The Norwegian Ski Association Alpine and Helly Hansen have reached an agreement for the next eight years. Helly Hansen will thus become the team’s official partner, supplying apparel and other equipment starting with the 2022-23 ski season. Partnering with the Norwegian Ski Federation Alpine is a natural and strategic decision for Helly Hansen. Through the partnership, the Norwegian brand not only becomes a supplier to its home country’s successful ski team but also hopes to strengthen its global presence in the ski category while demonstrating its long-term commitment to skiing.
“With an extensive history, experience and culture, Helly Hansen’s ambitions align well with those we have in Attacking Vikings, and both parties have a broad, global impact. The agreement secures high-performance clothing of the best quality and at the same time provides a long-term commitment crucial for developing and consolidating Norway’s position as one of the world’s leading nations in alpine ski racing,” said the Alpine Ski Association’s sports manager, Claus Johan Ryste.
For a long time, Norway was known only for its achievements in Nordic skiing. That changed with the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer. Today, the Norwegian alpine ski team is known as the “Attacking Vikings” and has produced top athletes such as Lasse Kjus, Aksel Lund Svindal, Kjetil Jansrud and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, as well as young athletes such as Atle Lie McGrath, Lucas Braathen and Kajsa Vickhoff Lie.
“Skiing is at the core of Helly Hansen’s DNA, and this partnership is both a testament to our long-term commitment to skiing and love for ski racing. As the leading apparel brand for ski professionals, we are dedicated to developing high-performance apparel that gives ski athletes every advantage possible,” said Tor Jenssen, CMO of Helly Hansen.
The Norwegian ski team has been working with the Japanese brand Phenix since 1993. The move to Helly Hansen came as a bit of a surprise, much like Kappa’s sponsorship of the U.S. ski team earlier this month, ending the 33-year partnership with Spyder.
Helly Hansen has a long tradition of working with professionals. According to the brand, more than 60,000 professional skiers, sailors, ski patrollers, rescue services, ski resort staff, and mountain guides around the globe are currently partners or using its outfits, including numerous Olympians and national teams. Helly Hansen also works with Alpine Canada and was partner of the Swedish Alpine Ski Team from 2016 to 2021. Since 2019, the Norwegian brand has also been the official outdoor clothing partner of the famous Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbühel, Austria.
