Winter weather hindering, helping ski racing, training in Austria and Colorado

Winter-ish weather has been a factor in the early stages of ski-racing action this late-October weekend, with the opening World Cup women’s giant slalom cancelled by a rain-snow mix on Saturday in Soelden, Austria, and snow also rolling into the Colorado Rockies.

While Edwards superstar Mikaela Shiffrin wasn’t able to defend last year’s GS win at Soelden, the men were able to race on Sunday, and local standout River Radamus finished in the points in 26th.

Here’s a short press release from U.S. Ski and Snowboard:

Tommy Ford had an incredible first race of the season in Soelden, Austria with a sixth-place finish in the stacked men’s alpine field. First run, Ford finished in 26th place but on his second run he clocked the fastest time in the field and is ending the weekend in Soelden with an overall top 10.

Teammate River Radamus finished with a 26th overall finish. Ryan Cochran-Siegle was 31st in his first run and just missed the flip for run two. Isaiah Nelson skied to 45th place in the first run at his first World Cup.

After variable weather conditions Friday and Saturday, the skies cleared making way for a sunny beautiful day in Soelden for the men’s first World Cup of the season. The track stayed fairly solid as more racers made their way down.

The previous season’s Soelden champion, Swiss skier Marco Odermatt, secured the fastest overall time with a combined time of 2:04.72.  Second-place finisher Zan Kranjec of Slovakia skied to 2:05.48 and Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen took third with a combined time of 2:05.69.

After the cancellation of Zermatt-Cervinia, the next men’s World Cup stop is the parallel slalom in Lech/Zürs, Austria, November 12–13. For full results of Sunday’s race, go to Men’s giant slalom.

Colorado early training boost

With Arapahoe Basin opening to the public on Sunday as new snow moved into the state, all eyes are on other resorts offering early-season race training and gearing up to open to the public (Vail and Breckenridge open for public skiing Friday, Nov. 11).

Here’s a press release issued Saturday by Copper Mountain on opening up for race training:

Copper Mountain’s preparations for winter are well underway, and the resort is excited to report the first athletes of the season have taken to the hill. Alpine ski racers made their first carves at the Athlete’s Mountain as of this morning, marking the unofficial start to Copper’s 50th Anniversary season. With skiing now underway, the resort is three weeks away from welcoming the general public to the mountain for a season filled with endless action and memorable moments.  

EARLY SEASON RACE TRAINING 

Copper began snowmaking operations on October 4. Crews have been hard at work prepping the upper mountain for fall race training. Each fall, Copper hosts athletes from around the globe including local, regional and national talent, to train on specially prepared race venues. The resort officially welcomed teams to train on the Copperopolis trail earlier today. Over the next few weeks, the U.S. Alpine Ski team will arrive at Copper Mountain to utilize the resort’s U.S. Ski Team Speed Center and Alpine Technical Center to fine-tune their speed and tailor their technical skills in preparation for the 2022-23 Alpine World Cup season. The Speed Center offers athletes the only full-length downhill training venue in the world this time of year. Be sure to check out photos/b-roll from this morning’s race session. 

Copper is an Official Training Center for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. The resort maintains a longstanding history of supporting alpine athletes in training and competition. Copper hosted the 1976 World Cup just four years after the resort’s inaugural season, along with multiple U.S. National Championships throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Copper has supported early season training for U.S. Alpine athletes for over a decade and has recently expanded its partnership with the U.S. team to also support snowboard and freestyle skiing athletes ahead of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

OPENING DAY NOVEMBER 14 

Skiers and riders can earn early season turns at Copper, starting Monday, Nov. 14. Those that choose to ring in the 50th season at Copper on opening day will be treated to swag giveaways, a first chair celebration and a live DJ set. Opening day terrain will be announced closer to Nov. 14. Excitement will carry through to the weekend with live music at Copper’s annual Snowsation festival, happening on Nov. 19 and 20.  

Festivities to kick off the milestone season start well before the lift turns. Grab any last-minute gear at the Team Summit Ski & Snowboard Swap at the Copper Conference Center on Nov. 11-13. Proceeds from the Ski Swap will benefit local Team Summit athletes. On Nov. 13, Copper will kick the season hype into high gear with a showing of Matchstick Productions’ latest film Anywhere From Here, which features local 12-year-old athlete Walker Woodring and includes shots filmed at Copper’s Woodward Mountain Park. The film will be shown at Ten Mile Tavern in Center Village and will include giveaways like new skis and goggles. Filmgoers can also participate in Ten Mile’s annual Mug Club and receive deals on drafts throughout the season.  

Visit CopperColorado.com to learn more about the resort’s season kickoff events. 

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COPPER 

In 50 years of skiing and riding at Copper Mountain, the resort has grown from offering five chairlifts servicing 22 runs, to today’s layout of 155 trails, over 2,500 skiable acres, four mountain bowls and the inclusion of the Woodward Mountain Park. Copper’s storied history is being celebrated in a number of ways this season, from commemorative swag items to a 50th Anniversary Party. The 50th Anniversary Party will take place on Dec. 3, to coincide with the resort’s original opening on Dec. 5, 1972. Guests are invited to the mountain to show their 50th spirit and enjoy live music in Center Village. More information about 50th anniversary celebrations will be shared throughout the season.  

Learn more about Copper Mountain’s 2022-23 winter season at CopperColorado.com.