Alpina Press Releases

Biri, June 1st, 2004

PRESS RELEASE

Ole Einar Bjørndalen signs contract with Madshus!

Our best biathlon racer will ski on Madshus skis the coming two seasons. This agreement was final yesterday evening.
- We are very proud that Bjorndalen has chosen our skis. He will be an important future racer after Thomas Alsgaard finished his career one year ago. During last season, there was no Norwegian "flag ship" in our team, and we are happy that Ole Einar Bjorndalen now joined Madshus.
Together with this year's World Cup winners Rene Sommerfeldt - Cross country and Hannu Manninen – Nordic combined, Ole Einar Bjorndalen will create a strong Madshus team. We look forward to cooperate with Bjorndalen, says Lars Hanstad; Director of Sales & Marketing at Madshus AS.
Important skitests made the decision
- I have been through many and extensive tests of different skis at Austlid, Geilo, in Austria and at Sognefjellet after season 2003-04. For me, the quality of the skis is essential.
It was easy for me to make a decision after these test. The Madshus skis were certainly the best, and I am happy that we also have agreed on a service agreement as well as other issues, says number one biathlon racer, Ole Einar Bjorndalen who will return to Austria today together with Natalie Santer. Natalie Santer also changed to Madshus recently.

March 29, 2004

ALPINA/MADSHUS WIN NCAA AND WORLD CUP TITLES

As the 2003-04 season draws to a close, Alpina and Madshus celebrate their most successful racing seasons to date, both domestically and internationally.

In the US, Alpina boots were on the feet of all 4 winners at the NCAA Championships hosted by the University of Nevada at Reno. Madshus skis were used by the women’s victor.

In Europe, the overall FIS World Cup titles in Men’s Cross Country and Men’s Nordic Combined went to Madshus, with Rene Sommerfeldt and Pirjo Manninen taking home the trophies in their respective disciplines.

With over 80 podium finishes in World Cup Cross Country and Nordic Combined this winter, Madshus has established itself as one of the world’s fastest ski.

For more information, please visit www.alpinasports.com.

November 4, 2003

NEW to Alpina for 2004:

The Alpina CSL Women’s Racing Boot

To anyone familiar with Alpina’s very successful racing line, the new CSL, Alpina’s specially-designed women’s classic racing boot, will strike a familiar chord—racing red with accents of black. It has an ergonomically designed hinged plastic cuff and plastic heel counter, and is topped off with an adjustable, external "Posifit" heel retention strap.

The CSL is not just a smaller version of a men’s boot. It is built on a woman’s last, which has significantly different proportions from the man’s last. The material composition of the mid-sole is softer, allowing a more fluid flex for better energy transfer to the ski. The torsional rigidity has been engineered to provide a woman with the utmost in skating performance. The CSL Skating Cuff is injected from lightweight PU that offers balanced support, side stability, and controlled forward flex. Inside the CSL, Alpina’s extensive consumer research suggested adding a lining that offers excellent foot hold and extra warmth without giving up any “feel”. Alpina has applied its women’s racing boot research and engineering to its entire women’s line. The Women’s 1550 backcountry boot, Women’s 530 performance, and Women’s touring models all follow this specialized formula to make the boots both comfortable and highly functional.

The Alpina Pursuit Boot
This boot has had years of research and testing to become a real “Race Combi” boot. The Pursuit originated when the FIS adopted the Duathlon or Skiathlon format of the pursuit. In this format, skiers complete a classic leg followed immediately by a skating leg, with no clock stoppage to change equipment. Racers could quickly change skis and poles, but needed a boot that would allow them to race both legs without losing precious seconds by changing boots.

For the pursuit, a boot needs to be supportive enough to handle the torsional pressures exerted during the skating leg, yet supple in the sole for the classic technique. The Pursuit was born. Alpina was the first boot maker to introduce a boot of this caliber, and has now perfected it.

The boot offers the ASC (Active Skating Cuff), Posifit Heel Retention, and Power Strap of the popular Skate boot. The sole is remarkably rigid torsionally, while still retaining the supple longitudinal flex of the Classic boot. Alpina has, through its decades of footwear manufacturing, developed an elaborate combination of midsoles that can accommodate any flex desired.

Alpina signs 3 out of the 5 male members of the US Ski Team while Rottefella holds 4 out of 5!
Alpina has achieved dominant status on the US Ski Team. The addition of Justin Freeman and the signing of Torin Koos (who previously used Apina/Rottefella, but was not under contract) has boosted Alpina into the #1 position for boots on the US Ski Team. USST member Andrew Johnson will continue as a long-time member of Alpina/Madshus/Rottefella . We’re expecting some great results from these three athletes both nationally and internationally!

Madshus introduces a true wax-less race ski!
The oldest manufacturer of skis in the world has solved the riddle of the waxless pattern. This base was introduced last year and subtle tweaks have been made to the Hypersonic Vario 3Z version for 2003-2004. The pattern features a graduated kick area that has shallow, elongated scales towards the transition zones with scales becoming shorter and deeper toward the center of the zone.
The Vario maximizes grip with a positive base and minimizes drag because of the elongated patterns and perfect positioning of the entire kick zone. Furthermore, the kick zone is more resistant to icing than other waxless skis have been in the past.
This is a great ski for when temperatures hover around the freezing mark, when waxing is very difficult and icing often occurs. The ski is also great for people who want to get in a performance workout on a true race ski, but don’t have the time or interest to go through the process of waxing. This ski has a split base with P-Tex 4000 in the glide areas. It follows the same dimensions and is virtually the same ski as the Hypersonic Cold and Wet (the traditional waxable models).

Madshus has improved the flex and kick zones of the Hypersonic Classic Cold (model 252) and Wet (model 253) over previous years. This was one of the contributing factors that allowed Thomas Alsgaard to win the 30k Classic race at the 2003 World Championships in Val di Femme while gliding away from the field!

All these items as well as other great product can be viewed at www.alpinasports.com

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Five Alpina Skiers Selected for World Championships
For Immediate Release
January 23, 2003
Alpina Sports is proud to announce that five of the thirteen US skiers named to the 2003 World Championships team will be competing on Alpina products. The Championships begin Feb. 18 in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Alpina Racing Team athletes competing on Alpina SK and CL boots, Madshus Hypersonic skis, and Rottefella R3 bindings include: Andrew Johnson, a 2002 Olympian from Greensboro, Vermont; Aelin Peterson, also a 2002 Olympian from Fairbanks, Alaska; and Aubrey Smith from Seward, Alaska.
Torin Koos, from Leavenworth, Washington, a 2001 Worlds veteran and 2002 Olympian, will compete on Alpina SK and CL boots.
Kristina Trygstad-Saari, an 18-year-old phenom from Bozeman, Montana, will also represent the United States at the World Junior Championships, competing on Madshus Hypersonic skis.
Alpina Sports wishes their athletes and all US skiers the best of luck in Italy.
The 2003 U.S. cross country team for the World Championships (with age, hometown and previous Olympics or Worlds participation):
Men
Dave Chamberlain, 27, Bethel, ME (2001 Worlds)
Lars Flora, 25, Anchorage, AK (2002 Olympics)
Kris Freeman, 22, Andover, NH (2002 Olympics, '01 Worlds)
Justin Freeman, 26, Andover, NH
Andrew Johnson, 25, Greensboro, VT (2002 Olympics)
Torin Koos, 22, Leavenworth, WA (2002 Olympics, '01 Worlds)
Carl Swenson, 32, Boulder, CO (2002 and '94 Olympics, 3 Worlds)
Justin Wadsworth, 34, Bend, OR (3 Olympics, 5 Worlds)
Women
Aelin Peterson, 28, Fairbanks, AK (2002 Olympics)
Kikkan Randall, 21, Anchorage, AK (2002 Olympics, '01 Worlds)
Aubrey Smith, 22, Seward, AK
Kristina Trygstad-Saari, 18, Bozeman, MT
Wendy Wagner, 29, Park City, UT (2002 Olympics, '99 and '01 Worlds)

 

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PETERSON TAKES SILVER AT FIRST NORAM PURSUIT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2002
Alpina Racing’s Aelin Peterson took the silver medal at the first-ever North American-level pursuit race yesterday in Silver Star, BC. In this exciting new race format, skiers complete a classical leg, enter a transition zone, switch to skating equipment, and then complete a skating leg, with the clock running the whole time. Peterson, a 2002 Olympian from Fairbanks, AK, took second place in this 5k/5k race, one minute behind the US Ski Team’s Wendy Wagner, and ahead of a slew of Canadian national team skiers. Kristina Trygstad-Saari, also skiing on Madshus Hypersonic skis, was the 3rd American woman and 6th overall.
In the men’s 10k/10k event, the US Ski Team’s Andrew Johnson of Greensboro, VT, took 5th place overall, skiing on Alpina boots, Rottefella bindings, and Madshus skis. Leif Zimmerman of Alpina Racing took 7th place while two-time Olympian Pat Weaver took 9th place racing on Alpina boots.
All these racers skied on Alpina’s specially-designed pursuit race boots, the PSC. Alpina Racing athletes compete on Alpina boots, Rottefella R3 bindings, and Madshus Hypersonic skis.