SNOW Alps 25-26 web - Flipbook - Page 88
I
f alpine ski racing handed out trophies for style — not
medals, not Crystal Globes, but sheer, unapologetic
swagger — Lucas Pinheiro Braathen would already have his
name engraved in gold.
The chiseled World Cup phenom was born in Oslo to a
Brazilian mother and Norwegian father. With Viking good
looks, a healthy dash of Latino charisma, and a penchant for
avant-garde fashion, Pinheiro Braathen’s style game has always
been top shelf. Now, thanks to a partnership with the cuttingedge luxury fashion house Moncler, this 25-year-old is in a
class of his own.
Whether standing on a World Cup victory podium
(something he’s done 17 times; five of them on the heels of
last season), jetting about the chicest cities and trendiest ski
resorts, or being photographed for fashion billboards and
magazine covers, he’s officially decked head-to-toe in Moncler
Grenoble – the label’s “born in the mountains, made in the city”
skiwear and outdoor collection.
Before making fashion headlines by signing with Moncler,
Pinheiro Braathen was already making sports headlines. In
2023, at the top of his game as the reigning slalom World
Cup champion, he shocked the ski world by announcing his
retirement “with immediate effect” at a press conference
in Sölden, Austria on the eve of the season’s first World Cup
giant slalom race. He cited differences with the Norwegian
Ski Federation related to marketing rights, and ongoing
88
unhappiness fueled by the strain on the relationship.
“My decision to retire was a tough one, but in order to
inspire, I need creative freedom to express who I am. If I can’t
inspire as a skier, I need to inspire as something else,” Pinheiro
Braathen now says looking back.
One year later, Pinheiro Braathen surprised once again
with his return to the World Cup — with a twist. Now, instead
of racing for his native Norway, he would wear the colors of
Brazil, the birth country of his mother Alessandra Pinheiro.
Just two months later, he went viral with a second-place giant
slalom finish at Beaver Creek, Colorado — the first Brazilian
to step onto a World Cup alpine skiing podium. Wearing the
four-toned flag as a snazzy skirt for the electrified crowd, he
performed a spirited samba dance — his signature move.
We caught up with Pinheiro Braathen in Hafjell, Norway,
moments after his first race in his birth country as a Brazilian
competitor. In front of a springtime crowd thronged with
Brazilian and Norwegian flags in equal numbers, Pinheiro
Braathen thrilled his fans with a fourth in the giant slalom.
Less than 24 hours later he would send them berserk when
he bounded onto the podium and samba-ed into glory with a
slalom bronze. Flush with triumph, we talked to him about his
image, his goals, and what it feels like to be the best dressed ski
racer in the world. Later in Milan, he generously agreed to pose
for the SNOW camera. We hope you enjoy the results as much
as we do.
