Triple Olympic Gold Medallist Ester Ledecká Joins HEAD Rebels

The HEAD alpine skiing team just got even more stacked this summer. The HEAD World Cup Rebels — the brand’s elite roster of professional alpine skiers — just announced the signing of top Czech skier Ester Ledecká. With her signing, the 31-year-old speed specialist brings a career full of skiing’s top accolades to a team already full of world-class talent.

“CAUGHT. And definitely worth the chase,” the team wrote in its Instagram post. “Welcome to the fastest team in ski racing.”

Ledecká’s signing comes amidst a busy offseason for HEAD, characterized by new high-profile signings. Just last month, the brand brought in rising star Lara Colturi. In May and June, the brand signed Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, Italy’s Christof Innerhofer, and New Zealand’s Alice Robinson  — all podium-winning World Cup athletes. Ledecká’s addition to the team marks another strong move for HEAD as it builds its star-studded skier roster ahead of the World Cup season.

• Related: Ski Racer Lara Colturi Joins HEAD Rebels

In addition to the mega-brand’s new skiers, it has been a long-term home for some of the biggest legends in Alpine skiing history. All-time greats like Lindsey Vonn, Lara Gut-Behrami, Camille Rast, and Wendy Holdener have all been on HEAD skis for years, giving the brand a reputation for helping produce Olympic and World Cup champions. However, with Gut-Behrami retiring and Vonn still recovering from her leg fracture and uncertainty about another comeback, the ski brand needed to fill its athlete roster with more talent and Ledecká’s career achievements fall right in line.

• Related: Lara Gut-Behrami Retires from Ski Racing at 35, Ending One of the Greatest Careers in Alpine Skiing

Throughout her career, Ledecká has found success at both Olympic and World Cup competition. Her first Olympic gold medal came at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where she claimed victory in the super-G discipline. That victory would ultimately go down as one of the biggest surprises in Olympic alpine history. The skier also holds four alpine World Cup victories and 12 podiums, along with a downhill bronze from the 2025 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria.

But perhaps the most unique part of her career is her success in another sport: snowboarding. Ledecká has established herself as one of the best Alpine snowboarders in the world, winning a total of five Olympic (including her second Olympic gold) and World Championship titles. She is the only athlete in history to have won Olympic gold in both skiing and snowboarding.

While HEAD primarily focuses on manufacturing skis, it manufactures snowboards as well, and the brand is ready to support a high-level athlete who competes in both sports. 

“Ester Ledecká is, of course, a very special athlete. Her dual focus on alpine skiing and snowboarding presents a new and exciting challenge for us,” HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber said in the announcement. “She has already demonstrated her immense potential, most notably with her Olympic victory. If we can perfectly fine-tune her equipment to meet her needs, I expect her to compete at the highest level in Downhill and Super-G and challenge for the Crystal Globes.”

• Related: Provisional 2026-27 Alpine World Cup Calendar Sees 21 Races in North America

For Ledecká, the signing marks another exciting step forward in her career, and a chance to ride some of the most reliable skis in the industry. Quality equipment is crucial in skiing and snowboarding, where just hundredths of a second can be the difference between gold and silver. Ledecká has emphasized her trust in HEAD and is ready to wear the brand’s skis under her feet.

“I am convinced that ski and snowboard equipment is like a magic wand – it chooses the rider, not the other way around,” Ledecká said. “Anyone who truly understands equipment knows this. I can only trust its decision, and I am convinced that we can achieve great things together.”

The Czech ski racer had been sponsored by Kästle since 2022. “Thank you for the past four years, Ester,” Kästle wrote on its social media account. “We truly value the successes we shared along the way,” the Austrian ski brand added, highlighting in particular her World Championship medal in Saalbach, Austria, in 2025, and wishing the Ledecká all the best for her next chapter.

Switchting to HEAD skis and snowboards, the Czech athlete looks to continue her historic run as a top dual-sports athlete. Ledecká will make her first start of the 2026-27 Alpine World Cup season in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on December 11 through 13 in the downhill and super-G disciplines.