Audi 2014 Annual Report Download - page 28

Nadine studies Sports Management, while Bene is part-owner
of a bar in Munich. They spend much of their time online, ac-
cessing social media, checking on movie productions, expedi-
tions, projects and exotic tours. Their itinerary includes Alaska,
South America, and New Zealand when it’s summer in the
northern hemisphere : being a professional freeskier is a year-
round job. They also cover , to , kilometers on
the road annually, under all conditions. Snow on the Silvretta
High Alpine Road, ice on the Stelvio Pass and full-speed driving
on the German highway to get to an event in Hamburg. Bene
drives an Audi S : “A real rocket,” he grins. Nadine wants to trade
her beloved Q for an A Avant due to its abundant cargo space.
“Girls !” Bene teases. “They always pack so much luggage !”
Indeed, both athletes are involved in an extremely equipment-
intensive sport. The freeski product line from a single ski brand
will feature various ski models with di erent setups for specifi c
types of use, snow conditions and slope. Backcountry skis, for
instance, are wider and very fl exible over the front third of the
ski, so they will be more buoyant in powder snow that is often
hip-deep. In contests where all of the athletes must ride the same
track or mountainside, on the other hand, they choose harder
skis that are more pre-stressed. They run quieter with greater
stability and precision – a tremendous advantage in tracked
terrain. “Rather like a quattro,” explains Nadine. How would a
layperson recognize Nadine in an Internet video ? “By my clean
technique,” she says.
Bene Mayr loves speed, wide turns and high jumps. Drifting
turns with snow fountains that spray the snow meters high, the
freedom to make choices while maintaining complete control.
 will likely be the last season in which he will participate in
com petitions in parks : “I love the creative element. I am attracted
to the backcountry.” Naturally, this will all be well documented.
Then we will see more of Bene in large movie productions.
During our conversation, the sun has set behind the ,-
meter-tall Piz Nair. The quattro bar is immersed in a warm and
cozy light. But it is still much too early to go home, and at this
point the freeskiers have worked up an appetite in the high
Alps. Good thing the award-winning restaurant has already
warmed up too.
When snow and ice create the perfect conditions, it’s
time to either take a seat in an Audi quattro or in the
quattro bar in St. Moritz, at an elevation of 2,486
meters. A wrap-around glass facade brings the wide,
majestic Alpine panorama inside the bar, which is
built of natural wood and stone, and complemented
with an open-hearth fi replace and award- winning
restaurant. It is an extraordinary interpretation of the
ski lodge concept. The style and ambiance of the
bar earned it the renowned Red Dot Design Award in
2014 in the category Interior Design.
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