Atomic has brought its Redster World Cup athletes together at its headquarters in Altenmarkt, Austria, ahead of the 2026–27 alpine skiing season. The brand’s 2026 Media Day offered a look at how equipment development, athlete feedback and race preparation come together before the opening World Cup races in Sölden.
Performance equipment developed close to the athletes
More than 60 journalists attended the event, which combined product updates, athlete presentations and interviews. Atomic highlighted the advantage of keeping its research and development, manufacturing and race service operations close together. Feedback from a training session can reach the service technicians and product development team quickly, helping the company refine equipment for competition.
Although the Redster range is designed for alpine racing rather than running, this approach to product development will be familiar to performance footwear and equipment brands: elite athletes test products in demanding conditions, and their feedback informs future designs.
World Cup stars and emerging talent
The 13 athletes presented included Mikaela Shiffrin, Sofia Goggia, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, Manuel Feller, Marco Schwarz, Raphael Haaser, Zrinka Ljutic, Alex Vinatzer, Tanguy Nef, Nicol Delago, Fabio Gstrein, Franziska Gritsch and Malorie Blanc.
Atomic reported that its athletes achieved 46 World Cup podium finishes, 20 wins, four Crystal Globes and seven Olympic medals during the previous season. The team combines established champions with younger competitors beginning to make an impact on the international circuit.
What performance retailers can take from Atomic’s approach
For specialist retailers, Atomic’s presentation illustrates how a brand’s development process can be part of the equipment story. Product knowledge is about more than specifications: explaining how athletes test gear, how feedback is gathered and how technical changes are made can help customers understand performance-focused ranges.
Atomic also announced plans for the fourth Ski Industry Climate Summit in January 2027, highlighting sustainability as another part of its wider industry programme.
The next major test for the Redster team will be the World Cup opening giant slaloms in Sölden on 24 and 25 October 2026.
Source: Atomic press release, 9 October 2026. Image: Atomic.
