Forget the Finish Line: How to Get Inside the 2026-27 North American FIS World Cup Events

In the 2026-27 season, North America will host a total of 21 World Cup events. While it is super exciting to watch from the sidelines, there is an even better way to be part of the action: volunteering. Don’t groan — volunteering might sound like one step up from slave labor but it really isn’t. Volunteering at a FIS race is experiencing ski racing up close and personal. Yes it can be hard work, depending on the role, but there is literally nothing aside from being on the actual race team that gets you closer to the action than being part of the action.

• Related: Provisional 2026-27 Alpine World Cup Calendar Sees 21 Races in North America

I have volunteered at FIS races for 15 years and it has given me an understanding and appreciation of ski racing that I would not have gained by watching the race from the finish line or on TV. I have set the gates, I have slipped the course, I have skied down the same race course (albeit in a side slip or snow plough as part of the “slip team” while looking uphill for the next ski racer and having 10 people yell at me to hit this groove or to fix that flag, all while trying not to catch an edge and fall), I have been starting marshal, gate judge, and finish assistant. I have set the B-nets and collected them again at the end of the day, but most importantly of all, I have been part of the fabric that makes ski racing what it is and made friends for life along the way.

What I have learned: what you see on TV takes hundreds of volunteers and thousands of man hours to make happen. Work that beings weeks in advance of the race and continues for another week or so after the race is done. It has also taught me that the ski world is actually not as glamorous as it seems, it is actually really down to earth and filled with passionate people, who simply love ski racing. Most of all I have realized that even the biggest stars among the ski racers are actually really approachable and genuinely down-to-earth people. And what you see on TV or read in magazines about ski racers is not who they are in real life. I am not going to name names but some skiers are genuinely nicer in person than they seem on TV and some are less nice when the camera is not on their face. But if, for example, you tell Lindsey Vonn in passing that “hey our friend Walter has been volunteering at the World Cup for 52 years,” then she is going to go and chat with him and take a photo with him without even giving it a second thought — and yes, she went on to win the World Cup downhill just an hour after this picture. (Ooops, I did just name a name, but what a name to drop, hey!)

You want to get up close and personal to the biggest names in ski racing while totally blending in? Volunteering is the way to go. It is hands down the best way to experience ski racing.

• Related: 13 Events, 10 Venues, One Historic Season: The U.S. FIS World Cup Schedule Revealed

Where Can You Volunteer

For the 2026-27 season, there are four Alpine World Cup stops in the U.S., and one in Canada and every single one of them runs on volunteer power.

FIS Alpine World Cup Killington, Vermont

November 27-29, 2026

Killington is home of the Stifel Killington Cup, and Shiffrin’s personal alma mater when it comes to loud crowds and East Coast energy. Killington’s volunteer program is called the Beast Crew, and it’s a serious operation — more than 350 volunteers strong. There’s also a separate Athlete Slipper Program specifically for people slipping the actual race course. To get on the list, email Volunteers@Killington.com — returning Beast Crew members get first dibs, then it opens up to newcomers based on availability.

FIS Alpine World Cup Copper Mountain, Colorado

November 27-29, 2026

The Stifel Copper Cup runs the same weekend as Killington, on the men’s side, so you have to pick your favorite venue. Copper calls their program the Competition and Events Volunteer team, and registration typically opens through the resort’s own careers/volunteer channels. Email worldcupvolunteer@coppercolorado.com to register your interest.

FIS Alpine World Cup Mont-Tremblant, Quebec

December 5-6, 2026

The one Canadian stop on the World Cup circuit is the PwC World Cup in Mont-Tremblant. The venue requires a total of 300 volunteers to make the event happen and offers several perks in return, such as a reserved parking space, ski valet service to store your skis between shifts, free meals, a fun closing party, a uniform, and front row access to the medal ceremony and bib draw. To register your interest, fill out the form on the PwC World Cup website.

FIS Alpine World Cup Beaver Creek, Colorado

December 3-13, 2026

The legendary Stifel Birds of Prey, now expanded to a third women’s race alongside four men’s races, making 2026 the biggest edition in the event’s history. This is the most organized volunteer operation as it also requires the most volunteers. Beaver Creek has several crew categories with fun names: the on-course team is called the Talon Crew, with a separate off-course team called the Raptor Crew, etc (get it, “birds of prey”). Registration for 2026 opens September 11, and you can get on the list now through their interest form.

FIS Alpine World Cup Finals Sun Valley, Idaho

March 20-25, 2027

The season wraps up with the Stifel Sun Valley Finals, hosting the world’s top 25 men and women in every discipline as the season titles are decided. Sun Valley’s volunteer program splits into the Sawtooth Crew (on-hill) and the Proctor Crew (off-hill). Registration for 2027 hadn’t opened as of this writing — check sunvalley.com/events/audi-fis-ski-world-cup for updates.

What Can You Do

There is a massive range of roles on offer, and you really don’t need a ski racing background to find something that fits. Broadly, volunteer jobs at these events fall into a few buckets:

On-Course Volunteer Roles

On-course roles are the physical, boots-in-the-snow jobs — building and maintaining the racecourse, shoveling and icing, setting and collecting B-nets and safety fencing, slipping between racers, and course security. These roles generally require confident, expert-level skiing, since you’re often side-slipping steep, icy terrain to get to your section, sometimes with crampons.

Race Operation Volunteer Roles

Race operations roles cover the technical side of actually running the competition — timing, gate judging, start and finish operations, and race administration. These need less extreme skiing ability but more focus on detail and following protocol to the letter.

Off-Hill Volunteer Roles

Off-hill and hospitality roles keep the whole event running for everyone else — think spectator services, venue security, VIP hospitality, sustainability/green teams, volunteer check-in, and food and beverage. These are a great entry point if you’re less confident on skis but still want in on the action. You will most likely not need skiing skills for these roles (unless you are rostered for feeding the volunteers on course).

Most events need volunteers in the hundreds, not the dozens — Killington’s Beast Crew alone runs more than 350 people, and Beaver Creek’s combined Talon and Raptor Crews aren’t far behind. These races simply do not happen without that kind of volunteer army behind them. Depending on the layout of the host venue, race organizers might require shuttle drivers for athletes as well, or staff off the mountain in the village. The range is huge and you don’t have to be a skier or snowboarder to get involved.

What Is Included

It depends on the venue and the duration of your gig. Depending on your role and the number of days, you might get a full set of clothes to wear (and keep, in most instances) — I have several sets of volunteer ski suits, helmets, beanies, gloves, goggles, t-shirts, skivvies, balaclavas, backpacks, drink bottles, and so on.

A ski pass is usually included for the duration of your commitment. Accommodation can be supplied by some venues, though it’s not universal — don’t assume it’s included unless it’s spelled out. Food and drink on shift days is typically covered too; Beaver Creek, for example, runs a volunteer breakfast each shift morning. Beaver Creek has detailed information about its perks: if you complete a minimum of four shifts, you’re eligible for what they call a Volunteer Benefit Package, officially valued at $450, with extra appreciation gifts kicking in at 6, 9, 12, and 15 shifts for anyone who wants to keep going. Other venues don’t publish a number, but the principle is the same everywhere — the more you give, the more you get back. But no perk or kit can put a price on the experience itself. I promise you, you will never look at ski racing the same way after volunteering. So what are you waiting for?