for a second brand, Augment (formerly Croc), and that it is located near the Tecnica Group’s Ski Competence Center in Mittersill, where it produces Blizzard skis.
