2nd Beaver Creek downhill canceled

With wind gusts up to 40 mph, officials have canceled the second of two Birds of Prey downhills in Beaver Creek. Earlier in the morning, officials moved the start down to the weather start above the Brink.

According to Open Snow, the wind is not expected to die down this afternoon. If fact, it may increase as the day progresses.

“We were thrilled to welcome the world back to Beaver Creek for the Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup in 2021,” said Mike Imhof, President of the Vail Valley Foundation, which serves as Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the event. “We have had an incredible three days of racing and we were hopeful to wrap up Birds of Prey with a second Downhill today. However, due to severe high winds, and for the safety of our athletes, course workers, and volunteers, we needed to cancel the race today. Our sincere thanks to our amazing Vail Valley Foundation staff, event volunteers, Talon Crew volunteers, and our partners FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek, and Ski & Snowboard Club Vail.” 

This marked the first race canceled at Birds of Prey due to high wind since the downhill in 2010. The races last season were called off because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Birds of Prey also was scrubbed because of unseasonably warm weather in 2016 and ’01. In 2008, the super-combined was canceled because of a snowstorm.

Beaver Creek still got three races in, picking up a canceled downhill from Lake Louise, Alberta. Marco Odermatt of Switzerland won a super-G on Thursday. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway captured the super-G on Friday and a downhill race Saturday.

The men’s World Cup circuit heads to Val d’Isere, France, for a giant slalom and slalom next weekend.