sun valley

Sun Valley, ID, Report: Long Runs, Longer History, and Sweeping Vistas

In 1936, the Union Pacific Railroad changed the sport of skiing forever, when, in Sun Valley, Idaho, it fired up the world’s first chairlift. In the 90 years since then, Sun Valley has remained a lauded and legendary place to ski, playing host to celebrities and celebrated skiers alike, including Gretchen Fraser, the first American to win an Olympic Medal […]
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Zach Armstrong |
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Sun Valley is Back: Idaho Resort Awarded 2027 FIS Alpine World Cup Finals After Successful 2025 Event

Sun Valley is officially back on the World Cup map. The iconic Idaho resort has been selected to host the 2026-27 season FIS Alpine World Cup Finals, with racing scheduled for March 20–25, 2027, marking another major vote of confidence in North American alpine ski racing after the resort’s widely praised hosting of the 2024-25 Finals. Related: Sun Valley, ID, Officially […]
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Julia Schneemann |
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Sun Valley, ID, Set to Open This Wednesday, December 3

Celebrating 90 seasons this year, Sun Valley Resort, Idaho, is excited to announce that the mountain will officially open for skiing and riding on Wednesday, December 3, with top-to-bottom skiing and access available via Lookout Express and River Run Express chairlifts. Thanks to the return of colder temperatures to the Wood River Valley and the tireless work of Sun Valley’s […]
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Sun Valley, ID, Celebrates 90th Ski Season with 90 Acres of New Terrain & Major Upgrades Across the Mountain

Sun Valley, Idaho, will ring in its 90th ski season this coming winter—and what better way to celebrate a 90th birthday than with 90 aces of new terrain. Opening on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, Sun Valley Resort will kick off the 2025-26 season with fresh lines, modern tech upgrades, and new features for skiers and riders of all levels. Since […]
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Julia Schneemann |
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Perisher, Australia, Conditions Report: Spring Skiing Goodness in the Middle of Aussie Winter

Report from August 4 & 5, 2025 Following the recent snowfall across Australian resorts, not even wild horses could’ve kept me from heading back to the snow. While the massive storm forecasted for last week arrived wetter and heavier than expected, it brought enough accumulation to fully interconnect all four of Perisher’s resort areas. Since Sunday, August 3, all lifts […]
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Julia Schneemann |
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U.S. Ski Racer Ben Ritchie Caps Breakout Season With Career-Best Finish as Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen Claims Slalom Title

The final race of the 2024-25 Alpine Ski World Cup season brought high drama to the slopes of Sun Valley, Idaho, where Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen secured his fourth career slalom Crystal Globe. While victory on Friday, March 28, went to Norway’s Timon Haugan, for American ski fans, the day was equally about Ben Ritchie, who delivered a career-best performance in […]
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Julia Schneemann |
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Mikaela Shiffrin Closes Challenging Season With Dominant Slalom Win in Sun Valley, ID

U.S. ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin wrapped up the 2024-25 World Cup season with a resounding victory in the Slalom race at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, on Thursday, March 27. The 30-year-old athlete had a difficult season after crashing early in the World Cup season in Killington, Vermont, in November 2024. The recovery from the crash was […]
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Julia Schneemann |
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Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt Secures 4th Consecutive Giant Slalom Season Title as Teammate Loic Meillard Wins Final Giant Slalom Race in Sun Valley, ID

The final Giant Slalom of the 2024-25 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season took place today, March 26, in Sun Valley, Idaho, with Switzerland’s Loic Meillard taking a commanding victory ahead of his teammate Marco Odermatt and Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen in third. On a technically demanding course that saw many struggle, Meillard delivered a masterclass, securing his third Giant Slalom […]
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Julia Schneemann |
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Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami Claims Victory in Giant Slalom at Sun Valley, ID, World Cup Finals, While Federica Brignone Pips Alice Robinson for Crystal Globe

In a thrilling Giant Slalom final at Sun Valley, Idaho, Lara Gut-Behrami walked away today, March 25, with a convincing victory after leading the field in Run 1 by 0.45 seconds. While Italy’s Federica Brignone managed to narrow the gap with the fastest Run 2 of the day to just 0.14 seconds, victory remained firmly in the Swiss ski racer’s […]
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Julia Schneemann |
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Exciting Super-G World Cup Final in Sun Valley, ID, Sees Lara Gut-Behrami Snatch the Victory & Season Title, While Lindsey Vonn Claims First Comeback Podium

After the cancellation of the Downhill yesterday, today’s Super-G event more than made up in terms of excitement and action. The Super-G World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, on Sunday, March 23, saw Lara Gut-Behrami claim the victory—and Super-G season title—while Team USA’s Lindsey Vonn claimed her first podium in 2,565 days. Rounding out the podium was Italy’s Federica […]
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Julia Schneemann |
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FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, ID, Set to Begin Next Week After Positive Snow Control

The world’s top alpine ski racers will converge in Sun Valley, Idaho, this month for the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals, marking the exciting conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Following the official positive snow control announcement on March 9, FIS has confirmed that the event will proceed as scheduled from March 20 to 27, thanks to excellent snow conditions […]
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SnowBrains Forecast: Winter Is Here—Northern Rockies See Much Cooler Temps and High Elevation Snow All Week

Forecast from October 27, 8 p.m. MDT. Forecast Summary A series of storms descend on the northern Rockies beginning Sunday. Temperatures drop 15-25 degrees after the first storm arrives. Temperatures, which are currently ~10 degrees above normal, will drop to ~10 degrees below normal by Monday evening. Best chance for snow comes Sunday night in ID/Western MT, and Tuesday in […]
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WeatherBrains |
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Sun Valley Resort, ID, Officially Confirmed as Host of FIS Alpine World Cup Finals

Sun Valley Resort, Idaho, has officially been named host of the FIS Alpine World Cup Finals, March 22-27, 2025, including all four disciplines for men and women. FIS granted final ratification to Sun Valley Resort upon completion of the World Cup course and updates to the base area infrastructure. Sun Valley Resort is thrilled to welcome the world’s top athletes […]
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FIS Confirms 2024-25 FIS Alpine World Cup Calendars & Season Wild Card for Hirscher

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Committee Meetings convened in Zurich, Switzerland, from September 25 to 27. As is customary, the final day was dedicated to the Alpine World Cup subcommittee, which focused on strategic discussions and proposals for the upcoming seasons. 2024-25 FIS Ski World Cup Calendars The 2024-25 season promises an exciting lineup, featuring significant highlights such […]
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Julia Schneemann |
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Summer at Sun Valley Resort, ID: 400 Miles of Singletrack Paradise 

Sun Valley Resort, Idaho, is kicking off its summer season with mountain operations starting June 21 on Bald Mountain. Lift-accessed hiking and access to Roundhouse will be open seven days a week, and lift-accessed mountain biking will follow beginning July 1. Known for flowy singletrack complemented with more rowdy, advanced terrain, riders can turn it up for weeks without repeating […]
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History with SnowBrains: How Bananas Led to the First Chairlift in the World

The world’s first chairlift was built in Sun Valley, Idaho in the fall of 1936. The first two lifts were located on Sun Valley’s Dollar and Proctor mountains. The design of this new machine was patterned after conveyor belts which were used to load bananas on cargo ships in Central America. James Curran designed the first plans for the ski lift. He was a bridge engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad Company. Curran’s previous work making conveyor systems that ran at a continuos flow and loaded bananas on ships in Honduras inspired his design for a machine that could carry humans uphill and drop them off on top of a […]
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The Brains |
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Ketchum, ID, Property Owner is Suing Sun Valley Resort, ID, Over New Base Terminal

The location of the new lift relative to Phelp's property. Photo Credit: Google Maps

Lift drama is unfolding at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho. The owner of a property adjacent to the new Flying Squirrel base terminal is asking Sun Valley Resort to remove and rebuild the new base terminal further away from her lodge. Marda Phelps’ property is located at 121 Picabo Street in Ketchum, Idaho, and offers a premier ski-in/ski-out experience. Along with […]
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Luke Guilford |
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