Mikaela Shiffrin continued her hot streak of wins in Spindleruv Mlyn on Saturday with her 85th career Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup victory, leaving her just one shy of 86 wins. Paula Moltzan was fifth.

Shiffrin smoked it down first run, taking the lead by 0.29 seconds ahead of German skier Lena Duerr. The strong skiing continued into second run with Shiffrin laying it down for the second-fastest second run time, taking the win by 0.60 seconds ahead of Lena Duerr in second and 1.31 seconds ahead of Wendy Holdener in third place.

“It has been so nice to come back here and race a slalom here,” said Shiffrin. “My feeling is so good on my skis right now. Even with a mistake on the course, I didn't care. I am going to keep going because I just want to ski like crazy."

Shiffrin is hot on the trail for the magic number of 87 World Cup wins, which will give her the most World Cup wins by any alpine skier ever, surpassing Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark record of 86, which she may tie on Sunday.

“I don’t feel a lot of pressure to get this record because now I am so close and I am trying to take a breather to enjoy the moment,” said Shiffrin.

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan also had a fantastic day in fifth place and the third fastest second run time.

“It was a pretty good second run,” said Moltzan. “I knew the tempo was really high top to bottom so I'm just staying with that tempo right out of the gate and I hope to carry this momentum into tomorrow,” said Moltzan.

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes Zoe Zimmerman, Nina O’Brien, Katie Hensien and Lila Lapanja also raced placing 31st, 34th, 36th and 38th. They did not qualify for a second run.

The women’s tech team will take on another slalom race Sunday before the World Championships in February.

RESULTS
Women's slalom

HOW TO WATCH

Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023
3:15 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Women's slalom, run 1, Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live 
6:15 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Women's slalom, run 2, Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live 
4:15 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Men's super-G, Cortina, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live 

The first of three days of unrivaled X Games competition wraps up in Aspen with strong results in the women's ski big air, men's ski knuckle huck and men's snowboard. 

For the women, history was made in the women's ski big air when Canadian skier Megan Oldham landed the first ever triple 14 mute in competition. With the crowd going wild, Oldham officially cemented her place in history as the first ever woman to land this trick in a contest. On the U.S. side, Grace Henderson was the lone American, but made noise when she successfully landed two tricks that she had never attempted in competition and ended up seventh overall. Henderson, who was left speechless after nailing the landing, said, "I am so stoked to be out here at X Games - this is my first one and I landed two tricks I've never done before and landed them both here under the lights with my parents and friends in the crowd... it's just amazing. I cannot believe I am here."

Next was the much-anticipated men's ski Knuckle Huck, an event judged on originality, difficulty, creativity, style and trajectory. Returning X Games champion and Olympic gold medalist Alex Hall was back in the start gate along with teammates Olympic medalist Colby Stevenson, Alex Hackel and Quinn Wolferman. In classic Knuckle Huck fashion, there was 19 minutes of chaos with all athletes getting in as many runs as possible. With the snow falling heavier by the second, each athlete threw tricks that not only made the crowd go wild but defied gravity in the process. At the end of the contest, Jesper Tjader from Norway won the night and the top U.S. spot went to Colby Stevenson who ended the contest on the podium in third.

To close out a busy day, the snowboard SuperPipe welcomed the best riders in the world to Aspen. Lucas Foster was the only U.S. man in the lineup, but proved to be a top contender when he threw down serious amplitude and technical tricks throughout his four laps through the pipe. With a weather delay due to heavy snow stopping competition for a brief time, the pipe may have been slow but the tricks were not. At the end of the night, Scotty James of Australia took his 5th X Games win. Foster ended the day in eighth.

Catch the action tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 28, LIVE on X Games YouTube and broadcast tape delay on ESPN/ABC. 

Schedule

Jan. 28, 2023

• Men's Ski Slopestyle
• Women's Snowboard SuperPipe
• Women's Ski SuperPipe
• Women's Snowboard Big Air
• Men's Snowboard Big Air

Jan. 29, 2023

• Women's Ski Slopestyle
• Men's Snowboard Slopestyle
• Snowboard Knuckle Huck
• Men's Big Air
• Men's Ski SuperPipe

After five weeks away from the competition circuit, Jaelin Kauf led the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team at the FIS Freestyle Moguls World Cup in Val St. Come, Canada, with her first podium of the season in third place. 

“I’m really stoked with [my result], I've definitely been building this season,” said Kauf. “Felt like I finally put it all the way through and competed really well today. I was just focusing on skiing my run all day, pushing the speed and the turns, and cleaning it up each run as the day went on. That seemed to work. ”

It was the first time mogul skiers competed under the lights in Val St. Come in World Cup competition. The notoriously steep course separated the more technical skiers from the rest of the field with spaced out moguls and a steep transition from the top air. Kauf is known for her skiing and speed and took the challenge in stride, laying down the fastest time for the women of the event in her first finals run at 23.79 seconds. 

Kauf went big back grab to back X in 24.25 seconds for her supers run - the fastest of the women that round - to earn a score of 79.34. She shared the podium with Japan’s Anri Kawamura in first and Australia’s Anthony Jakara in second. 

It was another strong showing for the women of the moguls team with four qualifying for finals: Kauf, Elizabeth Lemley, Olivia Giaccio, and Hannah Soar. Lemley finished 9th, Soar 10th and Giaccio 11th. 

Alli Macuga finished 19th, Lulu Shaffer finished 21st in her World Cup debut, and Tess Johnson finished in 22nd. 

On the men’s side, Nick Page was the sole American to qualify for finals. He had a solid showing all night, throwing his usual big airs, and looked very comfortable in the middle section skiing tight and clean. Page finished in fourth with a score of 80.02, narrowly missing the podium by just 0.54 points. 

Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury earned World Cup victory number 76 in front of his hometown crowd. Sweden’s Walter Walberg finished second and Japan’s Ikuma Horishima finished third.

Cole McDonald finished 19th, Dylan Walczyk finished 33rd, Landon Wendler finished 42nd and Dylan Marcellini finished 43rd in his World Cup debut. Charlie Mickel did not start. 

Competition continues Jan. 28 with dual moguls

“I’m really excited for tomorrow,” commented Kauf. “I’ve been pushing the speed on the women’s side and that’s going to play to my advantage in duals. [Skiing] under the lights is so much fun. It adds another level of excitement.”

RESULTS
Women’s Moguls
Men’s Moguls

Three-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper announced that he is retiring from competitive freeskiing.

“With great excitement and emotion I’d like to announce my retirement from full time competition,” posted Goepper, age 28, on Instagram. “Starting today would have been my 12th @xgames Aspen. Reminiscing over the last 10+ years of spinnin’ to win it has truly been the biggest blessing what this sport has given me. I could never express enough appreciation for the support of my sponsors, family, friends, coaches, and countless other supporters.”

Goepper hails from an unconventional spot for a professional skier—a small ski hill in Indiana called Perfect North Slopes, far from the mountains where many of his compatriots grew up, where he sold candy bars to pay for ski passes.

Goepper’s first World Cup podium came in 2013, and he dominated the field for the greater part of the next decade. He competed in three Olympic Games—Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022—and medaled in all three of them. He won a silver in slopestyle in Sochi, sweeping the podium with teammates Joss Christensen and Gus Kenworthy, a silver in slopestyle in PyeongChang and a bronze in slopestyle in Beijing, standing on the podium with teammate Alex Hall. He also won two medals in the FIS World Championships: a bronze in 2013 in Voss-Myrkdalen, Norway and another bronze in 2019 in Park City.

Since the 2022 Olympics, Goepper has begun commentating at elite freeski and snowboard events, such as the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain in December. He also competed at the World Skate Games 2022 in November, where he scored a top 10 finish in inline skating.

Congratulatory messages poured into Goepper’s announcement—from U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team teammates to competitors from other countries to sponsors, meme accounts and more.

“With great pleasure I can’t wait to watch the next generation take over and put freeskiing on a global stage,” Goepper continued. “What’s next? Who knows. I’ll still be skiing, I’ll still be around.”

Jessie Diggins was back on the podium in the Les Rousses 10k skate individual start, ending the day in third place. Diggins had a strong race, maintaining a top-three time throughout every kilometer marker on the course. Rosie Brennan was within reach of podium and powered through for a fifth-place result among the strong field of women. 

"It was so fun to be back on the podium and honestly so happy for the whole team," said Diggins. "It's been so cool this week and last weekend to see the first World Cup starts for some of our team. Today, I made a promise to myself that I was going to go out there and ski it like it was my first World Cup start and feel all the emotions. I made sure to appreciate all the really good parts of getting to race and the feelings of representing your country."

Julia Kern was just out of top ten in 11th. Hailey Swirbul made her 2023 World Cup debut and finished 23rd, Alayna Sonnesyn 32nd, Sarah Goble 34th and Alex Lawson 35th. This was Goble and Lawson's first World Cup start of their careers.

"It was such a fun day! The whole experience was completely different which made for a lot of excitement," said Goble. "The energy out on the course was wild with all the fans. It was also pretty cool to see how dialed team USA is with everything on race day, and how supportive the women of each other. I feel proud of my first World Cup race. I paced well and kept fighting, so overall I’m happy with how it went."

"It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before! So much excitement and fun vibes from both the team and fans at the venue," Lawson said post-race. "It was definitely different than racing in the US, and took a bit for me to get my bearings. The staff and other athletes were so helpful and supportive though and I’m super excited to be here and keep the momentum rolling."

For the men, Scott Patterson led the way finishing the 10k skate within the top 30, in 24th. Finn O'Connell was next in 50th, Peter Wolter (first World Cup start!) in 56th, Will Koch in 63rd and Zak Ketterson in 65th.

Next up: individual classic sprint tomorrow, Jan. 28. Watch live on skiandsnowboard.live.

RESULTS

Women

Men

In honor of Mikaela Shiffrin's record-breaking victories in Kronplatz, Italy to becoming the winningest woman skier in Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup history, Ikon Pass parent company Alterra Mountain Co. is opening up the NASTAR courses at its resorts so all skiers can experience the joy of ski racing. 

Throughout the rest of the season, the race courses at Utah’s Solitude Mountain Resort and Deer Valley, California’s Palisades Tahoe, and Vermont's Sugarbush Resort will be free and open to all skiers with a current pass or day ticket. 

“Some of my earliest memories on skis were at the top of a NASTAR course with my parents and my brother,” said Shiffrin. “For me, and for many of my teammates, this early exposure to ski racing helped ignite a lifelong passion for this sport.”

NASTAR, which stands for National Standard Race and is owned by Outside, Inc., offers recreational racers a chance to compete at over 100 NASTAR courses across the U.S. using a standardized handicap system, so no matter where you race or who you compete against, you get accurate results on where you stand. 

“Mikaela’s not just a champion, she’s also a role model and inspiration to us all and we’ve been fortunate to have her as an Ambassador of Ikon Pass since its inception,” said Alterra Mountain Co. President & CEO Jared Smith. “Making these courses available to more of our guests is the perfect way for us to share our amazement for what she’s accomplished while exposing even more people, young and old, to a truly unique on-mountain activity.”

For Shiffrin, it’s about much more than setting new records. She called her partnership with Alterra an attempt to overcome some of the barriers to ski racing and “an incredible way for me to help give back and expose even more people to the thrill of competing on the slopes.”

Fans who want to get in on the action can test their Mikaela knowledge in a trivia quiz from Ikon. Get more than 83 percent of the questions correct and you’ll be entered to win one of three prize packages as part of Alterra’s “Celebrating an Icon” contest, including a set of two 2023-’24 Ikon Passes, three nights’ lodging at an Alterra destination, gear and a signed poster from Shiffrin. For all relevant info and rules, click here.

Release adapted from SKI Magazine 

It’s not every season there is a nighttime giant slalom race, and the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team men took control of the icy conditions, all placing in the top 25 in the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Schladming.

Leading the U.S. men was River Radamus, ending the day in 21st place. Through a strong first run, Radamus skied smart throughout the race, especially at the top where he clocked his fastest splits. Independent athlete with Global Racing and representing the USA, Brian McLaughlin, placed 23rd for the day. In the second run he was knifing, until he had a sizeable mistake, but still ending in the green and moving up a few spots.

“I was really happy with the skiing today, I had a few big mistakes but still happy,” said McLaughlin. “I’m happy I feel like this is something to build off of and I will try to reel it in for next race.”

This giant slalom race was unique, as it was a night race. Historically night races are held for slalom, but to make up the canceled Garmisch giant slalom, a night race was added to the Schladming schedule.

“This is really cool I think they should do more of these, the crowd is really great, and the atmosphere is amazing,” said McLaughlin.

The top three finishers for the race included Swiss skier Loic Meillard in his first giant slalom victory, second place was teammate Gino Caviezel, and third place went to Austrian Marco Schwarz.  Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Isaiah Nelson also raced but did not qualify for a second run.

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team will now prepare for the next giant slalom World Cup which will be held on domestic soil at Palisades on Feb. 25th.

RESULTS
Men's giant slalom

In the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Kronplatz, Italy, Mikaela Shiffrin, fresh off her record-breaking 83rd win, won again, making the tally 84. Shiffrin is now just three wins shy of surpassing Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark’s all-time record of 86 World Cup wins.

Shiffrin made history on Jan. 24th, to become the all-time winningest woman skier, passing the record previously set by Lindsey Vonn. Shiffrin sketched her name in history with the giant slalom win in Kronplatz, while second place went to Norwegian skier Ragnhild Mowinckel and third place went to Sweden's Sara Hector. 

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes Paula Moltzan and Nina O’Brien also skied to very strong results - both landing in the top ten. Moltzan was seventh and O’Brien continues her impressive comeback from a broken leg in the Olympics with a 10th place finish. 

"I am really happy with the past two days I feel like I found some confidence and trusting myself more," said O'Brien. "I feel comfortable going for it."

Moltzan has also consistently skied fast this season and specifically in the giant slalom. Today, she adds another top 10 result to her 2022-23 resume. 

“It was a really fun two days here I am happy with my skiing,” said Moltzan. “It is so special to be here with Mikaela at this time of her life right now too.”

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Katie Hensien and independent skier Stella Johansson also raced but did not qualify for a second run landing in 42nd and 52nd respectively.

The women’s tech team will not shift their focus to slalom as they head into two slalom races in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, on January 28 and 29.

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete, Ben Ritchie snagged a 23rd place under the lights in the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup night slalom in Schladming, Austria.

The crowds showed up by the thousands to cheer on their favorite racers, completely covering the race course. The racers had a strong surface, that fared well for the top skiers. Ritchie skied his way first run from bib 42 to 30th place, good enough to start first on the second run.

For the second run, the stage was set for a battle of the top racers. The course started to get more rutted and difficult for the athletes running later in the list, causing quite the shift in the overall results. First place went to French skier Noel Clement who was sitting in seventh place, jumping six spots to the top step. Second place went to Swiss skier Ramon Zenhaeusern, also moving up a few spots. Norwegian phenom Lucas Braathen ended the day in third. 

Ritchie skied with a few mistakes first run, and not his full effort, still finding himself moving up seven spots to secure more World Cup points.

Luke Winters and Jett Seymour also raced. They did not qualify for a second run ending in 37th and 38th respectively.

The next stop on the men’s slalom tour is in Chamonix, France on Feb. 4th.

RESULTS
Men's slalom

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin secured her 83rd FIS World Cup win at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom in Kronplatz, Italy to become the winningest woman skier of all time.

“I was a bit nervous for the second run but mostly I hate waiting,” said Shiffrin. “Finally when it was time to go, everything went quiet and I just pushed as hard as I could every turn. It was pretty amazing to come to the finish and see that I was quite fast. I could hear that the other athletes were skiing well… I was like I could lose this, so I’m going to try to ski a very good run, and it was. It’s still hard for me to believe that I have the mental focus again to be strong on the second run. It’s something I don’t take for granted.”

Shiffrin surpassed the previous record holder, fellow American skier Lindsey Vonn, who held a record of 82 World Cup wins. Shiffrin tied Vonn’s record in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia just 16 days ago. Shiffrin is now just three World Cup wins away from Ingemar Stenmark’s all-time record of 86 World Cup wins. 

“Reaching this milestone is an incredible accomplishment, one that I hope Mikaela is able to savor,” said Vonn. “Picabo Street inspired me to become an Olympian and I remember vividly how much of an impact she made on me. Throughout my career I always tried to be the role model for kids that Picabo was for me, and now it is Mikaela’s turn to carry that torch. As Americans, we have been able to produce incredible athletes, and I am excited to see who Mikaela will inspire to continue to push the limits of our sport. Congratulations on raising the bar for all skiers to come.” 

It has been a fast and furious rise to history for Shiffrin, starting with her first World Cup in December 2012 just a decade ago. At the age of 17, Shiffrin won the slalom in Åre, Sweden and became the second-youngest American to win an alpine World Cup. Her second win came two weeks later in Zagreb, Croatia. From there, she continued her streak, becoming the first ski racer in history in 2019 to win in every discipline: downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, alpine combined and parallel. 

She took her first giant slalom win in 2015 at the season-opener in Soelden. Her first super-G win was in Lake Louise, Canada in 2019, where she also won her first downhill in 2018. She won an alpine combined in Crans-Montana, Switzerland in 2017 and her first parallel at a city event in Stockholm, Sweden in 2017. Shiffrin’s win rate is an incredible 35%, which means that when she starts a race, she will win more than one-third of all races. Her podium percentage is more than half at 55%.

Shiffrin also holds 12 World Cup crystal globes in three different disciplines, including four overall titles, as well as nine World Championships medals—including six golds—and three Olympic medals. And that just scratches the phenom’s resume. 

“Mikaela Shiffrin is now not only the best woman alpine skier of all time, but she is also a great person, teammate and role model for the sport of alpine skiing,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “As an organization, we are so proud of her accomplishments and cannot wait to see how she further transforms the sport and the history books next.” 

Shiffrin now turns toward Stenmark’s record as the season continues, as she eyes becoming the most dominant alpine skier in history. The women race another giant slalom in Kronplatz on Wednesday. 

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom