World Cup No. 1 in both the men’s and women’s rankings, twelve Olympic medals, 23 World Cup victories and to top it all off, the companies first-ever men’s slalom small Crystal Globe. The HEAD Worldcup Rebels ended last season with an impressive record. Now with high-profile new signings Henrik Kristoffersen, Christof Innerhofer, Lara Colturi, Alice Robinson and Ester Ledecka, HEAD aims to reaffirm its leading position in alpine skiing in 2026/27. As tradition dictates, the new season kicks off with two giant slaloms on 24thand 25thOctober on the Rettenbach Glacier in Sölden. The highlight of the season will be the World Championships in Crans-Montana in February.
“The signs are good for a successful season opener”
“Sölden is always a benchmark for me. The signs are good for a successful season opener. For the women, this will be our first race without Lara Gut-Behrami, who has always performed very strongly in Sölden. I hope we can make the most of our opportunities over the Sölden weekend, particularly when it comes to our new signings, and above all, that we have fair races. Sara Hector is one of my favourites for Sölden. Her track record with us speaks for itself. I’m hoping for strong performances from our new signings Lara Colturi and Alice Robinson,” says Rainer Salzgeber.
“For the men, Atle Lie McGrath finished on the podium in each of the last two Sölden races. When you’ve stood on the podium twice, naturally you want to be right up there again. It will also be Henrik Kristoffersen’s first race with HEAD, which makes it particularly special for both him and us. We’re making good progress together. I also believe one or two of our younger athletes could spring a surprise. Flavio Vitale finished in the top ten in Sölden last year. I expect him to take the next step.”
Sara Hector and Camille Rast lead the HEAD Giant Slalom team
The 34-year-oldSara Hectorfinished third in the giant slalom World Cup last season. Sara Hector has already secured eight World Cup victories in the discipline. “I’ve recharged my batteries, both physically and mentally, and feel to be in excellent shape. In terms of skiing, I’m very happy with my training camp in Ushuaia. I’ve learned not to have any specific expectations, but simply to live in the moment and do my best. I’m really looking forward to the new season!” explains Sara Hector.
📷 GEPA pictures
Camille Raststarts the new season having finished second in the giant slalom World Cup. The 27-year-old Swiss skier has already claimed a giant slalom victory. “Overall, the summer training went pretty well. We’ve worked intensively on my hip injury from last season. It hasn’t healed completely yet, but we’ve made good progress, and I’m happy with how my preparation has gone so far,” says Camille Rast.
📷 GEPA pictures
HEAD newcomerAlice Robinsonfinished fifth in last season’s giant slalom World Cup. The 24-year-old New Zealander has won six giant slalom races to date and stood on the top step of the podium in Sölden in 2019. “I had a very varied summer, with lots of days on snow, different conditions and various training locations. So I feel we’ve done an excellent job preparing for the upcoming season,” says Alice Robinson. “After finishing second in the overall standings in each of the last two seasons, I now want to take the next step.”
New signingLara Colturihas already secured two giant slalom podium finishes. The 19-year-old Albanian athlete of Italian heritage is looking forward to Sölden: “I feel good and ready. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself or focus on a particular result. My goal is simply to do my best, concentrate on my performance and enjoy getting back into competition mode. I want to keep improving and making progress this season, particularly in the technical disciplines of giant slalom and slalom. I’d also like to compete in a few Super-G races during the season, provided the race calendar allows it and they can be fitted in around the technical events.”
Atle Lie McGrath and Henrik Kristoffersen have aready reached the podium in Sölden
Atle Lie McGrathhas finished on the podium in Sölden in two consecutive years. The 26-year-old Norwegian, who won the small Crystal Globe in slalom last season, finished third in Sölden in both 2024 and 2025. “The summer was great. I had time to switch off after last season and recharge my batteries. I feel excellent both in physical training and on skis. My training has been very consistent, which feels good,” says Atle Lie McGrath, looking back on the past few months. “I hope I can really attack in Sölden and have as much fun as possible. I’m particularly looking forward to the classic World Cup races and the World Championships in Crans-Montana.”
📷 GEPA pictures
His compatriotHenrik Kristoffersenhas already collected eight giant slalom victories. The 32-year-old HEAD newcomer also won gold in the discipline at the 2019 World Championships and claimed the Giant Slalom World Cup title in the 2019/20 season. His best result in Sölden so far is second place in 2024.
“Summer training went well. I stayed healthy for most of the summer. Dryland training was effective and took place mainly at home in Salzburg, as we were waiting for the birth of our second child. As for skiing, I spent three days at the Wittenburg indoor ski centre, three weeks at El Colorado in Chile, and two weeks in Ushuaia, Argentina. The skiing went well, and I’m already very comfortable with the new equipment. We won’t know how fast we really are until the first race,” reports Henrik Kristoffersen.
World Championships in Crans-Montana set to be the season highlight
The highlight of the season will be the World Championships, taking place in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, from 1stto 14thof February. “Crans-Montana is a historic venue that has hosted World Championships and World Cup races in the past. We know the place well, so there shouldn’t be any major surprises,” Rainer Salzgeber emphasises.
HEAD Worldcup Rebels aim to top the World Cup brand rankings again
Alongside a successful World Championships campaign, another major goal for the season is to finish at the top of the FIS brand rankings once again, as HEAD has done in recent years. “Our general approach is that every race matters and that we want to achieve the best possible result in every event. Winning the overall World Cup is naturally one of our ambitions. But whenever a crystal globe is up for grabs, whether the big or small one, everything has to come together,” says Rainer Salzgeber.