After an eight-year absence from racing in her home state, Mikaela Shiffrin will headline the Stifel Copper Cup this Thanksgiving weekend when FIS Alpine Ski World Cup action returns to Copper Mountain for the first time in nearly 25 years.
The four-day event, running Thursday through Sunday, serves as the only U.S. stop on the women’s World Cup calendar this season and a crucial early test ahead of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics.
Shiffrin, a Vail Valley resident, last competed on Colorado snow in 2017. Fresh off back-to-back slalom victories in Levi (Finland) and Gurgl (Austria) — extending her streak to 10 wins in her last 12 slalom starts — the two-time Olympic champion will contest Saturday’s giant slalom and Sunday’s slalom.
“I’m really excited to finally race at home again,” Shiffrin told reporters after her Gurgl win. “It’s been way too long.”
Her strongest American challengers include Paula Moltzan, who kicked off the season with a career-best second place in the Sölden giant slalom and earned World Championship bronze last February, along with Nina O’Brien and rising speed star Lauren Macuga.
The men open the weekend Thursday with super-G followed by giant slalom on Friday, while Shiffrin’s fiancé, Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, could make his long-awaited return from a serious crash in January 2024.
Copper Mountain has ramped up transportation options for the expected crowds: free parking at the Alpine lot, expanded Summit Stage bus service, and additional Snowstang routes from Denver. Grandstand tickets are sold out, but spectators can watch for free near the finish area and enjoy a festival village with live music.
Schedule (all times MT):
Thursday, Nov. 27: Men’s Super-G
Friday, Nov. 28: Men’s Giant Slalom
Saturday, Nov. 29: Women’s Giant Slalom
Sunday, Nov. 30: Women’s Slalom
Live coverage will air on NBC Sports and stream on Peacock.
With perfect early-season conditions and a fired-up American team, Copper Mountain is primed for a memorable holiday weekend of World Cup racing — and Shiffrin, skiing better than ever, is ready to put on a show for the home crowd.
