In just three and a half years since joining the U.S.Alpine Ski Team Pool, Fischer is now the #1 ski supplier with 13 members on the Alpine Team for 2002/03. David Auer, President of Fischer, stated "Three years ago we increased our commitment to World Cup Racing and Fischer now has the best products for all disciplines; DH, SG, GS and SL. This is how we have grown so rapidly in racing and achieved the #1 position within the US Ski Team."

Auer continued, "Tom Parks, Fischer's Alpine Racing Racing Director, has done a terrific job of building the U.S. Fischer Race Program in a very short period of time. He and Fischer Austria are in a great position for the 2002/03 World Cup season, the 2003 World Championships and 2006 Winter Olympics with a pipeline of current and future stars."

While Bode Miller has departed from Fischer for 2003-2004, all other Fischer U.S. Ski Team members, plus a few additional, will return for the new season. Auer added, "Bode had desired to remain with Fischer which he knows he can win with, but felt that this may be a once-in-a-lifetime financial opportunity to capitalize on last seasons results. We wish to thank him for the last two years."

Fischer's U.S. Alpine Ski Team members include: Thomas Vonn, 9th at the Olympics in SG and 2002 U.S. National GS Champion; Jonna Mendes U.S. National 2002 GS Champion; and Steve Nyman, 2002 World Junior SL and Combined Champion. Also Kirsten Clark, Chip Knight, Jake Zamansky, Jesse Marshall, Kevin Francis, Brett Fischer, Hilary McCloy Overall Nor Am Champion, Lauren Ross, Kristen Bybee and Ashley Spina.

Internationally, Fischer's 2002/03 athletes include; Michael Von Grunigen, the 2001 World GS Champion and 2002 World Cup GS finals winner; World DH Champion Isolde Kostner; World Cup SG finals winner Alessandro Fattori, Kristian Ghedina, and many others. Twenty-four year old Austrian Team member Rainer Schoenfelder, #5 in the World in SL has also signed with Fischer. Other racer signings are forth coming.

— Posted by Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Staff