The 2025-26 FIS Alpine World Cup starts in less than two months

This year’s FIS World Cup should be on every snow fanatic’s radar, especially with the 2026 Winter Olympic Games approaching. The 2025-26 FIS Alpine World Cup season begins in late October. The Giant Slalom, held in Sölden, Austria, will feature the world’s best women and men racing at speeds surpassing 50 miles per hour. After the season begins in Europe, skiers will go to North America for two brief weeks of competition. Then return to Europe for the rest of the season, culminating in Milano-Cortina, Italy, host of the 2026 Winter Games.

Anticipation builds for the 2025-26 season.| Credit: FIS Alpine World Tour Facebook

Pre-season training has already started in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority of World Cup skiers are presently in South America or New Zealand, honing their skills for the forthcoming season. While it may sound like a dream to ski all over the world year-round, the reality is that the life of a professional athlete is fraught with physical demands, pressure, and its fair share of ups and downs. Alpine ski racers rarely have a day off, and they must perform the same exercises, drills, routines, and diets on a daily basis, which can be exhausting. Following some of the competitors’ social media pages can provide a glimpse into the hard effort that goes into being an alpine ski racer—Lindsey Vonn posts her remarkable gym workouts practically every day.

Lindsey Vonn and Aksel Lund Svindal join forces. | Credit: FIS Alpine World Tour Facebook

Lindsey Vonn is regarded as one of the most decorated female alpine skiers in the world. Vonn, who retired in October 2024 due to several injuries and setbacks, has been training in New Zealand and Chile for the forthcoming season and appears to be in peak condition. Vonn has honed her talents ahead of the Winter Games in Milano-Cortina and the World Cup season. Vonn, coached by Aksel Lund Svindal, a former Norwegian alpine ski racer with two World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal, will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Vonn, 40, is the oldest participant in the competition this year, yet she consistently ranked in the top 20 during her comeback season in 2024-25. This alone is worth following and watching every World Cup race this season. However, Vonn faces stiff competition for Olympic selection and will have to compete with her compatriots for a berth, as each country can only send four competitors per event.

Mikaela Shiffrin, who has won more than 100 World Cup races, is one such contender for an Olympic starting spot. After a brief sojourn in New Zealand, Shiffrin is now training in South America in preparation for the 2018 World Cup season. Shiffrin had a terrible 2024-25 season after sustaining a catastrophic injury at the Giant Slalom World Cup race in Killington, Vermont, when she penetrated her abdomen with a ski pole or a gate. Shiffrin missed several months of racing due to the injury and is making a cautious recovery. She won her 101st World Cup championship in the Slalom event at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, but later acknowledged to suffering from PTSD as a result of her crash. She did not compete in Giant Slalom at the World Cup Finals and struggled in prior races following the crash. As of now, she’s all grins in Chile, looking eager to take on the forthcoming season.

Mikaela Shiffrin has 101 World Cup Titles to her name | Credit: Mikaela Shiffrin Facebook

On the men’s side, strong competition for both the World Cup season and Olympic selection is expected. Favorites for the 2025-26 season include defending overall season title winner Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, as well as his compatriots Loic Meillard and Franjo von Allmen. Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde will return later this season at Beaver Creek, but his compatriot Henrik Kristoffersen—a tech specialist—will undoubtedly be in Sölden for the season opener and to defend his Slalom season title. As always, European skiers have a little advantage because the majority of the races are hosted closer to home; nonetheless, Team USA will present a strong field led by Bryce Bennet (Team Palisades Tahoe) and River Radamus (Ski & Snowboard Club Vail).

This season promises to be exciting as it is an Olympic year and the FIS has approved higher prize money. With six Alpine World Cup events conducted in the United States, this is a fantastic opportunity for North Americans to see some of the world’s best skiers skiing at the greatest level. Copper Mountain, Colorado, will hold men’s and women’s events on Thanksgiving Weekend, while the men’s Downhill will take place in adjacent Beaver Creek on December 4.

This season, athletes will push themselves harder than ever to achieve a spot on the podium at a World Cup race or, better yet, the Olympics.

Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup | Credit: FIS Alpine World Cup Tour Facebook