The traditional November exodus is underway. After an intense opening weekend in Sölden and the speed events in Zermatt/Cervinia (men) and Levi (women), the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circus has packed its bags and is heading west. For the next two weeks, North America will be the epicenter of alpine skiing as the tour stops first in Canada and then the United States.
The women’s tour opens the North American leg this coming weekend (November 29–December 1) with the classic speed double-header in Lake Louise: downhill on Saturday and super-G on Sunday. Known as the “Lake Louise Winterstart,” the Canadian Rocky Mountain venue traditionally delivers high-speed racing and breathtaking scenery. Immediately after, the women move south to Killington, Vermont, for technical races (giant slalom and slalom) the following weekend.
The men follow one week behind. After their downhill and super-G races were unfortunately cancelled in Zermatt/Cervinia due to weather, Marco Odermatt, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Cyprien Sarrazin and the rest of the speed specialists are especially hungry. They will open their North American campaign in Beaver Creek, Colorado (December 6–8) with downhill, super-G and giant slalom on the legendary Birds of Prey course before heading to Palisades Tahoe, California, for more GS and slalom.
European fans are already counting the days until late-night (or early-morning) broadcasts, while North American resorts are rolling out the red carpet. Lake Louise has received significant early-season snowfall, and organizers report excellent conditions on the “Men’s Downhill” and “Fallaway” courses made famous by legends like Hermann Maier, Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller.
For many athletes, the transatlantic trip marks the true start of the season. “The jet lag is tough, but racing in Lake Louise and Beaver Creek is always special,” said Swiss star Marco Odermatt ahead of departure. “The snow, the atmosphere, the crowds – everything feels different here.”
With overall World Cup leader Mikaela Shiffrin aiming to extend her advantage in the technical disciplines and Odermatt looking to dominate the speed events after the Zermatt disappointment, the next fourteen days promise fireworks on snow.
Buckle up – the North American World Cup swing is about to begin.
