About the Author: Hank McKee

Austrian Mario Matt became the oldest male victor in a World Cup slalom while America's David Chodounsky cruised to a career-best result in Val d'Isere.

Austria's Marcel Hirscher used technical aptitude to conquer a hill that claimed every U.S. starter.

Profiling Val d'Isere, Val Gardena, and Alta Badia

In third was the best skier in the world the last two seasons, Austrian Marcel Hirscher.

With a tie for third place, elbow room was in short supply on the Beaver Creek super G podium.

It was reindeer weather in Beaver Creek and Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal took full advantage.

Canada's Erik Guay was the fastest skier in the one and only Beaver Creek downhill training run as top American Travis Ganong finished seventh.

Warner Nickerson gets the nod for World Cup giant slalom starts in Beaver Creek and Val d'Isere.

The second of three scheduled downhill training runs for the men at Beaver Creek has been cancelled due to snowfall.

Grounded planes in Calgary delayed the arrival of multiple national teams in Colorado.

In front of a hard-charging Austrian team, Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal squeaks out his career fifth super G victory in Lake Louise.

The top four finishers in the Lake Louise downhill all skied the track within .23 of a second.

Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal has recovered from a nasty cold and looks poised to ski fast once again in Lake Louise.

A power shortage affecting lift operations forced the cancellation of the second men's downhill training run.

North American racers were dominant in the first of three downhill training runs in Lake Louise.

Austria dominates the podium, Norway's Kristoffersen collects third, and Ligety powers to 11th.

Eastern ski racing lost a great friend and supporter on Nov. 1, when Okemo legend John Lysobey passed away at age 98.

Ski racing lost one of its purest characters with the sudden retirement of Rainer Schoenfelder at Soelden.