Paerson, Larsson sign equipment deals with Head

The Head alpine racing team continued a busy off-season by signing Swedish racers Anja Paerson and Markus Larsson in the past month.

The Head alpine racing team continued a busy off-season by signing Swedish racers Anja Paerson and Markus Larsson in the past month.
    Paerson, a two-time World Cup overall champ with 38 World Cup wins on her resumé, left Salomon and will be racing on the complete Head package of skis, bindings and boots starting next season.
    "My goal is to win the overall World Cup again with my new equipment," said the 27-year-old, who's been racing World Cup for 10 years. Paerson won three World Cup races last season.
    Two highlights of the upcoming two years will be the World Championships in Val d’Isère in 2009 and the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010. At such big events Paerson has proven her mettle before, winning five Olympic medals. She is the only woman to have won World Championship titles in all disciplines.    
    "We are committed to strengthening our team in the women’s disciplines and with Anja Paerson we were able to sign the ideal athlete to accomplish this goal. With her experience and her successes in the sport she will be a great asset to our team. Our equipment developing team will also greatly benefit from her in put”, said Head Race Director Rainer Salzgeber.
    "Anja Paerson is as a global athlete recognized worldwide," added Head CEO Johan Eliasch. "Particularly on the Scandinavian market Anja Pärson will strengthen the Head brand and be a benefit to our marketing efforts.“
    Larsson began his World Cup career in November 1999 and has two World Cup slaloms wins in his career. He finished the 2006-07 season ranked fourth in the WC slalom standings.
    "Even though Head was having substantial success last winter, I am joining a team with a strong will to achieve even more; I am convinced that our cooperation will work and that together we can be the number one team also in slalom," Larsson said.
    "The focus for Markus will be the slalom but he also shows ambition to be successful in the other disciplines. We are looking forward to working with Markus to enable him to reach this goal," Salzgeber said.