Deep in the Arctic Circle, where the Northern Lights flicker like stadium floodlights, the finishing touches are being applied to Santa’s sleigh. One more reindeer is all that remains, and the world’s fastest slalom skier is on the hunt.
“Santa’s sleigh is almost complete,” the Levi Black course announcer teased over the PA during Thursday’s final training session. “Tune in Saturday as Mikaela Shiffrin chases Reindeer number 9.”
The reindeer in-question? A nod to Shiffrin’s eight previous Levi slalom victories since 2013, each commemorated with a live reindeer gifted by local organizers—a quirky tradition that has turned the American into an honorary Laplander. Should she win Saturday’s season-opening slalom (November 15), the 30-year-old will claim her ninth reindeer and tie Ingemar Stenmark’s record for most World Cup wins on a single hill.
Race day begins under floodlights at 10:00 a.m. local time (3:00 a.m. ET), with the second run at 1:00 p.m. (6:00 a.m. ET). A second slalom follows Sunday on the same steep, icy pitch that Shiffrin has mastered like no other. “I love the rhythm here,” Shiffrin said after posting the fastest training split in Thursday’s final forerunner run. “The snow’s perfect, the reindeer are watching, and I’m ready to ski angry—controlled angry.”
Her rivals are circling. Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener, runner-up in Levi last year, clocked the second-quickest training sector. Germany’s Lena Duerr and Austria’s Katharina Liensberger lurk within half a second. Petra Vlhova, Shiffrin’s longtime foil, remains a question mark after skipping preseason speed tests to focus on technical form.
Weather forecasts promise classic Levi conditions: -8°C (18°F), firm corduroy, and a faint chance of snow flurries—ideal for the rutted, fall-away pitch that punishes late weight shifts. Organizers confirmed the reindeer pen is stocked and ready; the chosen animal, a sleek 18-month-old named “Velocity,” awaits its potential new owner.
Live coverage airs on Peacock and skiandsnowboard.live, with NBC Sports highlights Saturday evening. For Shiffrin, the stakes extend beyond fauna: a strong Levi doubleheader would launch her bid for a ninth slalom Crystal Globe and a sixth overall title. But ask her about pressure, and she’ll point to the pen.
“Reindeer number 9 would look great next to the other eight,” she smiled. “Let’s go earn it.”
Santa’s sleigh—and the ski world—will be watching.
