🇨🇭 Swiss ski stars on Instagram: from yesterday to tomorrow

Swiss alpine skiing boasts an impressive heritage—from retired champions to rising young talents. Beyond podiums and globes, the connection with the public now also extends to social media, particularly Instagram. Here's how this Swiss popularity plays out.

Swiss ski is not to be outdone with nearly 186K followers

Top Instagram followers of Swiss Ski athletes

Before the start of the season this weekend in Sölden, the ranking is largely dominated by Ragettli and Odermatt, with more than 1 million subscribers between the two. 2026 Olympics will certainly further boost the popularity of our winter stars.

*Lara Gut-Behrami stepped away from social media several years ago to preserve her mental health. It was a costly decision for the Ticino native, who forfeited significant income opportunities, but it was invaluable for her well-being: she says she's relieved to no longer have to deal with the stress, constant interaction, and sometimes malicious messages circulating online.

Active and highly followed stars

• Marco Odermatt: one of the most prominent Swiss skiers today. His account @marcoodermatt has over 500,000 subscribers. 
• Niels Hintermann: Also active online, his account @nielshintermann mixes sports performances and daily life. 
• Jasmine Flury: A late bloomer in the women's category, she has around 44,000 subscribers on @jasmineflury. 

These "active" athletes combine sporting results, social communication, engaging content (stories, live streams, behind-the-scenes), and partnerships. Skiing also becomes a visual storytelling tool—perfect for Instagram.

The Swiss next generation to watch

While subscriber numbers are still modest for some young skiers, the momentum is clear. Clubs and the Swiss federation (via @swissskiteam, 186,000 followers) provide an additional platform. 
Emerging skiers are taking advantage of this increased visibility to build their “personal brand”: training content, sponsorship, mountain life.

Why has Instagram become so important for Swiss skiing?

• Global visibility : A viral post by a Swiss skier on Instagram goes beyond borders.
• Attracting sponsors : Being followed means being valuable. Brands have understood this.
• Fan Engagement : Stories, Q&A, behind-the-scenes create proximity.
• Career transition : Retirees can remain relevant, develop related activities (coach, consultant, personal brand).
• Youth & Mountains : Young skiers use Instagram to document their progress and build their image even before the podiums.

Encouragement for Swiss skiing

To further strengthen this potential:

• Encourage clubs to form athletes to social media.
• Launch a series “a day in the life of a Swiss skier”.
• Highlight the old glories as digital ambassadors.
• Use content to promote alpine skiing to young people and international audiences.

Iconic retirees with a strong presence

• Didier Cuche: Swiss skiing legend, multiple winner in downhill and super-G. On Instagram, his account @cuche_didier shows that he remains very active and followed, sharing "behind the scenes" images and memories. 

• Dominique Gisin: Olympic champion (2014 downhill) and figurehead of French-speaking skiing. Although less active than active athletes, her notoriety allows her to generate engagement through posts about her post-career activities.

These former champions continue to inspire—not only for their accomplishments, but also for the inspiring role they play in inspiring younger generations. Their Instagram presence helps keep the legacy of Swiss skiing alive.

See you at the end of the season to take stock!

Whether it's icons like Cuche or Gisin, contemporary champions like Odermatt or Flury, or the new wave of up-and-coming Swiss skiers — Instagram has become an essential platform for expression. Swiss skiing is no longer measured solely in downhill time, but in digital presence, visual impact And shared inspiration.