During the exhibition, Greenfield Network interviewed Dynafit General Manager Benedikt Böhm. The following is the interview transcript.
Greenfield Network: You joined Dynafit in 2003. After 13 years, what keeps you passionate about Dynafit? What qualities of the company have made you want to stay here?
Benedikt: What I appreciate most is Dynafit’s corporate culture — that’s what has kept me engaged all these years. The employees are athletes, and I myself come from a background as an alpine skier. Working with people who share a similar athletic background makes me very happy.
Greenfield Network: When did you join the DYNAFIT team? I heard you’re also one of the DYNAFIT TEAM athletes?
Benedikt: I joined Dynafit in 2003, right after it was acquired by Salewa (part of the Oberalp Group). Dynafit had gone bankrupt at the time, but I really wanted to be part of the company. I was fascinated by ski touring. At that time, I was completely captivated by this sport and even participated in the World Championships as part of the German national ski touring team. I loved the sport so much that I wanted to dedicate my life to this incredible activity. Dynafit was the perfect choice because it had something truly special — though almost no one realized it back then: the revolutionary ski binding system. It was so unique that most people were shocked by its appearance. When I first used those bindings, like most, I didn’t believe in them. But when I skied with them for the first time, I was blown away — they were so lightweight, simple, and durable. It was a true revolution. That moment made it clear to me: I would follow my heart, work for Dynafit, and help polish that hidden gem.
Greenfield Network: Can you talk about the adventures completed by the DYNAFIT TEAM, such as X4 and X7?
Benedikt: X4 and X7 remain symbols of how Dynafit operates to this day. Dynafit’s success stems from the fact that we remain a successful team. The greatest value of Dynafit lies in its people. I began hiring individuals like myself: skilled in areas such as economics, sales, marketing, and mechanical engineering, while also being top-tier ski mountaineers. We call it M+M — Mountains and Management. I think it’s fair to say Dynafit has the most athletic-minded employees. Most have been part of national teams, worked as mountain guides, or are extreme skiers. They breathe, live, and grow within the sport 24/7, 7 days a week.
X4 and X7 were born out of this: internationally spirited employees who love sports and are always looking for innovative activities. So we decided to cross the Alps in just four days using 100% human power, summiting four famous peaks in four different countries in four days = X4 = Crossing 4. We trekked across mountains, barely sleeping, and gained a ton of training. At the time (2011), Dynafit was entering the summer apparel market, which is why we chose September for the X4 project — we could run, ski, and bike through those four peaks.
In 2013, with the X7 project, we took things even further. We decided to climb the highest peaks in seven Alpine countries in just seven days, starting in Slovenia, going through Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Italy, and ending in France. Seven athletes climbed the highest peaks of seven countries in seven days (Monday to Sunday). All athletes were Dynafit employees.
Benedikt: Just do it. Set your alarm and get up. You’ll feel better afterward. I’ve never regretted waking up at 3 a.m. to go running, skiing, or biking before work. It’s all worth it. The more you invest in this, the easier it becomes to handle less sleep. Your efficiency increases. You learn to prioritize. There’s nothing better than working out in nature.
Greenfield Network: As the General Manager of DYNAFIT, how do you balance work and adventure activities?
Benedikt: Not only as a manager and athlete, but I also have two sons and a wife. First of all: unfortunately, I’m not Superman — I can’t always balance everything. But it comes down to priorities, which means making choices and focusing. So just do what’s truly important. For example, sleep a bit less, avoid wasting time watching TV or wandering around. Be conscious of every second. Of course, you also need a good team — at work, at home, and in the mountains. That’s the foundation of real success.
Greenfield Network: We noticed that the models in DYNAFIT catalogues are all Dynafit employees. I heard many people on the DYNAFIT team, from designers to marketers, are sports enthusiasts?
Benedikt: Yes, that’s Dynafit’s strength and core — it makes our products more authentic and trustworthy. I believe that even as we grow stronger, we still have a responsibility to preserve this culture. Birds of a feather flock together. So, based on a shared goal of sharing the wonderful feeling of Dynafit — the most reliable ski mountaineering brand — with everyone, it has become a passionate family.
Greenfield Network: Between 2005 and 2014, you completed multiple 8,000-meter speed ski descents and numerous speed climbing challenges, such as on Mustagh Ata, Gasherbrum II, Manaslu, and Broad Peak. Which of these adventures left the deepest impression on you?
Benedikt: That’s a tough question. Each project was incredibly unique and distinct. I connect them to different phases of my life. In Peru, we made every mistake possible, but those failures were crucial for our future successes. Mustagh Ata was a huge victory, but it was also where I faced the death of other climbers we were trying to rescue — and there was nothing I could do. Gasherbrum was an astonishing success: we summited our first 8,000-meter peak in just 12.5 hours, followed by an incredibly steep and dangerous ski descent.
On Manaslu, we nearly died in snow and despair, but in 2012, we started again and, with the help of a large Himalayan rescue team, broke the Manaslu record. Prior to that, 11 people had died in avalanches there. Countless things happened during those expeditions, but I’ll never forget the details of each experience.
Greenfield Network interviews Dynafit Global Sales Manager Alberto Ferrin
Greenfield Network: Why did DYNAFIT choose BIA as its partner when entering the Chinese market for the first time?
Alberto: From BLUE ICE’s 2015 company profile, we saw BLUE ICE’s strengths:
- A strong track record for launching new brands in China
- Extensive experience and expertise in marketing, trade, and product training
- Deep understanding of local consumers and the market
- Solid and extensive partnerships with local retailers
- A strong network of outdoor groups and media
- A professional, dedicated, and passionate team of staff
Green Trail Network: As a skiing brand, DYNAFIT entered the Chinese market in 2016. What is the strategy behind promoting trail running and its related products in China this year? How do you view the Chinese trail running market?
Alberto: The trail running market in China is booming. To ride this wave of growth, entering the Chinese market now is the optimal time for brand expansion, and this approach will also make it easier for Chinese consumers to accept this new brand.
Green Trail Network: Whether it's Vertical Running, Alpine Running, ultra running, Ski Running, Speed Touring, Ski Touring, or Free Touring, these activities all have relatively niche participant bases in China. Who are DYNAFIT’s core users? How do you plan to break into the Chinese market?
Alberto: We start with KOLs, athletes, and professional user groups, actively building connections between other consumers and Dynafit through word-of-mouth.
Green Trail Network: China has successfully bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. As an expert in skiing, what are DYNAFIT’s plans for the Chinese market?
Alberto: Perhaps in the past only a small number of people in China could engage in skiing-related activities. From now until 2022, we have seven years to plan, develop, and inspire people to take part in this wonderful sport and experience. We are experts in cross-country skiing — that is definitely our focus.