Marcel Hirscher’s Van Deer-Red Bull Sports has signed three more female athletes, just one month after American ski racing star Paula Moltzan became the first woman on the brand’s roster. Austrian teenagers Hannah Fedrizzi, Hannah Embacher, and Romy Sykora are now the second, third, and fourth women to join Van Deer, signaling a clear and deliberate expansion into women’s alpine racing. At 17, 17, and 18 years old, respectively, the new additions give Van Deer three of Austria’s most promising young alpine skiers as the brand continues to expand into the women’s side of the sport.
Alpine skiing legend Hirscher launched Van Deer in 2022 as a joint venture with the massive energy drink brand Red Bull. A dual Dutch-Austrian citizen, Hirscher competed under both the Austrian and Dutch flags in his career, representing both his Dutch mother and Austrian father. After retiring under the Austrian flag in 2019, Hirscher made a remarkable comeback in 2023-24, this time representing the Netherlands through his Dutch mother. During his retirement, he decided to manufacture skis after using the name Van Deer as a nod to his heritage (‘Hirsch’ means deer in German, while ‘van’ is a common Dutch preposition in surnames meaning ‘from’). Today, Van Deer-Red Bull Sports sponsors some of the biggest names in competitive alpine skiing, including the American Moltzan and Norwegian slalom specialist Timon Haugan.
A Growing Female Roster
When Moltzan joined Van Deer in May, she became the first female athlete on the brand’s roster and immediately brought World Cup experience. The addition of the three Austrian teammates represents the next step for the brand, giving Van Deer three of Austria’s most talented young female racers to develop. Together, the athletes give Van Deer a blend of proven World Cup success and emerging talent as it expands deeper into women’s alpine skiing.
The 17-year-old slalom skier Fedrizzi made her International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) debut in 2025 at a race in Hochfuegen, Austria. Less than four months later, Fedrizzi found herself on top of the podium, winning the giant slalom at a Glungezer, Austria, race in March 2026. In the 2025-26 season, she was a new addition to Austria’s C-squad, where she will look to continue moving her way up to the A-squad.
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Embacher began her FIS career in 2025 and reached her first podium in giant slalom at a race in Pass Thurn, Austria. A fellow C-squad member, Embacher quickly established herself as another promising young Austrian skier, and her signing gives Van Deer another developing athlete.
Sykora, who was also an addition to the Austrian C-squad, adds further depth to the Van Deer ski team. The 18-year-old made her first FIS start in 2023 and reached her first podium in downhill at the 2026 National Championships in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic. As the oldest of the three, Sykora brings additional experience and strengthens Van Deer’s female roster.
The three additions mark a significant step in Van Deer’s evolution as a brand. When it launched in 2022, Van Deer built its identity completely around men’s World Cup stars. With Moltzan’s signing, followed by Fedrizzi, Embacher, and Sykora, the company makes a clear commitment to expanding its presence in women’s alpine skiing.
Top New Talent in Austria
Austria’s C-squad is one of the country’s top developmental teams, featuring athletes expected to make future World Cup starts. By signing three members of the C-squad, Van Deer now has skiers who could potentially become household names on the World Cup circuit in the next five to 10 years.
For the Austrian native Hirscher, signing Fedrizzi, Embacher, and Sykora means investing in the next generation of Austria’s storied alpine skiing history. By backing its new additions, Van Deer can contribute to Austria’s production of elite-level skiers who can represent both the brand and the country.
With Moltzan as the only World Cup podium finisher on Van Deer’s female roster, Van Deer is pairing proven success with future potential. The three newest additions have yet to make their World Cup debuts, but they will have an experienced mentor as they prepare to reach the sport’s biggest stages.
The 2026-27 FIS World Cup season begins on October 25, 2026, in Sölden, Austria.
