IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN AND OLYMPIC CHAMPION EILEEN GU MEET ON THE SLOPES FOR AN INSPIRING SKI CLASS FOR CHILDREN
Schaffhausen/Zhangjiakou, 9th December 2023: IWC Schaffhausen organised a full day of skiing for children with brand ambassador and two-time Olympic freestyle champion Eileen Gu. After participating in the World Cup 2023 Halfpipe final earlier that day, Eileen spent the rest of the afternoon teaching a ski class for children. This marks IWC’s second ski class with Eileen this year, reflecting their joint commitment to helping children to believe in themselves through sports.
IWC Schaffhausen organised a day on the slopes for young skiers with brand ambassador Eileen Gu. It took place at the renowned Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, China. The day began with the children and their parents watching the World Cup 2023 Halfpipe final, in which Eileen competed and won gold. In the afternoon, Eileen showed the children how to improve their ski form and skills, taking the time to help each skier personally.
“I cherish the days I spend with the future generation of skiers, helping them improve their form and confidence. It is both inspiring and fun. On days like this, I look at my watch, and I am reminded how quickly time passes. I remember being a little kid on the slopes, learning my first tricks. So, thank you to my IWC family for helping me make every second of the day count,” says Eileen Gu.
On the slopes, Eileen wore the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” (Ref. IW389105) powered by the IWC-manufactured 69380 calibre. The 44.5-millimetre case is made from hard and scratch-resistant white ceramic and fitted with a white rubber strap. The sleek design is completed with a pitch-black dial, black hands with white Super-LumiNova®, and a stainless-steel crown, pushers, and case back ring.
At IWC, we strongly believe sport is important for the integration of children. It unites them, gives them confidence and can help them feel good about themselves. So, it means a lot to us to be able to create environments where children can experience the fun and joy of sport while being guided by one of the best in her field. Eileen Gu symbolises excellence and precision, representing the same kind of dedication to her craft as our watchmakers.
This marks the second ski class for children hosted by the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer and Eileen Gu this year, reinforcing their shared values and appreciation for sports. The classes are not only about improving skills; they are about celebrating sports, fostering confidence, and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. Earlier this year, they hosted one in Aspen, Colorado, in the United States, where Eileen also personally trained with the children.
EILEEN GU
After taking home two gold medals and one silver at the 2022 Winter Olympics, freeskier Eileen Gu became the only action sports athlete to win three medals at the same Olympic games. This made her the youngest freeski Olympic Gold medallist in history. The teenager’s achievements on snow also include a slew of other record-breaking performances, including being the first snowsport athlete to ever win three medals at both the 2021 XGames and FIS World Championships. Eileen was also the first female freeskier to land a double cork 1440 and an unnatural double cork 1620 in competition.
Eileen uses her voice to help foster cultural understanding and friendship through sports. As an ambassador for freeskiing in the US, China, and worldwide, she hopes to inspire young people, especially girls, to build confidence, break their own boundaries, and lead happier, healthier lives through sport. Named Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year 2023 and one of the TIME100 List of Most Influential People of 2022, Eileen has also been recognised for her efforts with the Vogue Aurora Award for female empowerment and the SuperELLE Youth Idol Award. As a cross-cultural bridge between the US and China, Eileen serves as a Global Ambassador for the Salt Lake City 2030 Olympic Bid. She has been a keynote speaker at the espnW Women in Sport Summit, received the “Next Gen” Award from Apex for Youth Organization and been named a Global Ambassador by the Asia Society of Southern California. Eileen is an accomplished student and fashion model with covers on Vogue, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and L’Officiel, among others, and is recognised by the honour society for finishing her first year as a full-time undergraduate student at Stanford.
IWC Schaffhausen is the Engineer of Watchmaking. In 1868, the American watchmaker and engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones established the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. By combining the best of human craftsmanship and creativity with cutting-edge industrial technology and processes, he laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach to watchmaking.
IWC’s distinctive and pure design is brought to life through collections ranging from elegant dress watches to sports and luxury sports watches, notably the Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot’s Watches and Ingenieur. Over its more than 150-year history, IWC has earned a reputation for creating professional instrument watches and functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust and easy to use.
A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramic, IWC specializes in performance materials such as Ceratanium®. IWC’s advanced engineering division XPL develops technologies that enhance the durability of mechanical watches and extend their applications to environments with extreme conditions such as jet aviation and human spaceflight.
IWC is a leader in luxury watchmaking, crafting timepieces built to last for generations and continuously improving every aspect of how it manufactures, distributes and services its watches responsibly. Empowering the next generation of engineers, the brand also partners with organizations that work globally to support children and young people. IWC. EngineeredTM.