Peter Lange
There is no doubt that for a sports fan the World Pro Ski Tour is both exciting and engaging. Since its return in 2017, the WPST has rapidly evolved. One of the most significant evolutions has been the growth in prize money. Notably, during the 2021/22 season, 56 competitors, 39 men and 17 women, split $423,050.
Jon Franklin, CEO of the WPST, says it best: “The goal of the revitalized World Pro Ski Tour is to provide significant income-producing opportunities for alpine ski racers, men and women, through the promotion of a dynamic professional sports league.” He continues, ” WPST is truly “open” to anyone who wants to race. No memberships required, no minimum world rank needed and no FIS politics. Pay an entry, race the qualifier, and if you are fast you get paid.”
Head-to-head racing is easy to understand and, unlike FIS racing, easy to see who is winning. Each battle is uniquely between two racers, and the winner goes on to face a new competitor in the next round. Eventually, only two remain. Consequently, the final dual determines the event champion and who receives the lion’s share of the prize money.
SRM provides the data on the top five female and male prize money winners. The chart below gives you an idea of the financial rewards available to the incredible women and men of the World Pro Ski Tour.
The data table also includes the athletes’ 2021/22 prize money earned while competing in the FIS World Cup.
Undoubtedly the data reveals that the World Pro Ski Tour is financially attractive. U.S. Ski Team elite FIS World Cup racer and Olympian Paula Moltzan won more than double her season’s FIS prize money in a single Taos New Mexico weekend.
Top 5 prize money winners women and men
