Finding Focus on the Slopes

Nineteen-year-old U.S. Ski Team jumper Estella Hassrick has spent most of her life chasing snow, speed, and the perfect jump. She’s also spent it navigating congenital hearing loss. For Estella, hearing clearly isn’t just about everyday comfort—it’s essential to staying safe, confident, and competitive on the slopes. 

Ski jumping may look like a solo sport, but Estella knows it depends on constant communication: coaches calling out adjustments, teammates sharing wind changes, and quick cues in loud, echo-filled training halls. For years, she struggled to find hearing aids that worked comfortably under her helmet without feedback or distraction. Many times, she chose to go without. 

That changed when she was fitted with Widex Allure™ hearing aids. From the first moment she tried them, Estella noticed a difference. She describes the sound as feeling like “the real world—just clearer,” and says that clarity matters most when everything around her feels fast and high-pressure. Just as important, the small, comfortable design fits easily under her helmet, allowing her to train and compete without compromise. 

With Widex Allure, Estella can hear coaching instructions without straining, stay connected with teammates, and conserve energy she now directs into her performance instead of trying to piece together conversations. Whether she’s studying, traveling, training, or competing, Allure adapts seamlessly to her environment—so, as Estella puts it, she no longer feels like she has to work hard to make her hearing aids work. They simply fit into her life. 

The impact of natural, clear sound extends beyond Estella. Her father and grandfather, who also live with hearing loss, describe rediscovering sounds they had forgotten existed and agree that Widex makes the world sound “right.” Their shared experience reinforces what Estella feels every day: hearing aids shouldn’t just make things louder—they should make them clearer. 

As she prepares for another competition season, Estella does so with a level of clarity and connection she once thought was out of reach. She’s learned that “you don’t understand what you’re missing until you can hear it again,” and today, that renewed hearing helps her compete with confidence and connect more fully—on the slopes and beyond.