Marker, Rossignol and Look

Olle Larsson is a ski coach who's originally from Sweden, and had competed on the Grenoble University ski team, in France. After coaching the Canadian National Team, he founded Rowmark Ski Academy in Salt Lake City (Utah), one of the first Ski Academies in US. Mr. Larsson is recognized among the world’s top ski coaches along with Honoré Bonnet and Hermann Noeckler. Because he’s an older guy and has been around a lot, Olle knows everything and everyone. While, he was at the University of Grenoble he even had a chance to come to Avoriaz and work with Annie Famose’s “village des enfants.” I’ve known Olle for quite some time, and today, as I was side-slipping the course, he told me an interesting story - for which I know another version - but listened to anyway... His brother Jan Larsson was the director of racing with Rossignol. Years ago when Hank Tauber was still running Marker ski bindings, he wanted to petition the International Ski Federation to be allowed to place a sticker with his binding brand right on the racers’ skis. During a World Cup race in Park City, he had lobbied Larsson to support his idea; instead, Jan had told him that it was a lousy initiative and didn’t offer him the help Mr. Tauber was seeking. Some time later, and according to Olle Larsson, Hank Tauber cornered Jan and told him in no uncertain terms that he was mad at his lack of support, that he would talk to Laurent Boix-Vives the owner of Rossignol and use his influence so Jan Larsson would be fired. Unbeknownst to Tauber, Larsson had a rather good relationship with Boix-Vives, so when the former confided in the threat he had received from Marker’s boss in Utah, Rossignol decided to buy Look bindings. Please stay tuned for another version of the real reason behind the purchase…