On Sunday’s giant slalom race in Alta Badia, Italy River Radamus landed in a solid 15th place position. 

“This is the most special track on the circuit. I always hold this one in high regard,” said Radamus. “I always try to put down a performance I can be proud of.”

Radamus is one of the many athletes who love the Gran Risa track for its technicality, length, views and optimal snow conditions. This year however the snow conditions proved to be a bit more difficult for the racers due to continuous injections on top of new snow. Regardless of the challenge Radamus was able to find the outside ski and put himself within contention on run one in 11th, just 1.13 seconds from first. 

“The conditions were a little tougher than usual with some variable conditions in the course and low visibility made it difficult to execute,” said Radamus. “I liked my approach and intensity and I am trusting the things I am doing in preparation but I did not quite flow with the course the way I wanted to today.” 

On the second run a second challenge was added to the slope - bad light. The sun was nowhere to be seen on Sunday and the light continued to fluctuate as snow lightly started to come down. This again added a new layer of difficulty for some racers. Radamus on run two was not able to link his turns the way he wanted and ultimately moved down to 15th place overall.  

“It’s frustrating to have to wait another year to come back here but I will be thinking about this one as I go through my training this season to next season.” 

The winner of the day was none other than Swiss phenom Marco Odermatt who claimed his 41st World Cup victory, second place went to first time podium winner Leo Anguenot of France and third place was Norwegian Alexander Steen Olsen. Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Tommy Ford did not finish the first run and Isaiah Nelson and Bridger Gile did not qualify for a second run. 

Radamus is now switching gears to slalom on Monday, a discipline he says himself and the rest of the slalom team is ready to conquer. 

RESULTS
men's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
Monday, 12/23
Run 1 - 4:00 a.m. ET, - slalom - LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live
Run 2 - 7:30 a.m. ET - slalom - LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live

Saturday, Dec. 21, eight women of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team started in the first European World Cup of the women’s speed circuit in St. Moritz, Switzerland, led by Lauren Macuga, who finished the day in seventh. Lindsey Vonn had her first race back from retirement and finished in 14th. 

Macuga, affectionately known by Cougs by her team, was the first to experience the ever-changing track. Even though the sun was shining on Saturday, heavy snowfall on Thursday and Friday provided more of a challenge than the women’s field anticipated.

"From the point of view run, it looked like it was going to be easy, and I think the whole field agreed; however, it turned out to be very, very busy," reflected Macuga. "It was challenging. I think the [new] snow added another factor in, and the speeds were a little higher than we expected. You really had to be on your toes and always moving."

That was the message Vonn sent back to her teammates in her course report about her first World Cup race after returning from retirement. The snow was getting choppy and active; aggressive skiing was the only way to conquer the course that saw 11 women in the field DNF.

The Swiss crowd welcomed Vonn back with open arms, roaring their approval as she skied to the finish in 14th. To Vonn, retirement in 2019 is a distant memory; it truly feels like she never left.

"[Ski racing] feels very normal," Vonn said with a smile. "It feels like it always has; it's like second nature to me, and I think the most fun part of ski racing is being in the starting gate and feeling like you have to perform at this moment. I love the pressure, and I love that feeling in your stomach and having to focus. Downhill and super-G are two very special disciplines and I'm so happy that I get to race them again."

Of the women running later in the start list, Tricia Mangan and Keely Cashman broke forward into the point-scoring range. Mangan, wearing bib 44, finished 25th overall. Cashman, in bib 50, finished 30th.

On Sunday, Dec. 22, the women have another shot at the track in St. Moritz, although incoming weather forecasts predict much darker, snowier conditions in contrast to Saturday's clear blue skies. Strong winds and visibility challenges are anticipated, and the team has prepared for a much different day of racing and potential course delays.

RESULTS
Women's super-G

HOW TO WATCH
5:00 am ET - women's super G, St. Moritz, Switzerland - live/on-demand: skiandsnowboard.live

On Saturday’s Val Gardena downhill on the classic Saslong slope, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle landed the Americans yet another podium in third place, just 0.01 off second place. Previous two-time Val Gardena World Cup winner Bryce Bennett also had a strong day, landing in eighth place. 

“It feels good. Gardena is a really challenging hill to ski,” said Cochran-Siegle. “You really never know until you cross the finish line so I was just focusing on carrying the speed as much as possible.” 

The downhill stage was set with a chilly breeze and sunny skies as the downhillers descended upon the Saslong. After the Americans started the weekend off with an incredible super-G performance by Jared Goldberg, one could say there was a calming presence in the air as the classic American performance had already been checked off the day prior. Now it was time to block out the noise and ski downhill the way the Americans know best. 

The course was a touch slower than the training run days due to the new snow from two nights before, which enabled the skiers to become a touch more aggressive with lines, the best times going to those with the most risk. 

Bennett was the first of the Americans to go down the track with bib 11. He was a bit safe on the top but nailed the bottom to come through into third. Cochran-Siegle was right behind him in the green all the way down. He crossed the line into second place by a mere hundredth. But the race was far from over. 

“I don’t feel about today,” laughed Bennett. “I think it was good. I honestly over skied a little bit in the middle section and I think there are times where experience hurts you a little when you expect something different but I am just so stoked for our entire team right now. Goldy on the podium yesterday, Ryan today - our whole team is skiing well. It's cool to see it pay off.” 

Swiss skier Marco Odermatt nailed his run to take the win by almost a half-second from the rest of the field; no one else was close to his time. However, the next hour would be excruciating for Cochran-Siegle as the track got faster for the back of the pack. More than a dozen skiers bumped it into the top 15 from bibs far outside the top 30. Finally, Cochran-Siegle could breathe a sigh of relief when bib 64 crossed the finish line. 

“When I ski my best I keep my skiing very basic and simple,” said Cochran-Siegle. “I think we just enjoy skiing the slope here; we trust that what we do here is the right preparation. It is a special place for us.” 

Teammate Erik Arvidsson also had a promising day in 23rd. He was ecstatic to claim some points as he returned from a knee injury that took him out a year ago. 

“I am super happy after the injury last year to be back in the top 30 since the injury so I am ready to keep working on it,” said Arvidsson. 

The men’s speed team takes on the last series before the new year in Bormio, Italy, Dec. 28-29. 

RESULTS
Men's downhill

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team men’s speed crew added to their storied history in Val Gardena on Friday, as Jared Goldberg claimed his first podium in super-G, just 0.01 off the winning time.

“I was mobbing, I felt fast and skied the way I wanted,” said Goldberg. 

It was a snowy start to the day, with upwards of 15 centimeters of new snow on the track. Despite the new snow, the dedicated course workers worked tirelessly overnight to clear the track, making way for the best super-G skiers in the world. Yet, when race day presented itself, it was not the snow that was a factor but the wind. Wind became a factor throughout the day when it was not snowing, causing variable conditions for many racers. 

The first Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete to go was Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle (RCS). Cochran-Siegle set the pace for what seemed to be a solid run. However, about five racers in the speed started to show and many racers came in with the new fastest time. 

Approximately 25 racers, a brief course hold and some snow later, it was time for Goldberg. Goldberg came out of the start on fire. Each split in the green. The crowd was on their feet as the Americans could once again upset the field in Val Gardena, which they've done for years past--it's no secret that the American men have found great success on this track.

Back to the races, Goldberg flew down to cross the line a mere 0.01 hundredth from the win. Despite not claiming the official win, Goldberg, his teammates and the stands cheered as if it were gold. Notably, it was his first podium and career-best result. 

“I am fired up, I skied how I wanted to and everything felt really good,” said Goldberg. “I was able to ski hard and not overthink anything, especially after that brief hold. I was holding a tuck whenever I could.”

Goldberg’s podium marks the 13th podium for Americans in Val Gardena. Due to the track's gliding ability and similarity to free skiing back in the U.S., success is often found here. 

“The key to Gardena is that it is flat with a lot of steep to flats and very close to freeskiing,” said Goldberg. “I grew up free skiing in Utah at Snowbird and I think that background helps here.” 

The victory went to first-time World Cup winner Mattia Casse of Italy and third place to Swiss Marco Odermatt. Teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle ended up 20th, Erik Arvidsson and Sam Morse landed 31st and 32nd, Wiley Maple 43rd, River Radamus 47th and Bryce Bennett 50th. 

Saturday is the main downhill event. The race that current team member Bryce Bennett won dramatically just last season.

RESULTS
men's super-G

HOW TO WATCH 
Saturday, 12/21
5:45 a.m. ET - downhill - LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live

On the final day of the back-to-back Stifel Birds of Prey weekend races, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga again led the way with a top 15, finishing in 12th in the super-G. Teammates Keely Cashman and Breezy Johnson also scored 21st and 28th. 

“It was really good skiing, but I kept getting late so I was not sure how fast it would be when I came down, so I was excited to see that it was a pretty decent run,” said Macuga. 

The weather finally changed from the non-stop Colorado sunshine to overcast skies, wind and some light snowfall. Regardless, the best women speed skiers in the world were ready to bring it for the super-G. Macuga ran first for the U.S. squad in bib three. Coming off her career-best result in Saturday's downhill, she sent it down the course. Despite getting low and late in a few spots, she took the lead and sat smiling in the leaderboard chair for about five racers. 

“It’s nice because I know I had good skiing. I just wasn't on the line so I know if I had executed better I would have been right in there,” said Macuga. “I knew it was not a podium-contending run but I know what I have to do to get there.” 

The top group of super-G skiers put down high-speed runs with each skier outdoing the other. Ultimately, Italian skier Sofia Goggia claimed the victory, knifing her run to take the win by almost a half-second. Goggia celebrated in style with a short samba dance, reminiscent of the same dance performed by Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen the week before. Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami claimed second place with Austrian Ariane Raedler in the third spot. 

The next group of U.S. racers ran after bib 35. Each skier did their best to fight the wind and changing weather conditions to claim some World Cup points. Cashman was one skier who broke through the tough conditions with a stellar run moving from bib 44 to 21st. The fans were brought to their feet as Cashman not only started her season with a bang, but also took home a pretty penny, winning the $5,000 Stifel Bibbo Award.  

“I got pretty lucky with the light. The sun was coming in and out for me and standing in the start for a little while sort of helped me calm down and gave me time to gather my thoughts,” said Cashman. “Some sections felt good and others did not feel great, but super-G can be tricky sometimes where you need to be right on the edge to be super fast.”

Johnson also had a solid performance on Sunday, claiming 28th place. It was her first race back on the circuit in a year, and she was pleased to start off with two World Cup points-scoring results in Beaver Creek. Tricia Mangan, Jackie Wiles, Bella Wright and independent athlete Haley Cutler also raced, placing 37th, 38th, 40th and 42nd, respectively. 

The speed women will now head back to Europe to prepare for a pair of super-G races in St. Moritz, Switzerland where teammate and Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn is poised to make her official World Cup race comeback. 

RESULTS
Women's super-G

Jett Seymour threw down his first point-earning performance in Val d'Isere, France on Sunday, Dec. 15, moving up through the ranks after barely squeaking into the top 30 in the second run, to finish the day in 21st. 

The weather took a turn from Saturday's snowy, dark giant slalom, clearing up for the men's third slalom World Cup of the season. Seymour, who had yet to finish in 24/25,  took full advantage of his opportunity to push out of the start gate in first position second run, and despite making a few mistakes, held it together to glide through the finish in point-scoring position for the first time in Val d'Isere in his career. 

Seven of the top 30 athletes were unable to finish their second run, which played to Seymours advantage, and proved even further how difficult it is to execute and compete on the infamously steep La Face de Bellevedre track. Fourteen athletes were not able to finish their first run, and 14 other athletes did not qualify.

His teammate, River Radamus, who finished 17th in the giant slalom the day before, did not finish his first slalom run. Benjamin (Ben) Ritchie also struggled on his first run and DNF'd. Luke Winters was able to hang on to the finish but did not qualify for a second run.

RESULTS

Men's slalom

It was a historic day for women’s alpine as they took on the Stifel Birds of Prey for the first time in history - but it was also a huge day for Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga as she posted a career-best finish on home turf in fourth place. 

“I am extremely satisfied that this is my top result in the World Cup and I could not be more happy right now,” said Macuga. 

The venue was flooded with fans from around the world as they awaited the runs of the best downhill women skiers. Chants of “U.S.A.!” could be heard from the top of the course as each American took their turn at the famed course. The hill is historically a men’s downhill and the women had their first crack at the very technical and steep downhill on Saturday. Each racer proved that they can handle the same forces and technicality as the men.

The first American to go was Jacqueline Wiles with bib 20. Wiles pushed hard from top to bottom but held onto her edges just a smidge too long and landed in 29th. Macuga was next. At each split Macuga brought the fans to their feet as she skied within a half second of the winner, so close to a podium finish. She punched her hands through the finish to snag fourth place - a new career best. The crowd's roar was enormous as Macuga had the best finish reaction of the whole field. 

“Last year I thought getting 30th place in the World Cup was crushing it, so to start with a fourth is crazy,” said Macuga. 

The key to success on the women’s downhill was taking notes from each training run. Three training runs occurred throughout the week, giving the women ample time to figure out the brand-new track. This new course leveled the playing field in many ways as no one had been on the track before. 

“The first training run was definitely checking it out, second training run I felt like I was holding back a little and by the third training run I was hammering down,” said Macuga. “Today I got over my skis a little more and it worked out!”

Teammate Breezy Johnson also made a statement as she skied solid into the 13th position. Johnson had been off the circuit for a year, refocused and psyched to be back with her team.

“I thought there were sections that were really good for me; there were pieces of this course that were in and out for me today. One of those spots was not great so there are things to fix up,” said Johnson. “I feel really good about my skiing right now and I am feeling confident about the upcoming courses this season.”

Not only was it an exciting day for Macuga and Johnson but their newest teammate Lindsey Vonn, returned to the World Cup by way of fore-running. Vonn gave her course reports to the women up top and cheered them on from the sidelines. 

“I am having so much fun; it feels so amazing to be back here,” said Vonn. 

Ultimately the winner of the first downhill of the season was the previous season’s downhill FIS Crystal Globe winner, Cornelia Huetter, second place was Italian force Sofia Goggia who made her return from injury, third place went to Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Keely Cashman, Bella Wright, Tricia Mangan and independent athlete Haley Cutler also raced landing in 31st, 35th, 39th and 42nd respectively. 

The weekend continues on Sunday with the women's super-G. 

RESULTS
women's downhill

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, 12/15
1:00 p.m. ET - super-G - LIVE on Outside TV

River Radamus and Tommy Ford muscled through rapidly deteriorating conditions on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the infamously difficult La Face de Bellavarde track in Val d’Isere, France to finish back to back in 17th and 18th in their return to the European World Cup circuit.

Ford's result is his first top 20 of the season after a DNF in Beaver Creek and finishing 21st in Soelden. A finish in 18th is promising forward motion, especially after skiing the seventh-fastest second run of the day, over a second faster than the day’s winner, Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt. 

Granted, Ford was fortunate to have some of the last good light on the course, running earlier in the start list, given his first run finish in 25th. Nonetheless, he skied on the cleaner side despite the bumpy ride from start to finish and put together enough fast turns to move up seven positions and into 18th. 

“With the sun out, I know I didn’t take enough full advantage of the conditions; I had some strong skiing for sections, and then I would put on the brakes,” explained Ford. “In the end, I lucked out and got a decent result. It got really dark and gnarly there at the end. The snow was much grippier than expected and broke down a fair amount, making it tough for the guys in the back.”

As inclement weather rolled in, visibility began to deteriorate. Snow and dark, flat light eventually prompted the venue to turn on the stadium lights, and the event started to resemble a night race in broad “daylight.” 

Radamus got caught in the middle of the light transition, not far enough back in the start list to be fully thrown to the wolves but running late enough to have a completely different on-course experience than his teammate. Radamus finished his first run in 12th and had hoped to muscle forward to match or best his seventh-place result in the Beaver Creek giant slalom the week before, but could not put down the results he wanted to and ended the day in 17th.

“La Face de Bellevarde is always the most difficult GS track on the circuit, and it really separates good skiing from great skiing, and I didn’t quite have enough today,” reflected Radamus. “It was a bumpy, rattly, icy surface, combined with low visibility, that made it particularly difficult to execute your skiing. I didn’t execute the way I wanted to but I thought I made some pretty good recoveries and was able to scrap out two okay runs despite it all.” 

After Radamus, conditions soon became worse. The rest of the field made their way down the track, and a few of the athletes racing for a top stop came down, shaking their heads and cursing in the finish after being put in dangerous visibility circumstances against a crumbling surface. Whereas others, such as Odermatt, seemed unbothered by the challenge, noting in his interview with FIS that to him, winter is defined by dark, snowy weather, so those tough conditions are where he thrives. In the end, the second and third positions on the podium were swept by Austria’s Patrick Feurstein and Stefan Brennsteiner.

"The conditions were tough for everybody out there," added Radamus. "Certainly, some people got better light than others, and it's [already] a difficult track, especially when you can’t see the surface. The guys who got good visibility took advantage, but that’s ski racing. There are plenty of guys that had bad visibility and were able to muscle through some pretty good runs, too."

Snow is forecasted throughout the rest of the day in Val d’Isere. However, the weather forecast predicts a partly sunny day on Sunday, Dec. 14, when the men’s slalom is set to occur. Starters for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team include Luke Winters, Ben Ritchie, and Jett Seymour.

RESULTS

Men's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH

4:00 a.m. ET - men's slalom, run 1, Val D'Isere, France - LIVE: skiandsnowboard.live, On Demand: skiandsnowboard.live

On the final day of men’s racing in Beaver Creek, Colorado, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus snagged his second top 10 of the weekend with a seventh in the Stifel Birds of Prey giant slalom. 

“First run I felt really good about my skiing and that’s a really good indication I was playing it too safe,” said Radamus. “Second run I knew I had to throttle down, made a couple more mistakes but I know I pushed harder.” 

The conditions could not be more perfect on Sunday as the weekend turned to tech for the first Stifel Birds of Prey giant slalom since 2019. The sun was shining bright overhead, and the surface on the giant slalom course was unmatched. The international crowd packed the stands awaiting the event to unfold.

On the first run the sun was in and out as the course, proving to be a challenge for the allotment of racers. Running at 1 minute and 20 seconds, it was a long course and racers fatigued as they crossed the finish line. Radamus skied a strong race, but did not push enough to find the top 10 first run, finishing 14th. Global Racing and U.S. skier Patrick Kenney ran bib 42 and skied a near-perfect run to shoot himself up to the 21st position. 

“I mean the snow does not get better than what he had today,” said Radamus. “The course conditions have been phenomenal so that means everyone is taking it to the next level.”

On the second run, Radamus had a plan and was ready to execute. While he was holding back a touch at the top of the run, he let it rip near the bottom, claiming the top position for a few racers. He was greeted by a roar of American fans, as he sat in the leaderboard chair. Radamus ultimately ended up seventh, jumping up seven spots from his first run. 

“It was great to sit in the leader's chair for a little bit and give the home crowd something to root for,” said Radamus. 

Thomas Tumler of Switzerland claimed his first World Cup win with Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen in second place - his first podium since his return to the sport. Third place was Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec. 

Kenney unfortunately did not finish the second run. Isaiah Nelson skied solidly but did not find the top 30. Tommy Ford, Bridger Gile and Ryder Sarchett did not finish but are all ok. 

Sunday’s giant slalom marked the end of the busy weekend for the Stifel Birds of Prey. The men’s tech and speed teams all head back to Europe as they prepare for the remainder of the alpine season. The speed team will head to Val Gardena, Italy, while the tech team will head to Val d’Isere, France. 

The Stifel Birds of Prey venue will now prepare for the women in just a few days as they ski the famed downhill course for the first time ever. 

RESULTS 
Men's giant slalom

In the Stifel Birds of Prey super-G opener, hometown hero River Radamus snagged eighth place - on par with his personal best in the discipline. Teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle was close behind in 11th after he handled another very strong recovery at the top of the course. 

“The home crowd is so special. We can hear the crowd going crazy at the bottom,” said Radamus. “Everytime I come here I try to put on a show and inspire the next generation of skiers.” 

It was yet another classic sunny day in Colorado for the super-G race as the world’s best men sped their way down the famed course. The course is extremely steep and widely known as one of the more challenging super-Gs on the circuit. Not only is it a difficult hill, but the set proved to be a challenge, with six of the first 10 racers not finishing the course. But as the day progressed, the other racers got word of the troubles and made it down to the finish line. 

The winner of the day was last season’s super-G globe winner Swiss skier Marco Odermatt. Second place went to the French phenom Cyprien Sarrazin and Austrian Lukas Feurstein rounded out the podium in third. 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle had a remarkable recovery in the downhill the day before and did it again in the super-G. At the very start of his run, his helmet hooked a gate which caused his goggles to fall down over his face. Cochran-Siegle tried to get his goggles back onto his helmet, losing a chunk of time. But he ripped the rest of the course, making up the second he lost up top and landed in 11th place. 

“I came in too hard on that gate, but sometimes when you make that kind of mistake it's easier to push yourself,” said Cochran-Siegle. "I did what I could and had some good skiing at the bottom."

The rest of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team squad gave it their all on the course for the hometown crowd, with four landing in the top 30. Kyle Negomir finished in 19th and Bryce Bennett in 28th. Sam Morse just missed the points in 31st and Jared Goldberg in 37th. Erik Arvidsson and Wiley Maple did not finish but are ok. 

The weekend is not over yet.  The men’s giant slalom returns to the Stifel Birds of Prey course for the first time since Tommy Ford’s maiden victory in 2019. 

RESULTS
Men's super-G
 

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, 12/8
12:00 p.m. ET - giant slalom, run 1 - LIVE on Outside TV
3:00 p.m. ET - giant slalom, run 2 - LIVE on Outside TV