Aspen To Host FIS World Cup Finals For First Time Since '97; Vermont Also Gets Date

The Int'l Ski Federation has formally awarded four stops on next winter’s Audi FIS World Cup to U.S. hosts, including the finals, which will return to Aspen for the first time since '97. Other hosts include Killington Resort in Vermont, Beaver Creek Resort in Colorado and Squaw Valley in California. U.S. Ski & Snowboarding Association VP/Communications Tom Kelly said by securing the March 15-19 finals for Aspen, planners were able to instead dedicate Aspen's usual spot on the calendar -- Thanksgiving weekend -- to Killington. It will be the first time a site in the population-heavy eastern U.S. has hosted a World Cup event since '91. Kelly: "All in all, it’s a huge step up for exposure for next year for us with alpine ski racing." The U.S. actually won finals hosting rights two years earlier, but final decisions had been delayed due to FIS concerns over Aspen's lift infrastructure, as reported by the Aspen Times.