It was an exciting first day of racing of a two-weekend long Stifel Birds of Prey series at Beaver Creek Resort, Colorado. Bryce Bennett was the top American in the men’s downhill, finishing in sixth place. Ryan Cochran-Siegle also punched it into the top 15, finishing 12th.

"I've been skiing really well all summer long and I had some good training runs so I felt confident on my skis," said Bennett. 

The podium was not what many had predicted. After a previous season of Odermatt vs. Sarrazin in downhill, it was the unassuming Swiss Justin Murisier who claimed the top spot and his first ever World Cup win. His teammate Marco Odermatt landed in second and Miha Hrobat of Slovenia took third for his first World Cup podium.

It was also a strong start for Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle. He had a large mistake and still managed a top-15 result - a testament to the hard work the men's speed team put in this summer. 

"Our places were good for sure," said Cochran-Siegle. "It's awesome seeing Bryce ski so well right now. He is locked in, and our team as a whole has been executing the training runs really well." 

Under classic Colorado blue skies, the day proved dramatic, seeing a number of crashes on the terrain-ladened course that caused long course holds. Sam DuPratt was one of the men who went into the net and down in a sled. His injuries are still being evaluated.

The result marked yet another top 10 for Bennett, who continues to show his strength in downhill. With four top 10s last season and two podiums—including his first career win—the 6’ 7” speed skier was pleased with the result of the season-opening downhill. It's been an exciting week for the speed skier; his wife also announced her pregnancy... and her due date: March 22, the day of the World Cup Finals downhill.

"One of my goals after last season was to keep skiing and being competitive and so it was great to have this result to reinforce that feeling," said Bennett. 

Sam Morse also found the top 30, finishing 21st. Erik Arvidsson was 34th, Jared Goldberg 39th, Kyle Negomir 45th and Wiley Maple 52nd.

Next up, the men race super-G on Saturday and a giant slalom Sunday. The women race the Stifel Birds of Prey the following weekend. 

"Beaver Creek super-G is a very challenging course so I just need to keep doing what I am doing and trying to have fun with it," said Cochran-Siegle. 

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

HOW TO WATCH

Saturday, 12/7
12:30 p.m. ET - super-G - LIVE on Outside TV
5:00 p.m. ET - super-G - tape delay on NBC/Peacock

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

Saturday, 12/14
5:00 p.m. ET - giant slalom - tape delay on NBC/Peacock

All races available on-demand on Outside+.

Nearly 40,000 fans turned up and turned out for the Stifel Killington World Cup weekend, which closed out on Sunday, Dec. 1 with another nail-biting race that saw two Swiss and one Swede take the podium – Camille Rast in first, and Wendy Hoeldener and Anna Swenn Larsson tied for second. 

None of the Americans were able to make a play at the podium today, but there is still much to celebrate. Mikaela Shiffrin, Paula Moltzan and Elisabeth Bocock, who all received injuries in their races this weekend, did not suffer anything season-ending. Despite not qualifying for a second run in slalom, Nina O’Brien is still celebrating a career-best World Cup result in the giant slalom on Saturday. Katie Hensien continues to build on her giant slalom momentum from the beginning of the season. Mia Hunt finished her first-ever World Cup run in front of a home crowd on a difficult course. 

“The slalom course was really difficult today,” commented O’Brien. “They set a really technical, really tight course. And that, combined with a little bit of changing snow at the top that definitely had some grooves in it by the end when I ran, and a bottom that held up really well but was slick. So I found it pretty difficult, but there were still some impressive runs from the back showing that anything is possible.” 

Shiffrin is out of the hospital and on the mend after receiving a puncture wound to the right side of the abdomen and some severe muscle trauma. She is sore but still tuned in to watch the race today and is looking forward to some much-needed rest before jumping on the rehab train. Moltzan is in a similar boat, having suffered a dislocated shoulder during the first slalom run on Sunday. Her shoulder was immediately reset and is currently stable, with no current need for surgical operation. Bocock was slated to start Sunday’s slalom but chose to sit it out after warm-ups proved her wrist injury sustained in Saturday’s giant slalom made blocking gates more painful than she initially anticipated. 

Despite the injuries, the women’s alpine team is walking away from the weekend of racing in Killington, feeling positive and looking ahead to the rest of the season. Racing on home soil is always a great way to kick things off for a group that spends the majority of their winter competing in Europe, far from family, friends and the loud and proud American crowd. 

“This race is my favorite race on tour for a handful of reasons – A) it’s in Vermont, B) my family can be here, and C) the crowd is unreal,” says Moltzan, who raced at University of Vermont and currently lives in the state. “Every ski racer from bib one to bib 60 receives the biggest welcome into the finish no matter the result, and that’s pretty special because not all World Cups are like that. Getting to cross that finish line and get that big welcome home from Vermont is pretty incredible.”

With the Tremblant World Cup tech series canceled, the next time the women’s alpine team will hit the slopes will be in Beaver Creek, Colorado, at the Stifel Birds of Prey downhill and super-G, Dec. 14 and 15. 

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

The Stifel Killington Cup was fraught with emotion on Saturday, Nov. 30, when the U.S. women’s alpine team had not one, not two, but three athletes achieve career-best results in front of a home crowd in Vermont. Paula Moltzan led the charge, finishing fifth, her best result in giant slalom, followed by Nina O’Brien in sixth, a career-best World Cup result. 

“Crossing the line and getting the green light and hearing the crowd scream is just the best feeling ever,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that here in Killington, so that was pretty incredible.”

Katie Hensien also had a stellar day, posting the 11th fastest speed in the second run to move her from 21st into the final position of 13th. World Cup rookie Elisabeth Bocock made a storied fight to the finish in her second run to earn her first World Cup points in 23rd.

Bocock pushed out of the start gate wearing bib 47 and drove through the course’s bumps and divots to earn eighth in the first run. In her second run, the 19-year-old never lost her ferocity and continued to push despite clipping a gate and losing one of her ski poles -- Bocock ended up skiing the second half of her run with just one pole. 

“Today, there is no one I look up to and am more inspired by than Elisabeth,” said O’Brien. “Here skiing first run was so sick and incredible, but for me, it’s even more impressive to have a first run as she did and then go and send it on the second run because that takes courage, and she skied with a lot of courage second run.” 

Shiffrin was the final racer to ski down Superstar on the second run. After winning the first run by 0.32 seconds, anticipation was high. Shiffrin was on the brink of winning her first giant slalom in Killington and her 100th World Cup. After coming over the pitch, Shiffrin took a tumble into the b-netting, a rare sight, as Shiffrin does not often take tumbles on the public stage. Despite being dragged down the slope in a sled, Shiffrin still took a moment to wave to the crowd on her way to an ambulance and asked about her splits in the interim moments during evaluation. 

“Not really too much cause for concern at this point,” Shiffrin reported to Instagram a few hours after the race while being evaluated at the hospital. “I have a pretty good abrasion, and something stabbed me? But I’m okay. I am so sorry to scare everybody, and it looks like all scans so far are clear, so thank you so much for your support and concern.” 

On The Stifel U.S. Alpine Team will compete in the slalom at the Stifel Killington Cup on Sunday, Dec. 1st. Shiffrin will not start due to injury. 

RESULTS 
Women’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH

10:00 a.m. ET - women's slalom, run 1, Killington, Vermont - LIVE: Outside TV, On Demand: Outside 

On the second day of racing in Gurgl, Austria, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ben Ritchie landed in 21st place, adding a second top-30 result to his 2024-25 season campaign. He is coming off this success in Levi, where he skied to a career-best 13th place. 

In today's event, the weather was much warmer compared to the conditions the women skied in just hours prior. The first run course set proved tricky for the men racers, evidenced by many skiers not making it to the finish line. Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Jett Seymour was first on the American roster but ran into trouble on the pitch and did not finish. Ritchie was next. On a hill giving many issues, Ritchie looked unbothered, skiing solid and confident enough to give himself a chance for a good day in 15th place. 

“I feel alright, very happy with my first run,” said Ritchie. “It’s a very challenging hill and very icy surface.” 

On the second run, the sun shone, and the course was more straightforward - allowing athletes to take more risks with their skiing game plan. Ritchie again skied solid with no significant issues to land in the 21st, respectively. However, Ritchie is hungry for more and knows he can compete with the world’s best. 

“Second run wasn't great - it wasn't horrible but I am happy to get points again. I gave myself a chance to really be in the race and I didn't quite put it together on the second run but if I can keep giving myself a chance to be in there eventually it will come around.”

The ultimate race winner was French skier Clement Noel, who marked his second World Cup win of the season, followed by Swedish skier Kristoffer Jakobsen, who finished in second place, and Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath, who rounded out the podium in third place. River Radamus and Luke Winters also raced the first run but did not qualify for the second run. 

The slalom team has a few weeks off before their next World Cup start gate. 

“I am going to keep hammering training and build on this progression,” said Ritchie. 

The following men’s tech series will be held in Val d’Isere, France, Dec. 14-15. 

RESULTS:
Men's slalom

On a sunny yet frigid Saturday in Gurgl, Austria, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Mikaela Shiffrin won her 99th individual World Cup and 62nd career slalom victory. To wrap up a successful day on the track, teammate Paula Moltzan landed sixth, to complete another strong showing for the U.S. women’s tech team. 

“It was a spectacular day,” said Shiffrin. “I am so excited! It was two really good runs.” 

It was a frigid morning on the slope for the women’s slalom, which made it extra memorable outside of it being the debut slalom for the women in Gurgl.

On run one, Shiffrin did what she does best, was out of the gate first. Throughout the run, she never left the leaderboard position – she stayed in the green. Teammates Moltzan and Katie Hensien showed off strong skiing, going into seventh and 11th out of the first run, all qualifying through to the second.

As the day progressed, light on the slope turned dark, adding a new challenge for the athletes. First out was Hensien, who left the gate blazing but unfortunately straddled a gate just after the first interval and did not finish. Moltzan started just a few spots behind Hensien and skied clean and aggressively to come down into the finish area with the green light. 

“I am happy. I think it's nice to have four slalom runs under my belt now and most of them have been pretty consistent.” said Moltzan. “It’s nice to have some consistency and tempo in slalom as it can change day to day.” 

At the end of the day, it was the final five skiers that put on a show for the Gurgl fans. Skier after skier knocked each other out for the top spot and finally, the World Cup podium was set, with young Albanian phenom Lara Colturi in the top spot and Swiss skier Camille Rast in second. Yet, all eyes were on Shiffrin. She skied a strong, aggressive line, top to bottom, without hesitation to finish a half of a second ahead of the pace, officially claiming her 99th World Cup victory in the process. Colturi claimed her first podium in second and Rast, her first podium in third. 

“The second run was a big mental challenge because I was not sure how it would feel with the surface and it was getting darker. Sometimes, when I am not sure about the feeling under feet, I take too much time for the turn so I tried to push anyway and it was great,” said Shiffrin. 

The win is another notch in Shiffrin’s storied career as she is just one win away from the unprecedented 100th World Cup win – which will further solidly her as the greatest the sport has ever seen. Shiffrin is poised to take this momentum back stateside for the Stifel Killington Cup next holiday weekend.

“It's not impossible but so many things have to go right. So, from the outside, it looks like it is supposed to happen this way but it's certainly not easy–I am not taking that for granted, but I hope to do a good performance in front of the home crowd,” said Shiffrin. 

The men’s team will take on the Gurgl World Cup slalom Sunday, Nov 24.

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH 
4:30 a.m. ET - men's slalom, run 1, Gurgl, Austria - peacocktv.com (live)
7:30 a.m. ET - men's slalom, run 2, Gurgl, Austria - peacocktv.com (live)

On day two of the Levi World Cup weekend, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ben Ritchie posted a career best result in slalom, snagging a 13th place. He also took home the Stifel Bibbo Award, jumping from bib 48 to the 13th position. 

“I am really happy with the result today. I thought I skied very well,” said Ritchie. “Some mistakes here and there but that’s how it goes in racing.”

The crowd was noticeably larger and livelier on Sunday as the best slalom skiers in the world made their way to the Levi slope - the first time since 2019 for the men. The hill was also much icier than the day before, which meant it would be in great shape for racing toward the end of the men’s field. 

On the first run, all five of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team men showed promising speeds however only one made it to the second run. Jett Seymour was blazing on the top until he straddled coming onto the pitch. Teammate Luke Winters also skied well until he got a bit late and could not complete the next turn. Ritchie however started his day right, making it down calm, cool and collected to give himself a strong chance on the second run. 

“There’s definitely a little extra nerves today in the first race of the year with new equipment and a new team around me,” remarked Ritchie. “We spent a lot of time skiing this summer and put in a lot of work.” 

The work paid off for Ritchie in the end as he skied an aggressive line all the way to the finish just a mere 0.16 off the leader at the time. Skier after skier did not come close to Ritchie’s overall time and he watched his name climb the leaderboard. Ritchie ended up 13th with his whole team cheering him on from the sidelines. 

“I think the training sessions have all been extremely competitive between the four of us so I think it's some good momentum for the slalom skiing and I think we will all bring our best skiing next weekend in Gurgl,” said Ritchie. 

The winner of the race was French skier Clement Noel, second was Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen and third place went to the Swiss Loic Meillard. 

It was also a first for up-and-comer Camden Palmquist who experienced his first World Cup this weekend. While he did not make a second run he was thrilled to get his first turns in on the professional circuit in front of family. 

“It felt alright, I did an ok job handling the nerves and I had a lot of fun. I could have been a lot faster in spots but it's good," said Palmquist. 

The alpine World Cup tour now heads to Austria for another dual weekend of racing with a women’s slalom Saturday and men’s slalom Sunday. 

RESULTS
Men's slalom

On a wet, rainy and snowy day in Finland, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete and the greatest alpine skier of all-time, Mikaela Shiffrin notched her 98th World Cup win at the Levi World Cup. Teammate Paula Moltzan was not too far off the mark in eighth place.

“It is a great start to the slalom season,” said Shiffrin, “I had two really strong runs so I am happy to fight on the second run in tough conditions!”

In what can only be described as the opposite weather from the frigid temperatures the year prior, the world’s best slalom skiers took to the Levi slope ready to showcase their skills in the first slalom event of the season. 

The tech women skied in top form on the traditionally icy course, with Shiffrin quickly taking a dominant lead on run one. Then, it was Moltzan’s turn – she skied a strong run, putting herself into fifth place on the first run. 

The weather then continued to have a mind of its own, raining one moment to snowing giant chunky snowflakes the next. But this did not seem to phase the world’s best as they prepared for the second run. 

It was a straightforward course set with some slick turns on the pitch that some women were having trouble with. But if you knifed the top pitch you were in for a successful day. Moltzan, running 26th on the second run, nailed the top section but quickly ran into trouble on the pitch. Moltzan, who is also known for her miraculous saves, made it down with a few notable mistakes to land in eighth place for the day. A result she was very pleased with. 

“I am very excited because I have never in my career had a successful race in Levi so to end up in the top 10 for me feels like a very big step forward,” said Moltzan. 

In the final minutes of the race, the competition was heating up after Katharina Liensberger of Austria skied a flawless run and positioning herself at the top of the standings. Shiffrin knew what to do. With reindeer on the line, she skied a clean and fierce run to ultimately win the race, her 98th World Cup and eighth reindeer. 

“I am racing almost every weekend from here on out until the end of the season so it's going to be a big push now and I was a little bit off on my mentality in Sölden so it was really important to start off strong here in slalom.” 

The podium was completed with Shiffrin on the top spot, Liensberger second and Lena Duerr of Germany in third.

“I don’t know what I will name the reindeer yet – I am going to wait and confirm with the team on ideas and see what everyone says,” said Shiffirn when asked what she will name the eighth reindeer to her herd. 

Katie Hensien and Nina O’Brien also raced the first run but did not finish, they are okay and ready for the next races. Independent U.S.  skier Kendahl Roufa also raced her first World Cup start Saturday and while she did not qualify for a second run she was very happy to experience the event. 

“I feel really great, very excited and just happy I got through the finish,” said Roufa. 

Overall, the women’s alpine team is feeling positive with the combination of the spirit of Christmas, the magic of the Levi reindeer and Santa in the finish. The women will now take this momentum and race slalom again the following weekend in Gurgl, Austria. A brand new venue for the women racers. 

On Sunday Nov. 16, the men will take on the Levi track for their first slalom World Cup of the season. 

RESULTS
Women's slalom

HOW TO WATCH 
4:00 a.m. ET - men's slalom, run 1, Levi, Finland - skiandsnowboard.live (live)
7:00 a.m. ET - men's slalom, run 2, Levi, Finland - skiandsnowboard.live (live)