Alpine women to race famed Birds of Prey downhill, World Cup Finals come to Sun Valley in 2025

For the first time this season, women alpine skiers of the World Cup will get to race at Beaver Creek's Birds of Prey track. Photo: Steven Konrreich

PARK CITY, Utah– Alpine ski racing fans are in for a treat this December as Beaver Creek’s famed Birds of Prey downhill has been added to the women’s calendar this season. It marks the he first ever back-to-back men’s and women’s FIS Alpine World Cup speed races on the historic track at Beaver Creek and the FIS Alpine World Cup Finals will take place at Sun Valley Resort.

In addition to the men’s Birds of Prey that has been hosted by Beaver Creek since 1997, the women will race there in December the weekend after the men. The races follow World Cup races in Killington VT for the women mark the first time many of the U.S. Ski Team women will race a World Cup on home snow, including Lauren Macuga, of Park City and Bella Wright, who grew up ski racing at Snowbird. The winningest alpine skier of all time, Mikaela Shiffrin, will also be competing at Beaver Creek as she chases her 100th World Cup win just a few miles from her home in the Vail Valley.

“I love racing in the States—racing at Killington has been so important for our sport, and now the women get to have several stops in North America,” said Olympic champion and 97-time World Cup winner Mikaela Shiffrin. “It’s an iconic World Cup speed track. It’s so great we’ll be closing the season at Sun Valley  too.”

The men will race at Beaver Creek the weekend prior, kicking off their speed season with super-G, downhill and giant slalom races. The giant slalom race is back in Beaver Creek for the first time since U.S. Ski Team athlete Tommy Ford found his first World Cup victory on the track in 2019. The races will highlight local favorite River Radamus, top downhill skier Bryce Bennett and Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle.

“The opportunity for women to race speed on the historic Birds of Prey course in Beaver Creek is thrilling!” said Olympic gold medalist and most successful U.S. downhiller in history Lindsey Vonn. “I love that the women will be racing on the same track as the men, and I can’t wait to cheer them on in a place that is very special to me.”

The alpine World Cup Finals are also returning to the U.S. for the first time since 2017 with Idaho’s Sun Valley Resort hosting the event. The event invites the top 25 athletes from each alpine discipline, likely including Swiss phenoms Marco Odermatt and Lara Gut-Behrami, Italian force Sofia Goggia, Brazil’s Lucas Braathen, and many U.S. Ski Team athletes.

“Bringing the World Cup Finals back to the U.S. and to a storied resort like Sun Valley is exciting for the U.S. fan base,” said six-time Olympic medalist Bode Miller. “As someone who grew up with World Cup races nearby, having the U.S. continue to host events like this and raise the level of competition regularly is crucial for inspiring the next generation of skiers. I can’t wait to watch.”

The 2024-25 U.S. FIS World Cup circuit will again begin on the east coast in Vermont with the alpine women racing giant slalom and slalom at the Killington Cup. 40,000-plus fans are expected to cheer on the U.S. Ski Team women.

2024-25 U.S. ALPINE WORLD CUP SCHEDULE

Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2024: Stifel Killington Cup, Killington, Vermont; women’s slalom/giant slalom
Dec. 6-8, 2024: Stifel Birds of Prey presented by United Airlines, Beaver Creek, Colorado; men’s super-G/downhill/giant slalom
Dec. 14-15, 2024: Stifel Birds of Prey presented by United Airlines, Beaver Creek, Colorado; women’s super-G/downhill
March 22-27, 2025: Stifel Sun Valley Finals, Sun Valley, Idaho; men’s and women’s downhill/super-G/giant slalom/slalom

 

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