Unique event in the Innviertel to kick off the winter season

2023-10-15 18:25:15

ÖSV main sponsor Hargassner provides the location for ÖSV clothing

Weng im Innkreis (OTS) – A unique event took place this weekend at the Hargassner Energy World, the headquarters of the Innviertel heating specialists. The managing directors Markus and Anton Hargassner welcomed the entire ÖSV squad with officials, trainers and service teams to the official ÖSV uniform for the 2023/24 winter season. And that means that 390 top Austrian athletes from all Ski Austria teams, from ski jumping, alpine skiing to snowboarding and para sports, gathered at the Hargassners’ headquarters.

The Austrian Ski Association, which has transformed itself into the “Ski Austria” brand with its new logo, chose a unique location for the clothing and the photo and video shoots this year: the company headquarters and shipping halls of its ski jumping team main sponsor Hargassner – the Energy World in Weng in the Innkreis.

They worked intensively there in the week before the event. The entire showroom of over 500 square meters was cleared and a large-scale photo studio was set up so that people could take photos, fit and style pieces on five separate sets. In addition, Hargassner converted around 250 square meters of training rooms into three film studios for Webepartner and the FIS. At the same time, more than 20,000 items of clothing were delivered to Energy World on 90 pallets and prepared for distribution on Saturday together with the ÖSV team.

“We are so incredibly proud to be able to bring this great event to the Innviertel at the start of the new World Cup season. The enthusiasm for winter sports has been strong in our family for generations. As an ÖSV partner with our sponsorship initiative, the Hargassner Sport Family, and as an entrepreneur, we share the same values that are necessary for sporting success“, said Markus and Anton Hargassner in a joint statement.

This official kick-off into the new season started at 7:40 a.m. with the accreditation in the Hargassner lobby and the speech by the ÖSV President, Roswitha Stadlober. She thanked the long-time outfitters and partners for the perfect organization and added: “The clothing is a symbolic start to what will hopefully be a successful season.”

A tight schedule and accurate planning determined the day for the athletes, coaches and officials. And then the 390 athletes started. Everyone in the Ski Austria squad (national team, A squad, B squad and C squad) picked up the new racing, training and going out clothing as well as helmets, hats etc. in the 1500 square meter distribution hall. Mario Reiter, ÖSV Head of Sponsoring, commented on the clothing: “The overarching theme is functionality. The requirements vary completely depending on the sector. Of course, appearance is also important, especially since we have a lot of young people for whom a fashionable appearance is important.”

Around thirty Hargassner employees, who were given an intensive insight into the event in “behind the scenes tours” organized exclusively for them by Mario Reiter, were amazed at the star line-up. In addition to numerous young talents and trainers, they also met Marco Schwarz, Manuel Feller, Stefan Kraft, Nina Ortlieb and Vincent Kriechmayr as well as the Hargassner brand ambassador Philipp Aschenwald and young ski jumper Julia Mühlbacher.

The Austrian ski stars were also amazed – namely by the dimensions of the 75,000 square meter company premises. Because all routes – from accreditation, to the issuance through the production halls of the biomass boilers to the shipping area – had to be covered on foot, and even the fittest needed almost ten minutes to get there. A short fitting followed in the shipping hall, because the new clothing collection should fit well and look casual. This year’s fashion colors of burgundy red, sand drift and shades of blue are rarely seen in the gigantic production facilities, as Hargassner red usually dominates there. After fitting, the athletes went straight back to the photo studios. The who’s who of Austrian ski athletes then practically pressed the photographers’ hands. Thousands of individual, group, team and portrait photos had to be taken that day.

Some of the athletes, trainers and service people met that day in the Innviertel for the first time since last season. In addition to the joy of seeing each other again and the tingling anticipation of the start of the season, after this tightly timed kick-off, everyone was happy about the food served in the “Kesselstube” company restaurant by the Hargassner kitchen staff. This prepared almost 450 meals for those involved in the event. Then everyone went home with their new ÖSV top equipment. Hargassner wishes you much success for the coming season