🏔️🎿In our effort to always develop the best products for your adventures in the mountains, we have had a true expert and passionate ski mountaineer and tourer at our side for several years now - Lukas Hausberger!🏂❄️
Lukas is not only an outstanding athlete, but also a long-time advocate of our MONTANA skins and base grinds. His enthusiasm for our products and his expertise in ski mountaineering make him a perfect brand ambassador for our company.
In the interview, Lukas talks about his passion for mountain sports, his experiences from last season and, of course, his close relationship with MONTANA.
How did you get into ski mountaineering?
I was involved with winter sports from an early age and took part in ski races in Vorarlberg, Austria. In high school and adolescence, the trainings and the races shaped my daily life, in addition to my schooling at the Gymnasium. However, the big leap for top-level alpine skiing remained elusive and I reached the age where I had to change my career. After changing schools, the fascination of mountain sports overcame me. I started ski mountaineering and soon took part in the first competitions in the region. The successes did not stay away for long and I won in the junior class twice the overall standings at the Vorarlberg Ski Touring Cup and celebrated victories at the Vorarlberg regional championships.
In the meantime, I can count myself among the best amateur ski mountaineers in Austria and pursue my beloved sport alongside my doctoral studies at the University of Innsbruck at a fairly professional level. Top 10 finishes in Austrian championships in sprint or podium finishes in races in eastern Switzerland and western Austria are not uncommon.
For several years, Lukas has relied on Montana climbing skins and ski grinds. How important are sponsor partners for you?
Sponsors are important partners and supporters for me, because it is they who make it possible for me to pursue my sport in this professionalism through financial means or material gifts. I can consider myself lucky to always be equipped with the fastest and newest climbing skins from Montana. Above all, I value the partnership with Montana very much, as it is a constant give and take. I often get to test prototypes and new developments and I am in close contact with the Montana R&D department. The progressive skinther development of the very fast Montana skins is a personal concern of mine and I am happy that I can make my contribution here.
How did you fare in the 2022/23 season and what are your next goals?
Today's winter was unfortunately not the "yellow of the egg" for me from a sporting point of view, in addition to the small amounts of snow. I had caught a persistent and protracted cold at the beginning of December, which has condemned me to do nothing for two months. The Austrian National Championships or the Mountain Attack etc. were unfortunately cancelled for me this year. The return to training was then unfortunately only possible again in February. From then on I was healthy again, could train well and soon started in some races in Eastern Switzerland. My performance was not on the level before the forced break due to the big training gap and the consequences of the respiratory disease, but I could show solid performances with a 3rd place in Elm and 8th place in Disentis. In the meantime I have finished the short racing season and am already in preparation for the coming and hopefully snowy winter *winks*. In the next season, I would then like to fully attack again and achieve podium finishes and good results in national and international competitions.
Lukas' DNA:
Age: 26 years
Location: Tschagguns, Austria
Sport: Ski mountaineering
Education & Studies: Civil engineering
Occupation: University assistant/ PhD student
Life motto: Fight to the end!
