For almost 100 years, uvex has been present wherever sporting history is made. Long before terms such as sports sponsorship even existed, Philipp M. Winter was already equipping German athletes including Christl Cranz for the 1936 Winter Olympics as well as various glacier expeditions. Moments like these continue to shape our DNA today: we protect athletes so they can deliver their best performance.
During the 1950s and 1960s, our involvement grew significantly. The initial focus was on eyewear in winter and motor sports. With the introduction of mandatory helmets in various sports, our product range was consistently expanded to include helmets.
Alpine legends such as Rosi Mittermaier, Katja Seizinger, Ingemar Stenmark, Pirmin Zurbriggen and Felix Neureuther trusted our helmets and goggles just as much as luge athletes: Georg Hackl, Armin Zöggeler and Natalie Geisenberger. Or athletes from ski jumping and Nordic combined such as Martin Schmitt, Katharina Schmid (Althaus) and Eric Frenzel.
Early pioneers in cycling such as Fritz Öttinger and Olaf Ludwig also relied on uvex helmets. In the 1990s, Team Telekom followed, with riders like Bjarne Riis and Jan Ullrich, and later athletes including Andre Greipel and Marcel Kittel. This season, the UCI Team Cofidis is competing with uvex. We have also supported mountain bikers such as Karl Platt and Simon Gegenheimer, as well as triathletes like Anne Haug and Laura Philipp.
We must not forget the motorcyclists for example Helmut Bradl, and later his son Stefan, Martin Wimmer, Heinz Kinigardner, Peter Öttl and Steve Jenker all of whom trusted uvex as well. From 2002 onwards, motorsport teams such as Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Toyota and Aston Martin joined the list.
Since 2009, we have also been protecting equestrian athletes including Ingrid Klimke, Isabell Werth and Thomas Jung, to name just a few.
Our athletes have not only worn uvex products – they have shaped them. Through their feedback under real competition conditions, our helmets and goggles have been continuously developed and improved.
One thing has remained unchanged throughout all these decades: uvex is wherever people push their limits. We protect them, we accompany them, and we learn from them. These athletes have made our brand visible worldwide – on podiums, in TV broadcasts and on social media. Even more importantly, they have brought our mission, “protecting people”, to life. For uvex, sports marketing is not merely a tool but part of our identity. From the very beginning – and still today – we are there to give athletes in all sports the protection they deserve so that top performance becomes possible.
