Sun Valley Makes History: First Idaho Resort to Host World Cup Finals Skiers and riders, mark your calendars! Sun Valley, Idaho, is gearing up for a monumental event in the world of alpine skiing. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has officially ratified Sun Valley as the host for the 2025 Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals, set to take place from March 22-27, 2025.This announcement is causing waves of excitement across the skiing community. It's been eight years since the World Cup Finals graced American snow, with Aspen, Colorado, last hosting in 2017. Sun Valley's successful bid comes after extensive preparations, including the construction of a new World Cup course and significant upgrades to their base area infrastructure. The newly constructed race course, aptly named 'Challenger' after the Union Pacific Railway's speedy train cars, will be the battleground for all four alpine disciplines: Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, and Slalom. Both men and women will compete, with only the top 25 skiers in total points from the season earning an invitation.Sun Valley's rich skiing heritage makes it a fitting host for this prestigious event. As America's first destination ski resort, opened in 1936 by the Union Pacific Railway, it has long been a magnet for world-class skiers, celebrities, and artists. The resort continues to rank among the best in North America, and now it's ready to showcase its world-class facilities on the global stage.
The racecourse on the Challenger side of the resort. Credit: Sun Valley Resort. A key addition to Sun Valley's infrastructure is the new 'Challenger' detachable six-pack lift. This marvel of engineering, completed for the Winter '23/'24 season, is one of the fastest lifts globally. It whisks skiers up 3,138 vertical feet in just 8 minutes, including a mid-station stop near the Giant Slalom start.The resort successfully hosted the 2024 U.S. Alpine National Championships in March, serving as a test event for the upcoming World Cup Finals. This trial run clearly impressed the FIS, leading to the coveted approval for the 2025 finals. Sun Valley is planning to make this event truly memorable, with promises of a "bustling events lineup" including daily live music after the races. The schedule for the finals is as follows:March 22: Men's and women's downhillMarch 23: Men's and women's super-GMarch 24: Off day, no race eventsMarch 25: Women's giant slalomMarch 26: Men's giant slalomMarch 27: Men's and women's slalom
About the author
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
