Longines Watch Celebrates Future Ski Champions

Longines has organised the first Longines Future Ski Champions project, a competition for young skiers under the age of 16.

As Official Timekeeper of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, Longines invited fourteen young skiers to Val d'Isère to compete on the official World Cup slopes.

Young athletes from fourteen countries competed in a giant slalom down the lower section of the Face de Bellevarde. "The timekeeping infrastructure and the ski conditions were identical to those of the official races," the brand explains.

The competition was won by William Vukelic from Croatia, with a time of 1:14:50. He was presented with a trophy and a Longines watch. The official Longines watch of the skiing season is a chronograph from the Conquest Classic collection - a steel timepiece that symbolises the "precision, technical prowess and elegance of Alpine skiing." A cheque for $20,000 was also presented to the Croatian Ski Association, to be invested in activities for young skiers.

The Longines Future Ski Champions is one of several activities organised by Longines to "support youth through sport and to encourage the discovery of young talent." In 2014 the competition will also be open to young female skiers.