Birds of Prey gets green light from FIS snow control

By Published On: November 22nd, 2014Comments Off on Birds of Prey gets green light from FIS snow control
FIS Men’s Speed Race Director Hannes Trinkl (left) and Birds of Prey Chief of Course Ron Ruppert (right) inspect the lower section of Beaver Creek’s Birds of Prey Downhill course prior to Saturday’s FIS snow control inspection. John Dakin/VVF

FIS Men’s Speed Race Director Hannes Trinkl, left, and Birds of Prey Chief of Course Ron Ruppert, right, inspect the lower section of Beaver Creek’s Birds of Prey Downhill course prior to Saturday’s FIS snow control inspection. John Dakin/VVF

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. — It’s full speed ahead for the Audi FIS Birds of Prey World Cup Race Week at Beaver Creek as organizers received the green light Saturday for the 2014 edition of racing.

“Our partners at Vail Resorts have certainly made the most of the temperatures and the real stuff that Mother Nature has provided,” explained Michael Imhof, senior vice president of sales and operations for the Vail Valley Foundation and director of the 2015 World Championships.  “Thanks to favorable snowmaking conditions and the natural snow we have received, everything is on track for a great weekend of racing at the Audi FIS Birds of Prey.”

Beaver Creek Mountain, which has received just over three feet of new snow in the past 12 days, is scheduled to open on Wednesday, November 26, while Vail Mountain opened to the public on Nov. 21.

“We are happy to report that snowmaking is 99 percent complete on the race venue at Beaver Creek,” explained Chief of Race Greg Johnson.  “Our final snowmaking needs are in the finish area and, with another winter storm forcast for this weekend, along with optimal snowmaking temperatures, we’ll be ready to race.”

The FIS requires a Snow Control inspection for all World Cup sites in advance of the competitions to ensure that good racecourse conditions exist or that the weather forecast is favorable for sufficient snowmaking.

The 2014 Audi FIS Birds of Prey World Cup Race Week gets underway Tuesday, Dec. 2, with Downhill Training.  Competition kicks off Friday, Dec. 5, with the traditional Birds of Prey Downhill, followed by Super-G on Saturday, Dec. 6.  The weekend’s racing will conclude with Giant Slalom on Sunday, Dec. 7.

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