Marco Odermatt super-G / GEPA pictures
Stifel Birds of Prey Super-G Preview: Friday, December 5
Super-G Moved Up to Friday
The Stifel Birds of Prey super-G has been rescheduled and will now take place Friday, December 5, one day earlier than planned.
The change comes as organizers adapt to early-winter weather and snowmaking challenges in the Vail Valley. Fans should adjust their plans accordingly—the second super-G exam of the Olympic season arrives a day sooner than expected.
A Demanding Test Returns to Beaver Creek
Birds of Prey delivers one of the most dynamic and demanding super-G tracks on the World Cup tour. Its steep pitches, high-speed gliding sections, powerful jumps, and abrupt terrain changes force athletes to make fast decisions at full speed. One committed run can launch a skier into contention. One hesitation can end a race immediately.
This is the second super-G exam of the 2026 Olympic World Cup season—and a more challenging test than Copper Mountain.
Odermatt Opens the Season in Control
Copper Mountain served as the first exam, and the outcome was no surprise: Marco Odermatt won again. The Swiss star claimed his 16th World Cup super-G victory, reinforcing his lead on the discipline and the tour. Odermatt is the reigning World Cup super-G globe winner and the 2025 super-G World Champion, and arrives in Beaver Creek as the clear favorite.
Copper Mountain Podium
- Marco Odermatt (SUI) — Winner
- Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) — +0.08
- Raphael Haaser (AUT) — +0.13
Haaser also earned silver behind Odermatt at the 2025 World Championships, reinforcing Austria’s momentum heading into Friday.
Olympic Pressure Rises With Every Race
Friday’s race carries added urgency. It is the second and more revealing speed test of the Olympic season, and every result matters for those fighting for limited quota spots for the 2026 Winter Games in Bormio, Italy. One strong run—or one mistake—can shift an athlete’s Olympic outlook. Expect racers to attack.
Terrain Breakdown: What the Athletes Will Face (Friday)
Friday’s rescheduled super-G runs directly through Birds of Prey’s defining features. The course opens on The Brink, a steep, aggressive pitch that forces racers to commit immediately. They drop into the Talon Turn, a sharp direction change requiring clean execution.
Next comes Pete’s Arena, the second steep pitch where speed accelerates quickly and the line must stay disciplined. From there, the field enters Pump House, rolling terrain that builds velocity before moving onto Russi’s Ride, one of the track’s fastest gliding sections.
The super-G fires off the Screech Owl jump, landing racers onto a long, simple flat that sets up the bottom. That flat ends at Golden Eagle, launching athletes into The Abyss, a deep compression that demands strength, balance, and perfect timing.
The race finishes on one final pitch, and because of early-winter snowmaking challenges, the finish has been adjusted and raised. Athletes will finish within view of the stadium, not inside it.
World Cup Start List: Top Super-G Threats
The current WCSL Top 10 underscores the depth of Friday’s field:
- Marco Odermatt (SUI)
- Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT)
- Stefan Rogentin (SUI)
- Raphael Haaser (AUT)
- Franjo von Allmen (SUI)
- Fredrik Moeller (NOR)
- Dominik Paris (ITA)
- Lukas Feurstein (AUT)
- Cyprien Sarrazin (FRA)
- Guglielmo Bosca (ITA)
Austria places three racers inside the Top 10—Kriechmayr, Haaser, and Feurstein.
Switzerland also fields three—Odermatt, Rogentin, and von Allmen—with higher overall rankings heading into Friday.
North Americans in the Mix
Four North Americans finished inside the top 30 at Copper Mountain:
- Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) — 10th
- James Crawford (CAN) — 16th
- River Radamus (USA) — 22nd
- Kyle Negomir (USA) — 24th
Each carries momentum—and two know Beaver Creek better than nearly anyone.
The U.S. Team Racing on Home Snow (Friday)
Eight Americans will start Friday’s super-G:
- Ryan Cochran-Siegle
- Bryce Bennett
- Jared Goldberg
- Sam Morse
- Erik Arvidsson
- River Radamus — lives minutes from the hill; this is his home venue
- Kyle Negomir — developed at Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
- Tanner Perkins — his second World Cup race, both in Colorado
A Deep and Dangerous Canadian Roster
Canada brings a strong lineup into Friday:
- James Crawford — 2023 World super-G champion
- Brodie Seger
- Jeffrey Read
- Cameron Alexander
- Riley Seger
- Raphaël Lessard
GBR’s Roy-Alexander Steudle Continues His Olympic Push
Roy-Alexander Steudle will represent Great Britain, building experience and ranking as he pursues a 2026 Olympic berth.
Course setter: Andy Evers (AUT)
How to Watch
The men take the hill on Friday, Dec 5, at 1:15 p.m. ET / 10:15 a.m. PT
United States: Live coverage on Outside TV (free)
Canada: Stream on CBC Sports.
Great Britain: Both races air live on Discovery+ — 18:15 UK time.
North American and British super-G Rosters: World Cup Start List — FIS Rank Shown if Outside Top 30 on WCSL
- James Crawford, WCSL 14, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, HEAD
- Ryan Cochran-Siegle, WCSL 16, Stifel USST, Mt Mansfield Ski Academy, Cochran’s Ski Club, HEAD
- Cameron Alexander, WCSL 19, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club
- Jared Goldberg, WCSL 24, Stifel USST, Snowbird Sports Educational Foundation
- Jeffrey Read, WCSL 29, ACA, Banff Alpine Racers, Atomic
- Riley Seger, WCSL 57, FIS Rank 38, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Montana State University
- River Radamus, WCSL 31, FIS Rank 39, Stifel USST, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail
- Raphael Lessard, FIS Rank 37, University of Utah, Club de Ski Bromont, HEAD
- Kyle Negomir, WCSL 33, FIS Rank 46, Stifel USST, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, Atomic
- Bryce Bennett, WCSL 38, FIS Rank 58, Bryce Bennett, Stifel USST, Team Palisades Tahoe, Oakley
- Erik Arvidsson, WCSL 57, FIS Rank 68, Stifel USST, Team Palisades Tahoe, Middlebury College, HEAD
- Brodie Seger, WCSL 51, FIS Rank 71, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Atomic
- Sam Morse, WCSL 63, FIS Rank 82, Stifel USST, Carrabassett Valley Academy, TOKO
- Roy-Alexander Steudle, FIS Rank 120, Ambition Racing, British Independent, Atomic
- Tanner Perkins, FIS Rank 168, Stifel USST, Montana State University, Aspen Valley Ski Club, Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team, HEAD
About the Author: Peter Lange
