Dave Ryding on his way to 2022 Kitzbühel victory: photo credit GEPA

Who is skiing, when and how to watch the Kitzbühel slalom

Kitzbuhel is a very interesting slalom. There aren’t any long steep pitches but because they enhance and build a lot of terrain, there are very few rhythm sections. There are also lots of severe knolls and compressions. You will rarely see two turns in a row that ski similarly. Good athletes do very well in Kitzbühel.

Last year’s race saw two firsts—the first British World Cup victory earned by the first-time winner, 35-year-old Dave Ryding. There were a lot of smiles on the faces of people in blue jackets with GB Snowsport patches.

The race slope is ice

Fortunately, temperatures are cooperating with the preparation of the men’s slalom slope. With freezing temperatures, the surface is ice. The report is very icy. The course crew used the water injection bars twice and then, four days later, sprayed the hill with hoses. There have been slippers on the hill constantly. The slalom racers will have the first icy surface of the year. FIS’s Jani Hladnik has been struggling just to complete races, but tomorrow should feel like a deserved break.

We will see the amazing field of men’s slalom skiers solving the puzzle that is Kitzbühel. Will the home country crowd power Manuel Feller to the Austrian’s first 2022-23 slalom victory? Can they energize Olympic medalist Johannes Strolz to the podium? Can the Norwegians dominate another slalom? Or will the Swiss racer Loic Meillard finally get a victory to go along with his 13 podiums,

Following the Wengen race, North America has three male slalom skiers who have scored World Cup points. CAN Erik Read, USA Luke Winters and USA Benjamin Ritchie. In Wengen, for the first time this season, all three qualified for the final in the same race. However, if conditions are icy, all seven of the North Americans entered are capable of finishing the day in the top 30.

Alpine Canada Alpin has entered four Slalom skiers and the Stifel US Alpine Team has entered three.

North Americans entered to race the January 22nd Kitzbühel slalom

• Bib 26, Luke Winters, USST, Sugar Bowl Ski Academy, Dynastar, Lange, LOOK, SWIX, ASP
• Bib 28, Erik Read, ACA, Banff Alpine Racers, University of Denver, Atomic, UVEX
• Bib 41, Benjamin Ritchie, USST, GMVS, Dynastar, Lange, LOOK, ASP
• Bib 50, Liam Wallace, ACA, Sunshine Alpine Racers, Rossignol/LOOK
• Bib 53, Asher Jordan, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Atomic
• Bib 58, Jett Seymour, USST, SSWSC, University of Denver, Fischer
• Bib 59, Simon Fournier, ACA, Mont Tremblant Ski Club, University of Denver, Fischer 

The first run will begin at 4:30 am Eastern Time and 1:30 am on the West Coast. The second run will start at 7:30 am Eastern Time and at 4:30 am on the West Coast.

In the USA, Kitzbühel’s slalom can be viewed live and replayed on Peacock TV. Kitzbühel is in Austria and its FIS content rights are controlled by IMG, which have sold alpine skiing for US viewers to Peacock TV. Peacock TV requires a subscription.

In Canada, World Cup can be viewed on CBC sports

The First run start list for the January 22nd Kitzbühel World Cup SL and program

Program for Sunday, January 22nd, Kitzbühel SL