World Pro Ski Tour is Back in Beaver Creek This Weekend

They’re Back. After 20 years, the exciting head-to-head dual format of the World Pro Ski Tour will return to Beaver Creek, Colorado, this Friday and Saturday, February 1-2, 2019 at 11:00 am-2:30 pm with the fastest pro ski racers in the United States.

The World Pro Ski Tour is a nationwide tour of events featuring the popular dual format of alpine ski racing. By placing two athletes side-by-side, spectators on-site and TV viewers consume the most exciting and easiest to understand format in alpine ski racing.

The history of Beaver Creek mountain and ski racing continues. Beaver Creek was the last major ski area to be constructed in the West. Groundbreaking for Beaver Creek Resort took place in July of 1977, leading into its inaugural ski season in 1980. On December 15, 1980, Beaver Creek Resort opened for skiing with six chairlifts and a slope-side lodge. The Bear Trap Race Course hosts some of Beaver Creek’s signature events and this year’s Rocky Mountain Pro Classic will not disappoint.

The reborn World Pro Ski Tour hosted its debut event in 2017 at Sunday River Ski Area in Newry, Maine, which featured NCAA champions, World Cup racers, and Olympians in the first pro-tour style race held in the U.S. since the late 1990’s. Four-time national champion and two-time Olympian David Chodounsky narrowly defeated 2017 U.S. and Canadian national slalom champion AJ Ginnis in the finals to take the $10,000 prize.

In 2018, U.S. Olympian Nolan Kasper won the Visit Maine Pro Ski Championship at Sunday River, defeating Slovakian Olympian Adam Zampa in the final for the $10,000 prize. Kasper also edged out Michael Ankeny for the overall 2018 season championship title and an additional $5,000. Kasper also claimed the Tito’s Rookie of the Year title, winning another $1,000.

For 2019, Kasper will be returning to defend his title. The 29-year-old former member of the U.S. Ski Team and the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team lives in Brooklyn, New York. Kasper was a promising star out of Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont who qualified for his first Olympics at the age of 20 at Vancouver 2010. In 2014, he was 13th in the slalom at the Sochi Olympics. A knee injury in the 2014-15 season sidelined him for two full seasons until his return to World Cup action in January 2018 where he finished 20th in Wengen, Switzerland. Kasper then went on to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, finishing with his teammates in 9th place in the team event.

Finishing second overall for the 2018 season, Ankeny proved to be a worthy opponent for Kasper. With three third-place finishes, he finished behind Kasper by only 11 points in the standings. Ankeny finished in 3rd Place at the 2017 Pro Ski Challenge, 19th in the 2016 Kitzbuehel World Cup slalom, 23rd in the 2017 Adelboden World Cup slalom, 21st in the 2016 Adelboden World Cup slalom, and was the 2015 Overall and slalom NorAm Champion.

Ginnis, a 2015 World Junior Championships bronze medalist in slalom, finished third in the WPST standings for the 2018 season. Due to a knee injury, Ginnis is out for the 2019 season.

The World Pro Ski Tour provides a unique racing experience with athletes competing head-to-head in a dual format event. Racing against each other and not against the clock; the dead-horse starts, identical courses, and two pro jumps make the event exciting and fast-passed.

Friday, February 1, qualifications will begin at 12:00 noon, the super slalom event will be held on Saturday, February 2, at 11 am. A seeding bracket with each round will decide who advances – two runs, one on each course, the fastest combined differential from the two runs will advance.

Schedule of Events

THURSDAY – January 31, 2019

• 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Registration at Manor Vail Lodge (across the street from Golden Peak)
• 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – Racer Meeting Manor Vail Lodge (same room as Racer registration)
• 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Tito’s Apres Party Manor Vail Lodge, The Fitz Lounge TBD
• 7:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m. – Tito’s and Welcome Party at The Red Lion, Vail Village

FRIDAY – February 1, 2019

• 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – VIP Sponsor Check-in, The Molly Brown room lower level Ford Hall, Beaver Creek
• 10:00 a.m. – Inspection and Start Testing, Bear Trap run, Beaver Creek (athletes are allowed to test start and go on wrong side of first gate)

• 12:00 p.m. – Qualification start 1st run, Bear Trap run, Beaver Creek
• 1:00 p.m. – Qualification start 2nd run, Bear Trap run, Beaver Creek
• 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Skiing with Sponsors – Meet in finish area at Bear Trap
• 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Tito’s Apres Party at The Coyote in Beaver Creek
• 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Tito’s After Dark Party at Vendetta’s Italian Restaurant & Bar, Vail Village

SATURDAY – February 2, 2019

• 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – VIP Sponsor Check-in, The Molly Brown room lower level Ford Hall, Beaver Creek
• 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Course Inspection, Bear Trap run, Beaver Creek
• 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Dual Super Slalom event, Bear Trap run, Beaver Creek

Finish Area Race Awards Ceremony Top 4 to follow immediately after the race

• 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tito’s Apres Party at The Coyote in Beaver Creek
• 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Tito’s After Dark Party at The Red Lion, Vail Village (Please attend only if 21 or older)

2019 TOUR SCHEDULE

Beaver Creek, CO ​​- Jan 31–Feb 2, 2019
Waterville Valley, NH​​ – Feb 7–9, 2019
Steamboat Springs, CO​ – ​Feb 28–Mar 2, 2019 (*tentative)
Buck Hill, MN – Mar 14–16, 2019 (*tentative)
Sunday River, ME​​ – Mar 28–30, 2019

For more information visit https://www.worldproskitour.com

Release courtesy of the World Pro Ski Tour.