As flurries dance across the high-altitude slopes of Colorado’s Copper Mountain Resort, the air buzzes with anticipation for the women’s giant slalom, a marquee event in the 2025-26 Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. It’s a day of firsts: the women’s tour returns to this storied venue after a 24-year absence, marking the only U.S.-hosted women’s races this season and setting the stage for Olympic momentum ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games.
The excitement peaked early Saturday when reigning queen Mikaela Shiffrin, the two-time Olympic champion and Colorado native, channeled the electric vibe in a pre-race social media post that has fans fired up. “All set for another exciting race today in Copper Mountain!❄️ The women are ready to send it! 💪✨” Shiffrin wrote, her words a rallying cry for the global field of elite skiers poised to attack the challenging course. Accompanied by crisp photos from FIS photographers ActionPress and Matan Coll, the message underscores Shiffrin’s role not just as a competitor but as a hometown ambassador, drawing roaring support from a packed crowd of American fans.
This Stifel Copper Cup, presented by United Airlines, transforms the “Athlete’s Mountain” into a World Cup epicenter over the Thanksgiving weekend. Following Friday’s men’s giant slalom – where Austria’s Stefan Brennsteiner stunned the field with his first career victory in 2:30.98, edging Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen by 0.95 seconds – the women’s event promises equal drama. The course, carved from Copper’s notorious high-elevation terrain, demands precision turns and fearless speed, with variable snow conditions adding an unpredictable edge.
Shiffrin, who kicked off her season with a fourth-place finish in Sölden’s giant slalom opener last month, enters as the clear favorite. Her recent back-to-back slalom triumphs have her atop the overall standings, and racing in her home state for the first time in eight years feels poetic. “It’s special to be back here, where it all started for so many of us,” Shiffrin said in a pre-event interview. Yet, she’s not alone in the spotlight: Italy’s Sofia Goggia, the 2022 Beijing downhill gold medalist, eyes a tech-discipline breakthrough, while Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami – a perennial podium threat – brings her all-mountain prowess. American teammates like Paula Moltzan and Hailey Swain round out a strong U.S. contingent, hungry to capitalize on home-soil energy.
A last-minute hiccup added intrigue: course preparation work delayed the start by 30 minutes, shifting the first run to 10:30 a.m. local time (18:30 CET) and the second to 1:30 p.m. (21:30 CET). As gates are inspected and bibs adjusted, the field – including five Italian contenders like Goggia and Federica Brignone – readies for battle. Andorran skier Carla Mijares, meanwhile, gears up for tomorrow’s slalom, extending the weekend’s intensity.
The event’s historic weight can’t be overstated. Copper Mountain steps up after Killington’s lift construction forced a venue swap, hosting both men’s and women’s races for the first time as an original calendar stop. U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt hailed it as a “strategic vision to expand elite opportunities in the States,” with the resort’s legacy as the U.S. team’s official training center amplifying the stakes.
Fans worldwide can tune in via FIS TV, the FIS app, or broadcasters like Eurosport in Europe, with free livestreams available in select markets. Stateside, expect wall-to-wall coverage on NBC platforms, capturing every carve and cheer.
As the first skier clips in, Shiffrin’s words echo: the women are ready to send it. In a sport defined by gravity-defying grit, today’s giant slalom could etch new legends into Copper’s snow-dusted lore. Stay tuned – the mountain awaits.
