ISPO Talks To Hirscher: What A Ski Superstar Does After The End Of His Career
Slalom specialist Marcel Hirscher dominated the Alpine Ski World Cup for almost a decade before he ended his career in autumn 2019. Or did he not? In Austria, a video is causing comeback rumors. But Hirscher also seems to have ambitions on a motorcycle. We present the ski superstar, his wife Laura and his successes in social media and with sponsors.
Even Felix Neureuther was surprised at the end: "I hoped until the end that Marcel would continue", said the former German ski star in an interview with the "Spiegel", "I am surprised, I had not expected this. In any case, extremely bitter, we are losing one of the greats of the sport." Shortly before the start of the 2019 season, the Austrian ended his career - it was one of the greatest in winter sports ever.
"He enjoyed it, he wanted to do some skiing again. What I saw, he is still in shape. But we are now far away from a comeback", said ÖSV racing director Andreas Puelacher: "We have not talked about a comeback."
Successes:
Eight times the overall World Cup went to Hirscher. All eight triumphs were won by the Austrian starting in the 2011/12 season. No other ski racer collected so many big crystal balls in his career.
With a total of 20 crystal balls won (8 overall World Cups, 6 slalom, 6 giant slalom), Hirscher broke the eternal record of the Swede Ingemar Stenmark (3 overall World Cups, 7 giant slalom, 8 slalom).
He is also six times World Champion. At the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, Hirscher also won gold in combination and giant slalom. In 2014 he won bronze in the slalom in Sochi.
Social:
Instagram:620,000 followers (as of December 2020)
Facebook:600.000 fans (as of December 2020)
Hirscher presents himself on the social channels with funny posts and often involves his sponsors.
Since the end of his career, Hirscher has repeatedly posted impressions of his new passion: motorcycling. Hirscher is always off-road with his enduro and motocross bike. Because Hirscher was also occasionally biking with Matthias Walkner, winner of the 2018 Dakar Rally, there are even speculations about the ex-ski professional starting in what is probably the world's toughest rally. After all: Hirscher did not want to rule out the possibility of a complete retirement at the beginning of 2020. "The Dakar Rally is probably the closest thing to risk and attraction in any other sport. That's why we are still only flirting", said Hirscher.
On Instagram, however, Hirscher leaves his private life out of it. His wife Laura hardly appears in Hirscher's profile, as does their son.
Suppliers/Sponsors: Atomic (ski), Raiffeisen, Audi, Komperdell (poles), Energiapura, Picker, Salzburger Land, Under Armour, Red Bull
Revenue: Hirscher's estimated total annual income in his last career years was over 2 million Euros.
In 2015 at the World Cup slalom in Madonna di Campiglio, Hirscher was almost hit by a camera drone of the TV marketer Infront that crashed just behind him. Actually not that funny, but Hirscher reacted cool. He tweeted "Dense air traffic today over Italy". Later he spoke of an early Christmas present because he had remained unhurt.
