December 17, 2007 (Wels, Austria) – World-renowned ski mountaineer and freeskiing champion Chris Davenport is the newest member of the inaugural Kästle Pro Team. Davenport will also act as the Kästle marketing ambassador for North America.
“Kästle’s new skis perfectly blend the latest in race ski technology with cutting-edge freeride designs to create a unique, high performance package,” states Davenport. “Kästle has embraced the freeskiing movement in its ski designs and with its athlete team. I’m honored to join a young, progressive company that’s making a big comeback.”
Davenport, 36, of Aspen, Colorado, is considered one of the world’s most accomplished big mountain skiers. A former alpine racer, Davenport has won numerous freeskiing competitions including the 1996 and 2001 World Extreme Skiing Championships in Alaska. Davenport is a regular contributor to several ski publications and has been featured in over 20 ski films. Davenport is also a TV reporter and color commentator for ESPN and ABC Sports.
Last January, Davenport completed his quest to ski from the summit of all 54 of Colorado’s fourteen-thousand-foot peaks in one calendar year. This winter, Davenport’s coffee table book, Ski the 14ers, celebrates his achievement with stunning photography and first-hand narrative highlights of his journey.
“Chris is an inspiration both on and off the snow and we’re proud to have him on the team as he continues to blend mountaineering and freeskiing to reach new heights in the sport,” notes Kästle Ltd. president, Siegfried Rumpfhuber. “He’ll also be an invaluable resource as we further develop our ski technology and rebuild our worldwide brand.”
In 2008, Davenport is planning to ski all of California’s fourteen-thousand-foot peaks, as well as a project to ski all of the iconic peaks in the Alps including the Eiger, the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa. In May, he heads to Peru to climb and ski Alpamayo, an 18,100-foot peak considered to be one of the most beautiful mountains in the world.
Davenport joins a dynamic, international team of skiers on the Kästle Pro Team, which includes Hugo Harrisson (CAN), Martin “McFly” Winkler (AUT), Sascha Schmid (SWI), Giulia Monego (ITA), Baptiste Blanc (FRA) and Jennifer Farde (SWE).
About Kästle Ltd.
In 2007, a small group of passionate Austrian skiers, designers and entrepreneurs re-launched the storied Kästle ski brand after almost ten years of dormancy. With support from strategic partners and investors Cross Industries Inc., owners of KTM motorcycles, Kästle will manufacture a limited line of high performance skis for 2008. Kästle is headquartered in Wels, Austria in the heart of the Alps. The line of four Kästle skis will be available at selected North American and European retailers in late 2007. For more information, visit www.kastle-ski.com.
