SUN VALLEY, Idaho — It's not every day you get to mingle among some of the best ski racers in the world. But in Blaine County this week, it's the norm as the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals arrives in Sun Valley.
You can find the full schedule of events from March 20 to 27, here.
Stacey Ehlinger, Organizing Chair, said, "This is amazing. It's definitely what our valley and our towns have been built on. And all of our legacy in ski racing history—from our current legends that are on the team, all the way back to our originals. It's really cool. It's amazing for the community."
Planning for the event began in December 2022, giving organizers just 14 months to prepare. Ehlinger added, "We fully built a brand new downhill. We have not run a downhill on this hill since the '70s."
The World Cup Finals will feature the top 25 men and women across four disciplines, with public events, live music, and local performances stretching from the slopes into downtown.
"This is such a community event. It's open and it's free for all of our locals to attend. And we have included a lot of local organizations," Ehlinger said.
The excitement is palpable. One local remarked, "Yes! It's a little crowded, but it is filled with exciting people from all over the world. And it's so fun skiing around. You know, you're behind somebody who's got like a Swiss ski team jacket, U.S. ski team.”
Another resident expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "It's awesome seeing a little bit of life being breathed into town during a time that's a little bit slower. We’re kind of scoping out all the cat tracks, trying to find out the best place to perch our little party there."
For the thousands headed to Sun Valley, it's a world-class competition. For locals, it's a once-in-a-generation celebration of ski culture and homegrown pride.
Ehlinger concluded, "I grew up here locally from a ski racing family, [it's] very cool to turn around and help plan this."
