Bryce Bennett Eyes Third Victory at Val Gardena’s Iconic Saslong Downhill

Steven Nyman’s Challenge: “Tie It Up”

Steven Nyman’s words of encouragement to his former U.S. teammate Bryce Bennett: “You gotta tie it up.” On last season’s performance in Val Gardena, Bennett said, “It was the best weekend of ski racing in my life.”

It stands as the favorite course of the “American Downhillers” – a venerable Italian track where Nyman charged to a trifecta of World Cup victories. One decade after his last win, Bennett is poised to equal his former U.S. Ski Team teammate.

Riding the momentum of a sixth-place finish at the Birds of Prey downhill in Beaver Creek, the 32-year-old Bennett will enter the 57th Saslong Classic downhill start house in Val Gardena on Saturday, striving to burnish the American legacy on the Südtirol slope.

What does Bennett believe will be the Italian recipe for a third taste of victory?

“Put some rocket ships on and a fast speed suit, nail the top and then just keep doing what I’ve been doing in the Ciaslat,” Bennett tells Ski Racing Media. He is referring to the crucial lower section of the Saslong course, a 20- to 25-second stretch with five sweeping turns and chock full of bumps and precarious terrain.

“I feel super good on my skis, so I’m just hoping that the gliding is there,” he says. “I know I’m capable of it, but it’s all about executing.”

Confidence from Val Gardena Success

Bennett – a 14-year Stifel U.S. Ski Team veteran from Truckee, California – returns to the Italian Dolomites resort brimming with confidence and a touch of swagger, buoyed by a stellar performance last season. He sped to a sprint downhill win by 0.03 seconds over Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, before adding a third-place finish in the traditional Saslong Classic. Bennett also achieved his maiden World Cup victory on the 3.4-kilometer Italian course in December 2021.

“I’ve always felt comfortable here and had a lot of good results, including a fourth (before the wins). Last year, all the pieces came together after coming off a bad season the year before.

“Being outside the top 30, you just have that chip on your shoulder – it was the best weekend of ski racing in my life. I’m just confident here. It suits my style very well,” he added.

In both Val Gardena triumphs, the 6-foot-7 athlete adroitly used his long legs as shock absorbers – both on the upper, rolling, gliding sections of the Saslong piste and the notorious lower Ciaslat section – besting the competition and executing aggressive, near-perfect lines.

Nyman’s Record and a Shared Legacy

Nyman’s three victories in Val Gardena came in 2006, 2012 and 2014. Both U.S. downhillers succeeded on the Italian Dolomites course racing with the expertise of elite Italian Fischer factory ski serviceman Leo Mussi.

“He’s a beast,” Bennett says about Mussi.

Bennett and Nyman shared a moment earlier this week after Bennett visited the Ski Champions Walk in Selva Gardena, a trail that immortalizes past Val Gardena/Gröden World Cup winners and world champions from 1970. Billy Kidd is among those honored for winning world championship gold in the combined more than 50 years ago.

“I was sending photos to Steve of his plaques, and he said: ‘You gotta tie it up,’” Bennett said.

“I said, ‘Dude, tie it up, catch me,’” Nyman added. “It was super special to be there last year to witness his second win. I want the boy to reach his potential and be the best that he can be. Obviously, he is part of my old team with Leo.

“It’s just a meaningful place – it’s going to be fun to turn on the TV and see what’s different and cheer them on,” Nyman said. “There’s always something there that inspires us – the terrain, arriving in Europe and the excitement of kicking off the European leg (of the tour).”

“I hope that Bryce ties it, then breaks it, and reaches the upper echelon with guys like Kristian Ghedina and Franz Klammer,” Nyman said, referring to the two legends. Klammer and Ghedina each boast four downhill titles in Val Gardena.

The American Freeskiing Mentality

Win, podium or finish outside the top 15, Bennett insists that he will immensely enjoy the ride down the fun-filled, smile-inducing course. Racers soar through the air against the stunning backdrop of the colossal 10,436-foot Sassalungo Mountain. Tough on the legs, but a veritable feast for the eyes.

“I always remind myself in the start – right before I go, I’m like, ‘Dude, just ski and enjoy this downhill.’ It only comes around once a year,” Bennett said.

“Top to bottom, you’re in the air all the time, working the terrain – it just suits the American freeskiing mentality.

Michael Jordan would even be impressed with the amount of air time.

“Even if you have a shi**y run here, you cross the finish line, and you’re like, ‘That was fun,’ no matter what. It’s just a good time,” Bennett said.

Not only have Bennett and Nyman won multiple times on the high-speed track, but Bode Miller also adds to the American legacy. On the Val Gardena track, he has three second-place finishes (one downhill, two super-G). Finishing runner-up in December 2008, Miller led five Americans (Sullivan 5th, Fisher 7th, Nyman 9th and Lanning 10th) into the top 10. It is arguably the best U.S. World Cup downhill performance in history.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Jared Goldberg, Eric Arvidsson, Sam Morse Kyle Negomir, and Wiley Maple join Bennett among U.S. starters in Saturday’s downhill. The signature race follows Friday’s super-G.

In Quest of an Elusive World Cup Downhill Title

No American male downhiller has ever won a World Cup downhill title. Bennett believes he could be the one to snap the lengthy drought.

Considering his sixth-place finish in Beaver Creek last weekend, the tall and determined downhill racer is off to the best start of his 14-year World Cup career.

“My ultimate goal is to win the downhill title,” Bennett said. “You gotta be there every single race and be consistent every weekend.

“It’s just hard – it’s a long season and you’re far away from home. There are a lot of dynamic moving pieces to each one of these courses. There are different weather conditions and different snow surfaces.

“It’s about being adaptable and mitigating damage,” Bennett said.

Bode Miller (2005 and 2008) and Daron Rahlves (2003 and 2004) came close, each finishing runner-up twice. The two-time overall World Cup champion from New Hampshire barely missed in 2008, finishing a mere five points behind Didier Cuche despite winning the season-finale downhill in Kvitfjell.

Bennett notes the positives assuring his confidence that he can get the job done.

“I’ve had the speed at all of these downhill tracks and I’ve shown it,” he said. “Not consistently year to year, but I’ve been fast at every downhill. It’s just about doing it.

“I know all of the pieces that it takes – it’s just putting them together at the right time.

“I just want to do it and then I can ride off into the sunset,” he said, laughing.

The Saslong Downhill on Saturday will be the second of nine World Cup downhills scheduled across the 2024-25 season.

A third Val Gardena victory for Bennett would certainly be an auspicious start toward achieving his lofty goal. One way or another, it will be a fun ride.

Follow Brian on Instagram: @brian.pinelli