KETCHUM, Idaho — The best skiers in the country will compete in Sun Valley this week in several different racing disciplines on the Warm Springs side of the resort.
The national championship will be crowned in the Super G on Thursday, the men's giant slalom on Friday, the women's giant slalom on Saturday, and the slalom on Sunday, giving people multiple opportunities to catch the action.
"I was definitely nervous, I don’t get that nervous before other races," said Ruby Christ, who grew up in Sun Valley and races for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. "I was just excited to race on my home hill and the course was super awesome."
The U.S. Alpine National Championships is also an opportunity for up-and-coming skiers like Ruby Christ to make it onto the national team on a challenging course.
"The craftiest skiers are going to do the best here because it is not about just linking up all the turns," said Christ. "You need to stay online, especially on Upper Greyhawk, where you need to keep your elevation because the hill is just dragging you down."
This course is different because it is so steep and fast, it gives the technical skiers an advantage. Jay Poulter from Stratton, Vermont won the first competition before the national championships kicked off on Thursday.
"I would say the snow is icy, but it definitely has a decent amount of grip so it is honestly perfect racing conditions for us," said Poulter, a member of the U.S. ski team. "It's definitely a really challenging hill and they did a really good job this year prepping the snow."
The fans got to enjoy a perfect bluebird day on Wednesday, but the sunny weather has caused challenges for the crew. They have spent countless hours watering the course to prepare it for racing.
"It’s super sweet racing here in this town because they are super into ski racing," said Poulter. "Everyone is so nice. When you see them walking down the street, they wish you good luck, and it definitely feels like you have been living here a while even though we just got here yesterday."
Hosting the race for the second year in a row also gives the next generation of skiers in Sun Valley something to look forward to as they start at such a young age. Ruby Christ is now 18-years-old.
"The culture is super strong here so everybody learns to ski when they are grommets," said Christ. "It's not all about ski racing I think a lot of us really enjoy free skiing too."
Here is our coverage from last year as we profiled what hosting this event means for the community of Sun Valley.
