Industry News
Aspen Snowmass, Colorado, will be hosting an additional race after last month’s cancellation of the Men’s Giant Slalom race of the Audi FIS World Cup race in Sölden, Austria. The Giant Slalom races at Aspen Snowmass were scheduled for March 2-3 and will now start a day earlier, on Friday March 1, 2023, to fit in an extra Giant Slalom race. Aspen will therefore host a total of two Giant Slalom races and one Slalom race.
The Men’s Giant Slalom FIS World Cup in Sölden was canceled abruptly after 47 racers had completed their first run. The wind had picked up so much that a fair race was no longer possible, forcing a cancellation of the event on the Rettenbach Glacier on October 29, 2023.
- Related: Men’s FIS Alpine World Cup Giant Slalom race in Sölden, Austria, Canceled Due to Heavy Winds
“We are thrilled to bring the canceled giant slalom race to Aspen for an additional day of racing. It is exciting to bring another opportunity of racing to our domestic crowd and see our men compete on home soil.”
— Sophie Goldschmidt, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President & CEO
Last season Aspen Snowmass returned to the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup circuit after a six year hiatus. In the 2022/23 season, Aspen Snowmass hosted the Men’s Downhill races as somewhat of a surprise candidate, as the resort had not sent representatives to last year’s FIS meetings in Europe. This May, Aspen Snowmass sent a group of delegates to the FIS working group meetings in order to ensure the Colorado resort remained on the FIS calendar.
Aspen Snowmass has hosted more than 80 World Cup races over nine decades. In 2017 the resort stopped hosting events, when FIS told SkiCo that the resort had to replace the Lift 1A and needed to upgrade base area facilities. John Rigney, SkiCo’s Senior Vice President, stopped attending the annual meetings in 2017, however he was part of the most recent group of representatives that had gone across to Europe this year to pitch for FIS races.
“Aspen’s passion for World Cup ski racing is decades old and runs deep. To secure an additional men’s GS race only adds to the excitement around the upcoming Stifel Aspen Winternational and helps make our season kickoff this week even more special for our community.”
— John Rigney, Aspen SkiCo Senior VP
Colorado fans will be able to cheer on local favorites in the giant slalom, namely Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete, world champion and Colorado local River Radamus, as well as world champion Tommy Ford. The race comes shortly after another domestic tech event, the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup held in Palisades Tahoe, California, on February 24-25, 2023.
