Industry News
According to SkiRacing Media, Beaver Creek, Colorado, could be hosting a women’s speed event as well as the men’s in 2024. After Lake Louise left the FIS calendar last season a void has opened up in the North American speed events for the women which Beaver Creek is seeking to fill. The resort has been in negotiations with the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (‘FIS’) to investigate the feasibility of reviving the FIS event on the Birds of Prey course.
“Following positive discussions with FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the Vail Valley Foundation are moving forward with plans to host women’s World Cup speed races at Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek during the second weekend in December 2024. This race weekend directly follows the men’s race, creating a two-weekend World Cup festival at Beaver Creek next season. The 2024-25 calendar is still subject to final ratification by the FIS Council in the spring of 2024.”
The Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek was built in summer 1997 in preparation for the 1999 World Alpine Ski Championships. The race course was designed by Swiss Olympic Downhill gold medalist Bernhard Russi. The course starts west of the top of Chair #8 and finishes at the bottom of Red Tail at the confluence of Chairs #10 and #11. The course features a vertical drop of 2,470 feet (757 meters) and contains an average gradient of 31 percent (17 degrees), with a maximum of 63 percent (32 degrees).
For the 1999 World Championship the race course at Beaver Creek was host to the men’s speed events, while the remaining events were held at nearby Vail. At the 2015 World Championships Beaver Creek was host to all the men’s alpine events, consisting of Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Combined events, while it also hosted the women’s slalom event. The other women’s disciplines were held at Vail again.
The only time Birds of Prey has hosted women as part of the FIS World Cup was in December 2011, when Val d’Isère, France, could not host the women’s Super-G due to lack of snow. American ski racer Lindsey Vonn won the only ever FIS World Cup event at Beaver Creek.
The 2023 men’s speed events at Beaver Creek’s Bird of Prey course will be held this coming weekend, with two Downhill and one Super-G event from Friday to Sunday, December 1 – 3, 2023.
