North American Races and New Challenges

GEPA pictures

This 2024/25 FIS Alpine World Cup calendar draft excites fans with thrilling races and intriguing changes and introduces new events in North America. The details of this proposed calendar promise a captivating blend of familiar venues and new challenges for the world’s top alpine skiers. Note the final approved calendar will likely have changes.

Note that elite athletes provided input during a meeting at the Saalbach World Cup finals, shaping the creation of the 2024/25 Alpine World Cup draft calendar.

Women’s North American races

Starting with the women’s calendar, the spotlight shines on eight North American races, kicking off with the Women’s Giant Slalom (GS) and Slalom (SL) in Killington, Vermont, on November 30th and December 1st. Following this, Tremblant, Quebec, Canada, offers two GS races on December 7th and 8th

The women will then showcase their speed skills in downhill and super-G races in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on December 14th and 15th. This will mark the women’s first return to the North American resort since the 2015 World Championships and their first-ever races entirely on the Birds of Prey race venue. However, the women’s 2024/25 North American excitement peaks with the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, from March 21st to 27th, promising an electrifying end to the season.

Women’s Calendar

The women’s 2024/25 program offers a dynamic mix of challenges, with a slight reduction in calendared starts compared to the previous season. Last year, the women’s calendar had 45 scheduled races. However, the 2024/25 season’s calendar, including the prestigious FIS Alpine World Ski Championships (WSC), presents a total of 37 World Cups and six WSC races, bringing the total to 43 races.

During the upcoming 2024/25 FIS Alpine World Cup season and the World Championships, women will showcase their skills in nine Downhills, ten super-Gs, 11 GSs, and 11 SLs. During the Saalbach World Championships, they can also race the new Team Combined and the now familiar Mixed Team Parallel.

Interesting features of the women’s calendar

The proposed Women’s 2024/25 Calendar also brings other notable changes, starting with only one Slalom event in Levi followed by their first-ever World Cup slalom in Gurgl, Austria

Following the Saalbach World Championships, the women’s schedule pivots to exciting races in Sestriere, Italy, featuring Giant Slalom and Slalom racing. However, it’s noteworthy that no competitions are scheduled in Jasna, Slovakia, Zagreb, Croatia, or Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic.

The calendar also features two speed discipline races scheduled for March 15th and 16th, the weekend before the Sun Valley finals, with no assigned host.

Men’s Calendar

The men’s side saw a packed schedule in the 2023/24 season, with 45 scheduled races, including 13 Downhills, eight super-Gs, 11 GSs, and 13 slaloms. Looking ahead to the proposed 2024/25 calendar, there will be a slight reduction in races, with 38 World Cup starts and an additional six at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships (WSC), totaling 44 races. The draft men’s calendar for the upcoming season includes ten Downhills, nine super-Gs, ten GSs, and 13 slaloms, promising a diverse and competitive series of events for athletes and fans alike.

US races

On the men’s side, the action heats up with North American races starting in Beaver Creek, Colorado. These races feature the traditional downhill, super-G, and GS’s exciting return to the program from December 6th to 8th. It will be the first World Cup GS race on the Birds of Prey since Stifel US Ski Teams Tommy Ford won on December 8th of 2019, the last US men’s World Cup GS victory.

While some venues like Palisades Tahoe and Aspen Colorado miss out on late-season World Cup races, the calendar’s structure aims to maximize each race’s value and competitiveness. A representative of Alterra Mountain Company, which owns Palisades Tahoe, informed Ski Racing Media, “We very much hope to have the World Cup back soon. The athletes and FIS told us it was a true highlight weekend of the season. We appreciate the opportunity to showcase Palisades Tahoe to the world.”

Men’s Additions

Transitioning into the men’s calendar, the slalom season will again kick off in Levi, Finland, on November 17th, aligning with the Scandinavian training routines of 90% of the World Cup slalom teams. Moreover, speed event races are scheduled in Crans Montana post the Saalbach World Championships, setting the stage for the upcoming 2027 Crans Montana World Championships.

Although it initially seemed logical for Palisades Tahoe to host the final regular season races before the nearby 2025 World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, the schedule takes a twist. The final regular season tech series will instead unfold in Hafjell, Norway, following the Kvitfjell speed series. This change requires the GS and SL teams to make an additional trip to Scandinavia before the finals. However, the silver lining is that the Olympic Hafjell venue promises an excellent location for these races, injecting excitement and new challenges into the season’s closing stages.

Like the women, the men’s World Cup season culminates with the late March World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, showcasing the best alpine skiers of the season racing all four events on American soil.

Building the calendar

Despite facing numerous logistical challenges, the primary goal remains delivering an engaging and thrilling season for both athletes and fans.

The proposed 2024/25 FIS Alpine World Cup calendar presents an enticing blend of competitive races and iconic venues, with several North American events taking the spotlight throughout the journey. The changes implemented aim to elevate the overall experience, ensuring a showcase of incomparable talent, determination, and adrenaline-fueled action throughout the season.

Ski racing fans now await to see if officials change this calendar draft; let the fun begin.

Click on calendar drafts to enlarge

Women’s 2024/25 Calendar draft (Entwurf)

Men’s 2024/25 Calendar draft (Entwurf)