L a t e s t  n e w s ..... Kelly Sage comes out of retirement to win British Indoor ahead of Alessia Thomas Jackson, Joe Ogden pushes James Foster into second in the men ... Ogden also wins final round of Salomon Xscape Indoor Series, Emily Whitelock wins girls race

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' (Eleanor Roosevelt).

Grugger stays, Schifferer joins

Johann Grugger has extended his sponsorship deal with Head-Tyrolia early. The agreement is now valid until 2008. The 24-year-old athlete demonstrates continuity by doing so, which does not come as a surprise after his recent successes. "I'm very satisfied with the package", the Austrian explains. "The environment suits me very well, so I've made a future oriented decision." Grugger fought his way up to the world elite in the last three World Cup years. After finishing in the top ten in the Super-G in Lake Louise (Canada), a place on the podium followed in February 2004 in St. Anton, Austria. The Head-Tyrolia racer achieved his first victories in the 2004/05 season: In Bormio (Italy) and Chamonix (France), no one was faster than Grugger in the downhill races. At the end of the season, he took fifth place in the downhill World Cup.

In the Olympic season 2005/06, the talented athlete showed a great performance as well: After finishing third in Beaver Creek (USA) and Val d'Isère (France), he won the Super-G in Gröden (Austria) and made a strong statement as one of the best skiers in this discipline. Unfortunately, a setback followed shortly after. The Austrian got injured in the downhill race in Bormio and had to end the season early. He also missed the Winter Games in Torino, where he would have been a top candidate for an Olympic medal.

Johann Grugger, having overcome the injury, will be back on his skis, finding fast lines again down the World Cup slopes. Until 2008 he will be using the same equipment he had as a youngster when he celebrated his first big triumphs. Head-Tyrolia appreciates the top athlete's confidence in the brand and is looking forward to his future triumphs.

Schifferer signing two-year deal with Head-Tyrolia

With Andreas Schifferer, another top athlete in the speed disciplines chose Head skis. The 32-year-old signed a two-year contract and offers a convincing reason for this move: "Head-Tyrolia is simply the ideal solution for me!" In his best races so far, the speed skier from Radstadt, Austria, was using Head skis. In the 1997/98 season he finished first in four downhill races and won the small crystal ball in this discipline. In the overall World Cup he was also going strong and took second place. Altogether, Schifferer has landed eight World Cup victories and won a bronze medal in both the Olympics and the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

With the new equipment, Schifferer hopes to get closer to achieving his dreams of victory. In the past few years, he regularly made the top ten, but did not get to step on the podium.   

BODE MILLER JOINS HEAD ALPINE RACING TEAM

HEAD is delighted to announce that the US ski superstar Bode Miller has joined the HEAD Alpine Racing Team. The partnership joins one of skiing’s top performing athletes worldwide with one of the most widely recognized and trusted brands in the industry. The agreement is effective immediately and will continue through 2008.

“I am extremely happy that Bode chose to join Head. Bode is the most exciting personality in alpine ski racing. He is also a globally recognizable figure due to his charismatic persona and exceptional ability. “A skier with his presence and worldwide popularity will bring additional focus to HEAD’s commitment to alpine ski racing design and product innovation,” said Johan Eliasch, CEO of HEAD N.V.

In true HEAD partnership fashion, Miller will begin working with HEAD’s dedicated product development team to create new equipment to suite the ever-changing needs of a top competitor, in time for the 2006/2007 season.   Miller, a many times World Champion and World Cup champion, will lend valuable insight into the design process. Throughout the extent of his partnership, Miller will ski with HEAD Alpine equipment, plus participate in advertising and promotional initiatives.

“HEAD has a strong history in alpine skiing and an established supportive team environment,” Miller said. “With this opportunity I’ll be entering the next stage of my career by taking on new challenges and joining a talented and diverse team which shares my commitment towards excellence and innovation.”

Miller joins the HEAD alpine racing team, which includes American Caroline Lalive, Austrians Johann Grugger and Christine Sponring, Italian Patrick Staudacher, Marco Buechel Liechtenstein and German Maria Riesch.  Coached by former Austrian HEAD alpine ski racing team member Rainer Salzgeber, the 2006-07 squad features world-class athletes who continue to be at the forefront of the sport.

ABOUT HEAD: Head NV is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of premium sports equipment. Head NV’s ordinary shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“HED”) and the Vienna Stock Exchange (“HEAD”). The company’s business is organized into four divisions: Winter Sports, Racquet Sports, Diving and Licensing.  Products are sold under the Head (tennis, squash and racquetball racquets, alpine skis and ski boots, snowboards, bindings and boots), Penn (tennis and racquetball balls), Tyrolia (ski bindings), and Mares/Dacor (diving equipment) brands. The company holds leading positions in all product markets and the equipment is endorsed by some of the world’s top athletes including Andre Agassi, Richard Gasquet, Marat Safin, Johannes Grugger, Marco Buechel and Maria Riesch.

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