Industry News
Just five days ago, Paula Moltzan announced she would be leaving her equipment supplier of 18 years, French market leader Rossignol. The question of where she would land is now answered — and the move may surprise many, as it reshapes the brand’s trajectory. Paula Moltzan has joined Van Deer–Red Bull Sports — a brand that thus far had only supplied male skiers. Moltzan becomes the first woman to race for the company and marking its long-anticipated entry into women’s alpine skiing.
Van Deer is a joint venture between Marcel Hirscher and Red Bull Sports that was launched in 2022. The Dutch-Austrian ski racer launched the brand during his retirement — the name ‘Van Deer’ nods to his heritage (‘Hirsch’ means deer in German, while ‘van’ is a common preposition in Dutch surnames meaning ‘from’). Van Deer-sponsored athletes include Norway’s Slalom specialist Henrik Kristoffersen and British skier Charlie Raposo, however, Kristoffersen just announced he will leave van Deer for HEAD.
The equipment change ends an 18-year partnership between Moltzan and Rossignol. The U.S. ski racer had spent her entire career, from junior racing to the Olympic podium, on Rossignol skis. “It started before I even knew who I’d become,” she wrote on Instagram. “Just a kid with big dreams and Rossignol skis beneath my feet.” Over nearly two decades, that partnership delivered a résumé that includes a World Junior title, NCAA success, multiple World Cup podiums, World Championship medals, and, most recently, an Olympic bronze medal.
“But sometimes you need a change,” Moltzan cryptically wrote — that change, it turns out, will be one of the most closely watched equipment projects in modern ski racing, as she becomes the first female athlete on van Deer skis. “We needed four years to establish ourselves well on the men’s side,” Hirscher said. “We’ve achieved that, and now is the right time for the next chapter in women’s racing.”
Moltzan is not just another addition — she is the foundation of that expansion. Her signing is a bold move at the peak of her career — a signal that she believes her best results are still ahead. It is a project that seems risky — swapping to a manufacturer that has not been in the women’s ski racing world as women’s racing requires different ski constructions, lengths, and testing cycles, making it a technically and logistically significant step.
Choosing an established, in-form athlete rather than a rising star, further emphasizes the faith the brand has in the 32-year-old. Van Deer is positioning itself to be immediately competitive. Moltzan has never won a World Cup race. She has come close but finished in second place six times during her career. More importantly, five of her 10 World Cup podiums came during the 2025-26 season, signaling that she is on the cusp of her first victory. A victory on Van Deer skis would be a major coup for the brand. “I’m 32 now, but I still feel like I’m on my way to my career peak,” she stated in the Van Deer press release.
Among this major change, one thing will stay the same for Moltzan. Her husband Ryan Mooney will continue to be her serviceman. Mooney has been servicing her skis since 2016 and the couple got married four years ago. “I think we’re the only married couple traveling together on the World Cup tour,” Moltzan shared. “At the beginning of our relationship, we talked a lot about the pros and cons of love and work. Now I know it’s the best thing that could have happened to me.”
Moltzan will now spend the summer working on getting the new equipment dialed in for the 2026-27 season, which also sees the FIS World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. In 2023, she won World Championship gold in the team event in Courchevel, France. In 2025, she took bronze in giant slalom at the World Championships in Saalbach, Austria. The 2027 championships could bring another medal for the U.S. ski racer. “A new era — exciting,” Moltzan said. “For someone as competitive as I am, it’s exactly the right kind of summer program.”
The outcome is uncertain, but the stakes are clear: Moltzan is betting on a new future at the height of her career, and Van Deer is betting on her to lead it.
Not too smart. She is one of the best female racers on the US team. It takes a while to get used to any ski. On the FIS white circus, one cannot make any mistakes. I hope she knows what she is doing.