The story of Atomic Ski Fans began in February 2020, during the Covid lockdown. For Bogdan Giurgiu, a lifelong skier from Brașov, Romania, the quiet of those days sparked an idea: to create a space where fans of skiing and the Atomic brand could come together. What started as a small Facebook group quickly grew into a vibrant international community.
Bogdan explains how it all began: “The first thought was to create my own playground. But not just mine, for a whole ‘gang’ of virtual friends who would enjoy the beauty of skiing. In five years, this gang has transformed into a living, vibrant community.”
He adds that the second motivation was even deeper: “I wanted to give back to skiing what it gave me – unforgettable experiences, lifelong friends, hard but beautiful training camps, competitions, joys and disappointments, then greater joys. The only way to give back is to promote skiing and young skiers.”
Why Atomic?
The choice of brand was deeply personal. Bogdan recalls receiving a pair of Atomic Arc Pro skis from his aunt in the winter of 1987–1988. On those red skis, he won three county championships in a row and earned national podium finishes. Reflecting on his bond with the brand, he says, “Since 1992 I haven’t taken off Atomic. And besides the performance, I just love the color red.”
He also remembers trying other skis during his racing years, like Romanian models, Spalding, Elan, and Salomon, but “nothing could compare to Atomic.”
Building the Fan Club
The fan club officially started on February 24, 2020, at the height of the lockdown. Bogdan was looking for a dedicated online space for skiing and Atomic enthusiasts. “I was meeting online with a group of friends for a beer, but it wasn’t enough. I needed my own environment, dedicated exclusively to skiing and my favorite brand. The other ski groups didn’t offer what I was looking for… and so the idea came about.”
The early days weren’t easy. Bogdan expected only a few hundred members in the first year. Yet in just a few months, enthusiasts began joining from all over the world – Romania, Austria, Italy, Spain, the United States, Canada, Germany, Slovenia, and Croatia. He recalls, “It was fantastic! Everyone liked the idea of this group because they promoted it ‘hard.’ By the end of 2020, we had about 2,600 members.”
Meeting Ski Stars
Running the group also gave Bogdan the chance to meet some of the biggest names in alpine skiing, including Mikaela Shiffrin, Manuel Feller, Marco Schwarz, Zrinka Ljutic, Lucas Braathen, and many others. He admits that meeting his favorite, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, is still a dream. One particularly unforgettable moment happened with Zrinka Ljutic: “I told her who I was, and she said, ‘But I know who you are and I know about your group! I’m following you!’ It was just… WOW!”
There have also been funny moments. Bogdan recalls meeting Lucas Braathen for the first time: “Something blocked my brain and tongue, and all I could say was ‘Can we take a picture together?’ As you can see in the photo, I had the face of a man with some ‘head problems’.” Members of Braathen’s fan club would just smile and say that Bogdan had been hit by the “Pinheiro effect” – a very common phenomenon.
Beyond the Online Community
Today, Atomic Ski Fans isn’t just an online group. Members organize ski trips and attend races across Europe – Sölden, Schladming, Bansko, Kitzbühel, Val Gardena, Alta Badia, and more. Bogdan dreams of one day organizing a large gathering at the Atomic factory in Altenmarkt im Pongau, and says, “It’s one of the dreams of many of our members – to visit the factory and see where it all begins.”
He also emphasizes the importance of combining online and real-life experiences: “Our members organize themselves in smaller or larger groups and go to races together, combining it with a skiing holiday. At the same time, we focus on online content, using YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to promote skiing visually.”
Collaboration with Atomic
Atomic officially recognized the group, granting permission to use its name, logo, and tagline (#weareskiing). The partnership allows the fan club to organize raffles with skis, helmets, signed posters, and other prizes for members worldwide. Bogdan recalls, “They are the coolest people in the world! Every season we organize 4–5 raffles with prizes like ski equipment, signed posters, and promotional materials. For the US and Canada, I even work directly with Atomic there – it’s super cool!”
Philosophy and the Future
For Bogdan, the fan club is about more than just the Atomic brand or favorite athletes – it’s about the sport itself. He explains, “Although we all have our favorite athletes, for us the sport matters first and foremost. We cheer for any athlete who wins because we love the sport.”
Looking ahead, Bogdan hopes to unite even more fans, continue promoting skiing, and pass on his passion to future generations. He concludes with a simple message to ski enthusiasts: “It’s not the brand that matters, it’s the sport. Ski as much as possible, promote this beautiful sport, and if you do it in red—even better. At the end of the day, #wearefans.”
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