Nordica announces Dobermann Race Week to help educate athletes

By Published On: April 25th, 2020Comments Off on Nordica announces Dobermann Race Week to help educate athletes

The lifts may not be turning for spring camps and equipment testing may be on hold, but Nordica USA has got you covered with everything you need to get ready for the 2020-21 season. The company recently announced the Dobermann Race Week, set for April 27-May 1, to inform and educate athletes about its new-and-improved product line and the restructuring of its race department.  

Virtual events kick off Tuesday, April 28 at 12:30 p.m. ET, when Nordica will host a discussion on Instagram Live with World Cup racer Dominick Paris and Nordica Brand Manager Luka Grilc to talk all things ski racing. Viewers can get to know Paris a little better by engaging and asking questions in real time.

The Dobermann Race Week continues Thursday, April 30 at 1:07 p.m. ET with a Facebook Live Q&A session hosted by Ski Racing Media. The call will feature International Ski Product Manager Florian Seer, U.S. Alpine Race Manager Pearson Neal, and Nordica World Cup athlete Alex Vinatzer.

They’ll have a lot to talk about. 

In December, Tecnica Group North America, parent company of Blizzard, Nordica, and Tecnica, announced Nordica as the exclusive supplier of alpine racing products for the group in the U.S. market. This strategic decision allows Nordica to build upon its strong racing heritage and focus on the successful Dobermann collection of skis and boots that have been putting athletes on podiums around the world since 1999.

Alex Vinatzer competing in the Adelboden slalom soon after scoring his first World Cup podium in Zagreb, Croatia. Photo by: Pier Marco Tacca /Pentaphoto.

“We know people have a lot of questions, especially during these unusual times with athletes unable to do testing in their normal way, so we’re really looking forward to hosting these events to provide the most up-to-date information about our new race line and how the department will function in the year ahead,” said Nordica Director of Marketing & Communications Sam Beck.

With the consolidation of the race department under the Nordica brand, the company is thrilled to unveil an entirely new race line, including all new junior skis.

“We’re looking to get everyone involved so they understand some of the changes that have taken place in the line. We also want to underscore that Nordica is the race brand in the U.S. and we’re ready to roll this season,” said Neal, who manages the race department and will be on the call Thursday.  

Nordica’s new race line has been designed with every level of athlete in mind, not just the elite. Among the enhancements to the line are men’s and women’s WC Race Department GS and slalom skis, which are now available in two flex options. The new model and shape are the exact ones used at the World Cup level and include a 10 mm piston plate. The adult line also includes FIS-level race skis and non-FIS (tweener) race addition skis.

At the junior level, Nordica is again thrilled to unveil a whole new lineup, which will cater to younger, developing racers. The Junior GS and SL skis now feature a Marker Junior Race plate with new molds and shape.

“We revamped all the junior skis. We’re going to talk about all the options available, including the two-piece Marker plate and the new sizes of skis for slalom and GS. We also changed the way the medal works down the center of the ski — it’s not full edge to edge,” said Neal. “For the smaller guys who aren’t ready for a full medal edge-to-edge ski, it makes it a lot more forgiving.”

Additionally, Nordica added two new boots to the junior line: the 70 and 90 LC boots with solid lugs, a lower cuff and lace-up liners with a 96 mm last.

Nordica also recently announced the “Become a Dobermann” video contest in which racers can enter to win a one-year sponsorship. Participants can enter by recording a 60-second video and tagging Nordica using the hashtags #racinginstinct and #nordicaski to win a year of free of equipment, including two pairs of WC slalom skis, two pairs of WC GS skis, one pair of Dobermann WC boots, plus some swag. 

The video should showcase why you love ski racing and how it has affected your life. Entries will be accepted now through Aug. 1. The contest is open to all U.S. citizens aged 13-18.

Athletes are encouraged to tune into both of the information sessions scheduled Tuesday, April 28 at 12:30 p.m. ET on Nordica’s Instagram feed and Thursday, April 30 at 1:07 p.m. ET on Ski Racing Media’s Facebook page.

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About the Author: Geoff Mintz

Geoff Mintz is a former alpine ski racer who cut his teeth at Ragged Mountain and Waterville Valley, N.H. After graduating from Holderness and UVM, he relocated to Colorado, where he worked on the hill prior to pursuing a career in journalism. Mintz served as associate editor for Ski Racing Media from 2011 to 2015. He later reconnected with his local roots to manage all marketing and communications for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail before resuming work at SRM as editor-in-chief.