It was a glorious weekend at the 2024 Stifel Killington Cup as temperatures and Mother Nature joined forces once again providing outstanding conditions and some post-Thanksgiving sunshine jump starting yet another epic ski season.
At the first event under new ownership Killington now has the distinction of being the largest independently operated ski resort in the country.
Swiss and Swede racers dominated this year’s event, but it was Mikaela Shiffrin’s crash on her second run of the Giant Slalom that made headline news.
The U.S. Ski Team went into the weekend with high hopes as Shiffrin pursued her 100th podium finish. On her second run on Saturday after a commanding lead on her first, charging down Superstar toward the lip of Preston’s pitch, she careened laterally, then crashed and tumbled towards the protective fencing as the crowd gasped in silence.
As the sled took her down Superstar the G.S. winners were announced, national anthems played, and the podium backdrop was readied in celebration of victors Sara Hector of Sweden, Zrinka Ljuticof Croatia, and Camille Rast of Switzerland. A hushed silence followed as the winners celebrated with cups held high and Vermont teddy bears in tow.
U.S. Ski Team member Nina O’Brien and Paula Moltzan posted their best World Cup G.S. finishes placing fifth and sixth. 19-year-old Elisabeth Bocock placed eighth after her first run and ended the day at the 23rd slot earning her first World Cup points.
Federica Brignone from Italy, who has been dominating the event so far this year, had problems on the icy steeps of Superstar falling on one of her runs.
Moltzan, who now has an IPA named after her from Lawsons Finest Liquids in Waitsfield, Vermont (the same place that makes Sip of Sunshine) called Paula’s World IPA, was the sole representative of Team USA on Sunday to make it to the second run but crashed.
With Shiffrin out of the picture and Olympic champion Petra Vlhova not participating in this year’s event, Sunday’s podium spots were up for grabs.
Camille Rast of Switzerland who finished ninth in the 2023-24 season in slalom took first place with Anna Swenn-Larsen of Sweden and Wendy Holdener of Switzerland tieing for second on Sunday. In an interesting turn of events, they shared the winning spots at Killington Cup Slalom event in 2022.
NBC, Peacock and Outside TV provided worldwide coverage for the athletes from 19 countries putting the Beast of the East on the world stage for the eighth time. The event was attended by 3,900 for the 3-day event including Fridays bib drawing and the two-day slalom events.
Fireworks and musical performances by Fitz and the Tantrums, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, and Eve Six kept the crowd entertained and shuffling in their boots between races.
Coverage at the mountain was top to bottom allowing skiers to view the festivities as they raced down the mountain themselves on Highline alongside the world’s finest, a total of 64 athletes in G.S. and 66 in Slalom. Cheers to another fine World Cup event at Killington and a speedy recovery to Mikaela who took on a puncture wound to the abdomen and severe muscle trauma but no damaged ligaments.
Next stop of the Women’s FIS Ski World Cup race schedule will be at Beaver Creek on December 14th due to Mount Tremblant’s cancellation for lack of snow. More cowbell please!
Thanks for the report. I’m always impressed that Killington’s snowmaking department can deliver so consistently every year. They are beastly. Congrats to the winners of course and hopefully Shiffrin heals up fast.