Betostolen (Nitavisen): Stafas Skistad showed last season that she is one of the best cross-country skiers in the world when she finished the season by winning four consecutive World Cup sprint races.
A strong season last year made the 24-year-old one of the biggest figures on the women’s cross country side. According to Sponsor Insight’s measurements, she is actually the cross-country skier in Norway whose popularity has increased over the past year, both on the women’s and men’s side.
The sponsoring analysis company reports to Nettavisen. In the measurement, they compared the period from May to September in 2022 and 2023, and Stavås Skistad enjoyed a strong growth in popularity.
However, Stavas Skistad chose to stay away from the limelight.
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-You can earn several million
This spring, she again declined a place in the national team, rarely appearing for media interviews.
They’re not particularly active on social media either, and haven’t yet entered into any major sponsorship deals, although experts think they’re very attractive to them.
Sponsor Insight CEO Vegard Arntsen believes the Konnerud runner is losing several million kroner by keeping a low profile.
– The way it is today, I think it could get two or three million in annual sponsorship income. If she wanted to be prominent on the women’s side, because she can be if she wanted to, perhaps one could have thought a little more, he tells Netafisin.
She may have made a conscious choice, and may have been aware that she would lose some sponsorship income because of this choice, but there is no doubt that she was definitely the most attractive of the ladies, Arntsen continues.
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– It could be much larger
Lasse Gimnis agrees that Stavas Skistad is a person with great market value. He is a media consultant to major stars such as Carsten Warholm and Johannes Hosflot Kleibo, and knows what attracts sponsors.
It is clear that Skistad’s commercial potential would be great if it chose to exploit it to a greater extent.
– It is already a profile, but it could become much larger than it is today, he tells Netavicin.
Gimenis believes she can increase this potential by becoming more visible in the media.
– Cross-country skiing is a very big thing in Norway and gets a lot of editorial space. She has great potential and can become a much stronger character. She can get that from editorial and social media, he says.
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– A little loud in style
Arntsen agrees, and believes Skistad can achieve a lot by becoming more prominent in both social and traditional media. It is also believed that cross-country skiing generally benefits from it.
-It would probably be an advantage to cross-country skiing in general if such a profile existed more commercially. That would have been a huge advantage. She has something that people find attractive, Arntsen says.
-What makes it so attractive to sponsors?
– She entered the cross-country circus a little sharp in her line and a little boisterous in her manner. One had the feeling that we had here some sort of female heir to Peter Northog. It didn’t quite work out that way, but she still had some wonderful freedom about it. “She dares to be a little direct and announce a little, which is a little unusual in a cross country environment,” Arntsen answers.
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New season
And the fact that it occasionally gives the Swedes a few punches doesn’t hurt either.
– That’s Northug’s recipe, that. It’s something we who have followed Northug laughed a lot about. Maybe those are the things we like about it. He says it appeals to many.
For Skistad, however, it seems that the sporting aspect still receives the most attention. On Friday, it was back on track during the national opening in Pitostol.
There, she is the favorite in the classic sprint, which begins with a prologue at 11.42 and a qualifying heat from 1.15pm.
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