A Need for Speed!

Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Resort

Alpine Nationals Return to Sun Valley

BY MIKE MCKENNA

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of alpine skiing at its highest level. The speed, the power, the skill, the après ski parties…nothing else really compares.

That’s why Sun Valley is stoked to be hosting the U.S. Alpine Nationals this spring. Baldy will be the epicenter of the American ski scene from April 2-5. The top male and female skiers in the country will compete to see who’s the best in the big mountain events of Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super G.

The fastest racers in the Super G could hit speeds well over 80 miles per hour. Such speeds will cause the skiers to pull about 3.5 on the g-force, or gravitational, scale, which puts as much pressure on them as if they nearly tripled their body weight or just took off in a space shuttle.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUN VALLEY RESORT

USA Today declared the downhill to be one of the “Ten Hardest Things to Do in Sports”. The concept behind the Super G, Slalom, and Overall Combined titles is simple: fastest one to the bottom wins. No wonder alpine ski racing can be so much fun to watch.

The field will include local Sun Valley-based skiers Ryder Sarchett, Jack Smith, and Dasha Romanov as well as fellow Idahoan Breezy Johnson from Victor.

The races will be held on the Warm Springs side of Baldy. The Super G starts on Challenger, hits Warm Springs, and then bombs down Greyhawk. About two-thirds of the Super G course can be seen from the slopes and there is a spectator area at the bottom of the course. There is no charge to view the racing and most of Bald Mountain will remain open to the public for skiing and boarding during the races.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUN VALLEY RESORT

NBC Sports announcers for the Super G in 2016 called the course “challenging,” “relentless,” and “intimidating.” The Slalom carves its way down Hemingway.

“The course in Sun Valley has a storied history of alpine racing, having tested hundreds of local and visiting athletes with its technical and challenging terrain over the years,” Sun Valley Resort’s Director of Marketing Bridgett Higgins said. “The award-winning grooming, and continuous steeps, contribute to the long list of merits that makes Sun Valley the perfect choice for this event.”

Sun Valley also hosted Nationals in 2016 and 2018, but the last time before that was in 1951. After that 65-year hiatus, Sun Valley has turned out to be an excellent host. The U.S. Ski Team has already announced the Alpine Nationals will return to Idaho’s highest ski area again next year. Sun Valley also offers the most vertical feet in Idaho, at 3,450.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUN VALLEY RESORT

The world-class terrain on Baldy is just one of the reasons why Sun Valley is such a good fit for the biggest ski races in America each year.

Sun Valley is as steeped in ski history as cinnamon sticks are in a good hot toddy. The first ski resort in the country was built on old ranchlands in the Wood River Valley of Idaho in 1936.

The Sun Valley Lodge and its Austrian-inspired village are still there and haven’t changed much—at least on the exterior. The Lodge and Inn have both had recent major remodels, but the exteriors look the same as they did when Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Ernest Hemingway strolled past them lifetimes ago.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUN VALLEY RESORT

Sun Valley hosted the first-ever international alpine ski race in America, the Harriman Cup, back in 1937 and also hosted the FIS World Cup in 1977.

Over 50 former Olympians have come from Sun Valley, including the first American to ever win an Olympic Gold Medal in skiing, Gretchen Fraser in 1948.

Between the Sun Valley Lodge and the slopes of Baldy sits the town of Ketchum, which is loaded with tasty places to après ski. Imbibing after a day of mountain adventures has always been part of the Sun Valley scene. From its star-studded opening weekend in December of 1936 to just last weekend, the après party scene in Sun Valley has always been legendary.

Super-G racers often exceed speeds of over 80 miles per hour on the course.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUN VALLEY RESORT

That’s just another reason why Sun Valley has claimed three straight titles as the “Best Overall Resort in the West” by the annual Ski Magazine Readers Poll. People tend to have a great time when they come to carve turns in Sun Valley, on and off the slopes.

Alpine ski racing is all about balance, control, focus and speed. It’s like a snow-covered drag race, which is why it’s so fun to watch. Everything happens in a split second, which is usually the difference between becoming a national champ and being just being another happy skier going to enjoy an après party.

The vertical drop for a Super-G course must be between 1,150–2,130 ft for men, 1,150–1,970 ft for women, and 820–1,480 ft for children.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUN VALLEY RESORT

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Men’s and Women’s Super G races will begin the week of events, on Saturday, April 1, with practice opportunities for racers as well as a sponsor village and live après music in Warm Springs Plaza. Sunday, April 2, the racing kicks off with Men’s and Women’s Super G, followed by the Clicquot in the Snow Party at Warm Springs and the Opening Ceremony at Town Square in Ketchum, featuring a Parade of Athletes and a free concert by the Lowdown Brass Band. Men’s and Women’s Slalom will run on Monday, April 3; Women’s Giant Slalom on Tuesday, April 4; and Men’s Giant Slalom on Wednesday, April 5; each day’s races will be followed by awards and live music in the Warm Springs Plaza. Find out more at SunValley.com.