For the first time in 29 years the FIS has cancelled the men’s Lake Louise World Cup. Weather conditions prohibited the preparation of the race track to meet World Cup requirements. Scheduled for November 26-27, FIS Race Director Hannes Trinkl and Lake Louise Chief of Race Darrell MacLachlan had no other option than to cancel the World Cup Super-G and Downhill races. They are likely to be rescheduled but details such as where and when have yet to be determined.
“While we have good snow conditions on the upper mountain, we didn’t have enough cold to get to the finish line for the men. We will continue our efforts for successful races for the ladies and look forward to the men returning next year.”
Brian Lynam, race chairman of the Lake Louise Alpine Ski World Cup.
The women’s World Cup Super-G and Downhill are scheduled to take place here on December 2-4, contingent on Mother Nature cooperating and supplying some much needed snow. The women’s race will be subjected to snow control, meaning a suitable base has been established, on November 18, 2016.
The men’s World Cup planned to take place in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on December 2-4 will also undergo snow control this Friday. With Colorado experiencing an abnormally dry November and moderate drought conditions in effect, they will need considerable snow to get the race on as scheduled.
The women’s World Cup giant slalom and slalom race scheduled to be held in Killington, Vermont over Thanksgiving weekend are set and conditions are approved. Traditionally this race is held in Aspen, Colorado. Instead Aspen will host the Audi FIS World Cup Finals there in March, 2017. Support for holding the race on the east coast has been wide spread.
“Bringing Audi FIS World Cup ski racing back to the east has been an important organizational initiative to raise the profile of the sport in America. Since we announced Killington in October, we’ve been gratified with the outpouring of support from our fans and the entire ski industry. The combination of an eastern World Cup at Killington, along with the global showcase of the World Cup Finals in Aspen, plus our traditional iconic week on Birds of Prey at Beaver Creek, will provide an amazing platform for alpine ski racing in America,” stated Tiger Shaw, President and CEO, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.
