The Stifel Success NorAm Cup Kicks Off at Copper Mountain
Featured Image: Samuel Dupratt going off a downhill jump during a training run at Beaver Creek. Credit: GEPA pictures/ Mathias Mandl
The first North American Cup (NorAm) is underway in Copper Mountain, Colorado! The men and women started the Stifel Success NorAm Cup with one canceled downhill training day and a successful one. The athletes are ramping up for their first downhill race this morning. Both fields will be racing two days of downhill, on December 6th and 7th. Then, on December 8th, the men will compete in two super-G races, and the women will have their super-Gs on December 9th.
The NorAm Cup is a FIS series of races hosted in Canada and the United States. These events are a stepping stone to the World Cup Circuit, and there will be a wide range of levels at this inaugural NorAm. For the men’s field, several athletes are World Cup racers and will be bringing fierce competition. Alternatively, some athletes are racing on the NorAm circuit for the first time. For the women, none of the athletes are starting with World Cup races under their belt, so there will be more of a level playing field.
The track at Copper for the downhill and super-G has versatile terrain, which makes it a solid developmental course for athletes. Urban Planinsek, the Men’s Alpine Canada World Cup Speed Coach, explained, “It is good for development. You have gliding sections and two good jumps for both girls and boys.” He continued, “You have blind gates, rolls, a steep pitch at the end, and speeds over 130 kilometers an hour. So, it has it all; it’s safe and it’s wide. It’s a really good development track.”
The Men’s Field
For the downhill, the Men will have 86 athletes competing. The athletes are primarily from the US and Canada, but there will also be one athlete from Slovenia, Japan and Italy. Athletes racing with World Cup starts under their belt have not been able to compete in a World Cup speed race this season due to cancellations. Nevertheless, the WC men will be looking to win, and the men without WC points will be up for the challenge, presenting the leaders with determined competition.
Different clubs will be represented on the hill. Ski and Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV) will have 23 male athletes competing in this NorAm, and 15 of them will be racing their first NorAm ever. Pat Duran, the Head Men’s FIS Coach for SSCV stated, “For a lot of them this will be their first FIS race of the season. We are excited!” He continued, “We had one great week of speed training at Copper and feel ready to compete at this level.”
The athletes new to the NorAm circuit are creating goals that set them up for long-term success. Duran stated, “For many of the athletes competing this week from SSCV, they don’t have the speed to win this year, but we are looking long-term, and we think the experience we gain will be beneficial in years to come.”
For the top athletes, they are competing to cross the finish line first. Some of the top athletes who were on the roster to compete at the canceled Beaver Creek speed races include Cameron Alexander (CAN), Kyle Alexander (CAN), Samuel Dupratt (USA), and Jack Smith (USA). Wiley Maple from the US also competed in the downhill training for Beaver Creek and is making a comeback after injuries forced him out of the sport for almost four years.
In the 2023 season, Cameron Alexander was the World Championship bronze medalist, and his younger brother, Kyle Alexander, continues to earn his spot with multiple WC starts, podium NorAm finishes, and victories. Sam Dupratt had an impressive comeback from an injury and won the super-G NorAm title, which secured him a World Cup spot. These men will be looking to step on the podium this week.
The Women’s Field
For the women, there will be fierce competition this week. The field size is about half the size of the men, primarily from the US and Canada. Also, there is one racer from Mexico and two from Great Britain competing. A handful of the female athletes are competing in their first NorAm this week.
A club with multiple female athletes competing in their first NorAm is SSCV. SSCV has a roster of 10 women, and six are kicking out of their inaugural NorAm start.
Although several females from this group will be new to this circuit, Ryan Wilson, the SSCV FIS Women’s Head Coach, stated, “Our prep period was great! We skied at Copper until June 15th, went to Ushuaia, Argentina for three weeks, and then skied indoors in Belgium. So, it was very well-rounded with a lot of volume.”
In the downhill training run, Haley Cutler from the US came out of the start gate, starting her season strong. Last season, Cutler had four top-5 finishes and three podiums on this hill. Her main goal this season is to secure the DH title on the NorAm circuit, which will grant her a World Cup spot. Previously, she told Ski Racing Media, “Crossing the finish line with the feeling of a fast run and knowing I nailed my inspection marks is always a confidence booster.”
Allison Mollin, skiing for the Stifel US Ski Team, is the leader by seed points going into the downhill races. She has 50.15 DH points and in 2022, earned a silver medal and a 4th-place on this track. She will have her eyes set on that gold medal this week.
Download the women’s start list
Overall, the Stifel Success NorAm Cup will be an exhilarating speed series. The hill is dynamic, and the fields both have a variety of racers ready to throw down on the track. Planinsek stated, “It’s a really good early season downhill, but it’s kind of an interesting track because some guys/girls are extremely fast here, and some can not figure it out.” This morning, the Women’s race will begin at 9:15 AM MST, and the Men begin at 10:15 AM MST.
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
