Herbert ¨Herbi¨ Buchsteiner, former Atomic-sponsored snowboarder, shares his favorite memory of his 26 years at Atomic, and athlete-inspired leadership lessons and what the mountains mean to him.
In his days as a competitive snowboarder, Herbert “Herbi” Buchsteiner was always looking for ways to upgrade his equipment to give him a competitive edge – as seen today in the achievements of Mikaela Shiffrin, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and other Atomic athletes. In the 1990s Herbi was also sponsored by Atomic.
“I was constantly adjusting my bindings and boots and talking to Atomic’s research department to take the product to the next level,” says Herbi.
“At one point the Atomic team said, ‘We’re looking for someone to do R&D to work on boots and bindings – would you be interested?
His passion for winter sports, coupled with the pursuit of continuous improvement, has brought Herbi through various positions to his current position in the management team as Business Unit Director for Alpine Skis & Bindings.
Define a ski category with top athletes
For a few years, Herbi drove and worked at the same time. This enabled him to develop and test the product in practice. Since moving to a full-time position as an engineer, he has had the opportunity to develop gear alongside prominent athletes. An example of this is the trend-setting Atomic Bent Chetler Ski.
“15 years ago we designed and developed the first prototype of the Bent Chetler 120, a very wide powder ski. We had the opportunity to fly to Valdez, Alaska to test the prototype with Chris Benchetler and other top athletes. “
Herbi and others from Atomic started from the headquarters in Altenmarkt, Austria.
“There we tested the prototype in the best possible environment. We enjoyed great skiing for a week, but also unique experiences testing the prototype together with the man behind the ski,” says Herbi.
What started with one prototype has evolved into seven different models, making Atomic the leader in its category.
Leadership lessons from sport
Herbi’s athlete-inspired mindset informs his approach to leadership.
“If you don’t invest in training upfront, you can’t win. Like we did with the Bent Chetler ski, we invested, we kept believing in the idea and the story, and eventually we got the credit .”
Drawing parallels between sport and business, Herbi believes that an athlete’s mindset also fosters resilience to failure.
“You need a plan and you have to follow it. But you will also fail. The lessons of failure help us to take the next step, to make progress and to become better in our sport,” he summarizes.
Herbi also reminds that no athlete can shine alone. In addition to the right equipment, you also need a team of service technicians, trainers and other experts.
The Atomic teams follow the same formula for success, refining the interaction between development, product management, marketing and sales and more.
“Everyone needs to know their role in a team to be able to play and win.
Mountains as a source of joy, tranquility and perspective
For Herbi, the mountains are a natural playground – sometimes in the truest sense of the word. He remembers February when fresh deep snow fell near his home in Austria.
“The Pongau valley turned into one big playground overnight. My boyfriend and I skied down the first slope in the morning. Everything was untouched and we cheered and screamed like kids and just had fun. Nature is the only thing really motivates me.
The mountains not only awaken the urge to play, they also allow Herbi to remain calm and humble when he goes skiing or mountain biking with friends, family or his dog Bruno.
“You’re out in the backcountry, surrounded by peaks. It’s quiet. It’s quiet. You realize how small you are. That feeling always helps me to recover.”
It also helps Herbi to change perspective. “Every day in the office we look at the mountain. And when we’re at the top, we look down at the valley to our headquarters.”
And what is the prospect for Atomic?
“At our home base in Austria you see a lot of Atomic skis. If you look at people’s feet skiing in Whistler in Canada, Copper Mountain in Colorado or Meribel in France, where the Alpine World Ski Championships just took place, it becomes clear how great our growth potential still is.”
“Making great products and delivering great experiences will help us take the next step and take Atomic to the next level and push skiing forward.”