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Henrik Kristoffersen wanted to present the logo on his skis for the first time in Schladming.
Henrik Kristoffersen (28) caused a stir on Wednesday. The Norwegian planned to show the logo on his Van Deer skis for the first time at the night giant slalom in Schladming (Austria). This was always masked up to now. But nothing came of the premiere. Shortly before the start, the World Ski Federation FIS informed him that “if he skis with the logo, he could lose his license”.
A risk that was too great for Kristoffersen and his team. He covered the logo with black tape. However, the matter is not over yet. Because now the FIS has published a statement on the case. And that’s what it’s all about.
Misunderstanding at Van Deer
“At several meetings in recent months, FIS Van Deer-Red Bull Sports has made it clear that this logo does not comply with FIS regulations,” it says.
The reason? Shortly after the presentation of his ski brand, Marcel Hirscher (33) brought his ex-sponsor Red Bull on board. Since then, this has not only been in the name, but also in the logo. And that’s against the rules. According to the FIS, if a company does not manufacture any equipment but only uses it for advertising purposes, it is not allowed to appear as a sponsor.
This regulation causes a lack of understanding at Van Deer. Managing Director Toni Giger told “Laola1” that according to FIS, the design had to be commercially available for the logo to be allowed. “We follow the rule exactly,” he says, pointing out that the skis can be bought in shops.
No start with logo
However, the FIS sees it differently. And that shouldn’t change in the future either, because “there shouldn’t be any special treatment for any ski manufacturer and no privileges when it comes to manufacturer identification”. The World Ski Association goes even further: “In particular, the FIS will not allow a competitor wearing a ski with the Van Deer-Red Bull logo to start in a FIS World Cup race or any other international FIS competition.”
Finally, the FIS asks for “compliance with the clearly formulated rules and respect for all other athletes, teams and manufacturers”.
The last word in the logo dispute surrounding Kristoffersen is probably not yet spoken. (bir)