Industry News
Copper Mountain, Colorado, has been forced to cancel four Super-G and four Giant Slalom races scheduled for November 16-21, while Aspen, Colorado, had to cancel four Slalom races scheduled for November 18. The events were supposed to be the first Stifel Alpine Nor-Am Cup and the second Stifel Success Nor-Am Cup of the season, with two women’s and two men’s Super-G, Giant Slalom, and Slalom races each. Unfortunately, temperatures have been too high to make enough snow to get the race course prepped in line with FIS standards.
There is talk of possibly postponing these races at Copper to a later date, but for now, they have been marked as canceled on the FIS calendar. In a press release, it was stated that “the NorAm Committee is currently exploring options to reschedule, but it does appear challenging in the near future.”
With the men’s FIS Alpine World Cup at the Birds of Prey course in Beaver Creek, Colorado, happening in less than five weeks, international athletes are expected to arrive for training at Copper Mountain at the end of this week and next week, narrowing the options for rescheduling the races. Not many locations are suitable for Downhill and Super-G training and races due to the length of the course and the vertical slope that’s required. Downhill races are the longest races of the four main Alpine disciplines, with the length of the race course varying from 1.6 to 2.75 miles (2.6-4.4 kilometers). Copper Mountain boasts a “Speed Center” which provides training for international FIS ski racers. The Speed Center is typically open for training from early November until mid-December for U.S. National and International National Teams.
The men’s Downhill and Super-G will be held at Beaver Creek on December 6-8, while the women’s FIS Alpine World Cup at Beaver Creek will be the week after, December 14-15.
- Related: FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup 2024-25 Men’s Calendar
- Related: FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup 2024-25 Women’s Calendar
