Weather shuffle: Euro loss could be Colorado's gain

The warm weather and lack of snow in Europe already has forced the alpine World Cup to shun Sölden, Austria. Are more World Cup sites about to face a similar fate this season?

ASPEN, Colorado — The warm weather and lack of snow in Europe already has forced the alpine World Cup to shun Sölden, Austria. Are more World Cup sites about to face a similar fate this season?
    The International Ski Federation is so concerned about the weather for the early December World Cups at St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Val d’Isere, France, that a shift to North Americans venues is being considered. Following stops in Aspen, Beaver Creek and Lake Louise, the tour was scheduled to hit St. Moritz for three women’s races and Val d’Isere for two men’s races Dec. 9-10.
    FIS women’s World Cup director Atle Skaardal said at Friday’s team captains meeting in Aspen that USSA has been asked to step to the plate if the European weather does not cooperate.
    “In St. Moritz it’s very warm, and it’s going to stay very warm for the next four or five days,” Skaardal said. “Also that’s the same situation in Val d’Isere. We’re working with different possibilities with these races. It’s still too early to confirm anything, but USSA has been asked to take over these races, and they are looking into different possibilities, for here in Aspen or in Beaver Creek. We’re working quite hard to have something confirmed by Saturday or Sunday.”
    Earlier Friday, U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director Jesse Hunt said, “We’ll see how things go over there, but from what I know, it’s still full speed ahead, heading over to Europe when we’re done here in Aspen.”
    With decent — though not exorbitant — snowcover in the Colorado high country, Aspen, Vail and Beaver Creek might have the potential to pick up races if FIS rules out some European stops due to weather.
    Racing at Beaver Creek is set for Thursday through Sunday of next week, with Monday, Dec. 4 a possible start date for additional World Cup races.
    Aspen press chief Jeff Hanle said, “A lot of things would have to come into alignment for that to be possible and a lot of different departments within the company would have to be consulted as to the feasibility. We’d also have to look at the lodging community and everything else to see if we could turn around and do what we’re doing now. It’s sort of a monumental effort.    
    “But the course is there, so if that holds up and if we could get those all other things into alignment, then we’d be willing to do it. But there are a lot of blanks to be filled in before we could say, ‘Yes, we’ll do it.’ [We’d have to factor in] how many rooms we get from the lodging community for this, and ask them to do it again, it’s a hugely discounted rate, or else we’d pay for it, that kind of thing. Just a lot of things to look at. I’ve been here 18 years and I don’t ever remember it happening. Nothing’s impossible, but there’s a lot of things that would have to be run through the channels before we’d commit to it.”