Europeans may be basking in the warm temperatures and dry conditions this fall has brought, but ski resorts such as the famed Val d'Isere in France are scrambling to open without snow. The bare mountains in the Alps have forced one World Cup race to move stateside and more schedule changes could come if the snow does not start to fall.
Beaver Creek, a ski resort in Eagle County, Colo., was chosen to host the World Cup race next week in lieu of the dry Val d'Isere. The Colorado resort was already set up for its Birds of Prey World Cup circuit event, which was conducting training runs on Wednesday. Coupled with the fact that it already had organizing in place made it an easy decision to move the race to Beaver Creek over other Colorado ski resorts.
“It’s a whole lot easier to extend a venue that is already up and running as opposed to telling someone that they have a week or less to prepare for a World Cup ladies Super G and a few men’s races,” said John Dakin, vice president of communications for Vail Valley Foundation, the organizing body for World Cup racing at Beaver Creek.
Speculation had been mounting for a few weeks about a delayed start to the World Cup season. Dakin said that Vail Valley Foundation had been in communication for a week about moving the event. When asked about more races moving to Beaver Creek this year he replied, “Not at this point in time. Obviously the weather can change in Europe and it is too early to start shifting the entire season around.”
The Birds of Prey World Cup races will wrap up on Sunday. The relocated World Cup race will start on Tuesday, Dec. 6, with the Men’s Giant Slalom. The ladies Super G will run on Wednesday, Dec. 7, and the Men’s slalom will run on Thursday, Dec. 8.
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