50 Days Until the World Cup Season Opener Kicks Off the 2026-27 Season in Sölden, Austria

In exactly 50 days, the world’s best alpine ski racers will once again stand in the start gate atop the Rettenbach Glacier in Sölden, Austria, ushering in another FIS Alpine World Cup season. On Saturday, October 24, the women will contest the opening giant slalom, followed by the men’s giant slalom on Sunday, October 25, marking the traditional start of the 2026-27 World Cup circuit.

• Related: Marco Odermatt Carries His Dominance into the 2025-26 World Cup Season with a Win at Sölden, Austria

For ski racing fans, there is perhaps no more recognizable image than the steep, glacier-backed race hill overlooking the Ötztal Valley. Every October, while much of the Northern Hemisphere is still waiting for winter to arrive, Sölden delivers the sport’s first meaningful benchmark, and the first answers to months of off-season speculation. Who is in top form, are the gear changes paying off, how well have injuries been rehabilitated, and how has the summer training paid off?

Sölden has become synonymous with the beginning of the World Cup season. The Austrian resort first hosted a World Cup race in 1993 and has served as the annual opening venue since 2000, becoming one of the most iconic weekends on the alpine calendar. What was once viewed as a gamble — a World Cup race on a glacier — has evolved into one of the sport’s most important races which signals the start of the race season.

• Related: Impressive Performance by Team USA as Paula Moltzan Places 2nd in Sölden, Austria

The venue itself is spectacular with a large stretch of the course visible from the finish area. Racing takes place on the Rettenbach Glacier, where the giant slalom course pitches over sections reaching gradients of nearly 68% before dropping toward the finish arena at approximately 2,670 meters (8,760 feet). The glacier ski area spans the Rettenbach and neighboring Tiefenbach glaciers, offering 34 kilometers (21 miles) of pistes served by nine lifts. More than 140 athletes from around the world are expected to compete this October, with crowds typically exceeding 30,000 spectators across race weekend.

No World Cup race generates more intrigue than Sölden. After six months without competition, nobody truly knows where they stand. Summer testing is private, national teams reveal little, and equipment changes remain largely behind closed doors. Sölden is the first glimpse into what the upcoming season might bring. Last October, Austria’s Julia Scheib claimed her first career World Cup victory in Sölden before going on to win the giant slalom Crystal Globe. Second place went to Team USA’s Paula Moltzan, who went on to deliver the strongest FIS season of her career. Marco Odermatt won the men’s race before capturing yet another overall and giant slalom Crystal Globe.

This October’s opener already comes with plenty of intriguing storylines heading into the new season. Will Federica Brignone be ready to compete after undergoing yet another surgery on August 25 to remove the plate and screws implanted in her left knee following last year’s fracture? The Italian, who returned from that injury in spectacular fashion to win two Olympic gold medals at Milano-Cortina, has said her leg still causes her pain on skis and that this could be her final season depending on how her recovery goes. She’s already scrapped a planned training camp in South America to focus on recovery in Europe, with a return to snow now expected sometime between late September and mid-October — putting her Sölden status squarely in question just weeks out.

• Related: Paula Moltzan Swaps from Rossignol to Van Deer

Paula Moltzan, meanwhile, enters the season on new equipment, having left Rossignol after 18 years to become the first female athlete on Marcel Hirscher’s Van Deer-Red Bull Sports race program. The move follows the best season of Moltzan’s career, which included four World Cup runner-up finishes and an Olympic bronze medal in the team combined at Cortina. Her husband, Ryan Mooney, continues on as her ski technician through the transition.

Teammate Mikaela Shiffrin comes fresh off tying the all-time women’s record with her sixth overall Crystal Globe and winning slalom gold at the Olympics. Shiffrin has signaled where she wants to grow this season. Speaking to Ski Racing after the Games, Shiffrin said she believes she’s “reached my ceiling” in slalom speed and is instead turning her focus toward improving in giant slalom and super-G — disciplines she says “started to click” by the end of last season.

Another skier to watch on new gear this season is Alice Robinson who moved to HEAD. Robinson famously won her first race in Sölden at the tender age of 17 back in 2019 and came second in 2024. Another big switch and skier to watch is Lara Colturi, who is one of the biggest rising stars of the World Cup circuit. The 19-year-old Italian-Albanian ski racer has claimed seven podiums in her young career so far, and it will be exciting to see what the switch to HEAD will bring.

• Related: Ski Racer Lara Colturi Joins HEAD Worldcup Rebels

Sölden Favorite Lara Gut-Behrami, on the other hand, made her retirement official on August 6, bringing an end to a nearly two-decade career that included 48 World Cup wins, 101 podiums, two overall Crystal Globes, and an Olympic gold medal. Her exit removes one of the most versatile racers of her generation from the start list for good and also Sölden‘s most winningest athlete, along with Tina Maze, who both have won a record three times at this venue. 

Looking to make a comeback on the other hand is Petra Vlhová, who has been largely absent from the World Cup since tearing her ACL and MCL at her home race in Jasná in January 2024. Vlhová made an emotional but limited appearance at the Milano-Cortina Olympics in February, racing the team combined and attempting the slalom, before opting to skip the rest of the season to keep rebuilding. In May, she brought on new head coach Mario Rafetzeder specifically to lead a push back to full World Cup form, making this the season to watch for a genuine comeback from one of Shiffrin’s fiercest career rivals.

On the men’s side, Marco Odermatt has won three times on the Rettenbach Glacier and shows no signs of slowing down. Henrik Kristoffersen, meanwhile, enters the season on new equipment. The Norwegian split from Van Deer-Red Bull Sports in March after four seasons with the brand, citing equipment frustrations through a 2025-26 campaign that still saw him finish fifth overall with an Olympic slalom bronze. He’s since signed with HEAD, joining a Norwegian contingent already skiing the brand. First and foremost Atle Lie McGrath, who has been on the podium in Sölden in 2024 and 2025. 

Another exciting Norwegian athlete to watch is Lucas Braathen, who now skis for Brazil. The Atomic athlete claimed two giant slalom victories last season and finished the season as the discipline title winner. He also won the Olympic gold medal in giant slalom and is definitely a podium favorite for Sölden. He won the season opener in 2020 at age 19, claiming his first career victory on the Rettenbach Glacier.

So with just 50 days to go, the excitement for 2026-27 is starting to build. Which young racers are ready to become the sport’s next stars? And which veterans still have another season left in them? The answers begin in 50 days.