It was a huge day of firsts for 23-year-old AJ Hurt in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, where she earned a hard-fought third-place podium - a career first and personal best. 

The odds were stacked against her from the get-go. Course conditions were less than ideal, and the ride to the finish was wild from bib 1. Unfortunately for Hurt, she was slotted to run towards the back of the pack, drawing bib 38. However, she laid down a solid first run, landing herself in 16th going into the second and setting her up for what turned out to be a historic day.

“I thought to myself, 'Well if I came in first, maybe I can get a top 10,'” she recalled. “Then I was sitting in eighth and was like, ‘There’s no way my best slalom is going to beat my best giant slalom' ...and then it did!”

Hurt skied the fastest second run of the day, beating even the likes of Slovakian Petra Vlhova by 0.21. She earned a career-best finish, her first top 20 in slalom, her first top 15 in slalom, her first top 10 in slalom, her first-ever top five, and her first-ever podium. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Paula Moltzan, also finished strong in fifth, matching her season best finish in slalom thus far, and hanging on to a top 10 ranking in the overall slalom standings. Mikaela Shiffrin, unfortunately straddled in her first run, and didn’t have a chance to ski a second, but was just as excited for Hurt as anyone. 

“[Mikaela and Paula] are obviously two of the fastest slalom skiers in the world right now, and it's pretty amazing to be able to ski alongside them," said Shiffrin. "I mean, I train with Paula every day and I feel like I’m always chasing her."

Moltzan, made sure to get the rest of Hurt’s teammates on FaceTime during the awards ceremony so best friend Keely Cashman could be there with her celebrating her success.

“I couldn’t be more proud,” said Moltzan. "I’m a proud mom and big sister and I’m taking it all in.”

Hurt joined the podium with Vlhova in first and Lena Duerr of Germany in second.

The women’s alpine World Cup Tour moves over to a speed series this upcoming weekend in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria, while the women’s tech team will take a brief competition break before heading into a night race in Flachau, Austria on Tuesday, January 16. 

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus posted a personal best slalom finish in the Adelboden, Switzerland slalom Sunday with a 19th place finish, jumping from bib 70 to 19th place, a whopping 51 spots. Ben Ritchie secured his first slalom points of the season in 23rd place. 

Despite a few inches of snow overnight, the course workers prepped the slalom hill well to hold the men’s slalom on the classic track in Adelboden. There were no Sunday scaries here, as the massive Swiss crowds were back and louder than ever to cheer on the best men’s alpine slalom skiers in the world. 

The men’s slalom tour is extremely competitive and difficult to break into and Sunday’s race was full of theatrics, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. Stifel U.S. Ski Team member Ritchie skied well to land in 29th position after first run, good enough for a second run. But the run was not over until it was over and Radamus, running last with bib 70, came blazing down to 29th place, knocking Ritchie to 30th position. Both scored a second run. 

“I have not skied much slalom, but it's always a dream. It's a challenging event and I watch my teammates ski at such a high level," said Radamus. "The competition in slalom is so high, so it has been tough for me to get chances to race on the World Cup."

On the second run, the course set was open and easy giving Ritchie and Radamus a great opportunity to send it. Both racers secured the green light and had a leaderboard moment together. Ritchie ended his day in 23rd.

“I am happy to get some points. I don't think I skied my best today in challenging conditions so I am happy to come away with a few World Cup points and try to jumpstart January here,” said Ritchie. 

Radamus posted his best slalom race result and first slalom World Cup points in 19th. Not only was it his best slalom result, but this race was only his ninth World Cup slalom start in his career. 

“Every time I get a slalom chance I want to make the most of it,” said Radamus. “I did not have pressure so it allowed me to ski more freely and take more risks and it paid off today so I am really happy.” 

Radamus also took home the coveted Stifel Bibbo Award, an award given to an alpine athlete who wears the highest bib number and finishes the highest in the final rankings. 

The winner of the race was Austrian Manuel Feller, second place was Norway’s Atle Lie Mcgrath and third place went to Austrian Dominik Raschner. Stifel U.S. Ski Team members Jett Seymour and Luke Winters also raced; Seymour was 35th first run and Winters did not finish. 

The men’s tech team will now prepare for the slalom in Wengen, Switzerland next on Jan. 14. 

RESULTS
Men's slalom

On the second to last race of the Tour de Ski, Jessie Diggins continued her streak of top-10 results with an eighth place finish, giving her the necessary points and time to maintain her commanding lead in the Tour de Ski overall standings. Alongside Diggins in the top 30 was Rosie Brennan in 12th, Sophia Laukli 17th and Sammy Smith in 26th. Scott Patterson was 27th. Diggins now leads the overall by 43 seconds, ahead of Sweden's Joanna Sundling going into tomorrow's final stage. 

On a remarkably bad weather day in Val di Fiemme, Italy, where rain, snow and sleet made for challenging wax conditions and overall tricky weather to race in, the athletes pushed through, with the final race looming in their minds. 

With a 15k mass start on the line, Diggins went into the race with lingering pain due to her crash in the 20k classic in Davos, Switzerland just two days prior.

"I did get pretty hurt in that crash, so I'm in pain," said Diggins, post-race. "I raced today and pushed through it. I'm really proud of myself for being able to ignore it the best I could and focus on the race - and now i'm focused on recovery." 

Off the line, the pack trudged through the classic tracks, with six laps of a hilly 2.5k loop looming. Through each lap, Diggins, Brennan and Laukli traded off positions in the lead pack, often working together to find positioning, with 18-year-old Smith continuing her strong skiing and keeping a solid pace throughout the entire 15k. 

On the final lap, movement was finally happening and going into the last hill, Diggins, Brennan and Laukli were all within the chase pack. On the final stretch, Sweden's Linn Svahn took the overall win, with Diggins in the top 10 and Brennan, Laukli and Smith not far behind.

"It was wet," said Brennan, laughing post-race. "It was very challenging conditions, and sometimes skis worked, sometimes they didn't. It was a mental battle the whole way through but I'm happy that I stayed in the front the whole time and fought the whole way."

For the men, Patterson and Zanden McMullen represented the remaining Stifel U.S. Ski Team men's team and crossed the line in 27th and 31st, respectively. Norway's Erik Valnes ultimately took the victory. Going into stage seven, Patterson sits 20th in the Tour de Ski overall standings. 

Tomorrow, the highly anticipated Final Climb is finally here, a brutal race that takes athletes once around the 2.5k course at Val di Fiemme then up the Alpe de Cermis alpine ski hill - where at points athletes are skiing up a 28% grade. In last year's final climb, Sophia Laukli, now commonly referred to as the "Uphill Queen" nabbed her first-ever podium in the event, crossing the line in third. This year, she is considered the favorite in the event.  

RESULTS
Women
Men

TOUR DE SKI OVERALL RESULTS 
Women
Men

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, Jan. 7
8:30 a.m. ET - men's 10k skate - skiandsnowboard.live
9:45 a.m. ET - women's 10k skate - skiandsnowboard.live

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus posted a career best World Cup finish in the Adelboden, Switzerland giant slalom, taking fourth place, just a mere 0.12 seconds out of a podium spot. 

The Adelboden crowd is always a highlight on the tour and this year they did not disappoint. The hollers and singing could be heard from the start on run one.

“This is one of the most famed races on the circuit,” said Radamus. “The crowd is electric and you feel like you're a part of history here, so every time I show up I want to put on a show."

The conditions were solid but with a little snow shower overnight, the jury decided to move the start lower down. Radamus raced to 20th place first run and Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Tommy Ford was 18th. Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt snagged a commanding lead in the first run, ahead by over a second. 

The crowd came back even louder for the second run as the snow began to fall once again, making for a scenic January World Cup race. Radamus raced down first for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team men and he sent it. He skied aggressively and cleanly to take first by a large margin of over a half-second ahead of his competitors. He was able to get comfortable in the leaderboard chair as no one knocked him out of the top seat for many racers.

“Right now I don’t want to ski to finish; I want to ski for a top-level performance. I know I have the speed to compete with those top guys so I need to take risks and and send it and see what happens,” said Radamus. 

Croatian skier Filip Zubcic knocked Radamus out of the top spot, but Radamus stayed near the top of the ranks of the result sheet. It was down to the wire for Radamus on if a podium was within reach, but Odermatt knows this hill and he did not let the Swiss fandom down. Odermatt raced into first place by 1.24 seconds with Norway’s Aleksander Kilde securing his first giant slalom podium in second and Zubcic in third. Radamus claimed the win on the second run and his best finish to date in fourth.

“I was disappointed in my performance first run. I did not put my best foot forward, so in the second run I wanted to ski more fearlessly, push the limit and see what was possible,” said Radamus. “That was some real skiing and I am proud of that skiing. I'm hoping to put two runs of that for a chance at the podium.” 

Ford ended up in 17th place. Brian McLaughlin, George Steffey and Isaiah Nelson also raced but did not qualify for a second run, landing in 32nd, 40th and 41st respectively.

The next giant slalom race will be held in Schladming, Austria on Jan. 23. The slalom team will race in Adelboden on Sunday. 

RESULTS
Men's giant slalom 

HOW TO WATCH 
4:30 a.m. – Men’s slalom, Adelboden, Switzerland, first run – skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom, Adelboden, Switzerland, second run – skiandsnowboard.live

Wet, grey and rainy are the three keywords to describe Saturday's women's giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, that resulted in a top 10 finish for Mikaela Shiffrin in ninth and a top 20 finish for AJ Hurt in 18th.

Athlete by athlete, the course slowly broke down, making for soft conditions unfavorable to the likes of athletes like Shiffrin, who thrive on hard-pack snow. Overall, the dreary mood of the day felt much like Shiffrin's overall energy as she fought to ski well while shaking off a cold and general fatigue.

"I was surprised because I've raced sick before, and I've been able to win when I've been sick, and I've skied my best still, so I was taken aback today about how much my energy was affected," said Shiffrin. "I haven't felt this low energy in a while. I was just not able to execute the right skiing."

"In the future, we'll see these conditions again, and they weren't bad conditions; they're just different from what I excel in," she added. "There's still learning I have to do in softer conditions; I have to take a different tactic and learn how to better approach that. And at this point in my career, I still have to be able to grow as a skier and handle those things tactically and mentally. So hopefully I start to feel better, learn from today and drastically improve over the next couple of GS races."

Paula Moltzan, who skied into 10th after the first run, felt good about her skiing coming into the afternoon. Unfortunately, she skied out of the course early on in the second run, in a style reminiscent of the infamous ski ballet back in the 80s. Thankfully, Moltzan was able to stay upright and skied away from the course without crash or injury.

Hurt, on the other hand, finished less dramatically, with a solid top 20 finish and a few more giant slalom points to her name. In the past, Hurt has yet to string together multiple World Cup giant slalom finishes in a row. Grey skies and wet conditions remind her of spring skiing at home at Palisades Tahoe, so overall, the weather and salted surface didn't bother her much.

"I feel like we all kind of weren't sure if anything was going to happen this weekend with the weather forecast, and it feels good to finish three World Cup giant slalom races in a row; I don't think I've ever done that," said Hurt. 

Despite her ninth place finish, Shiffrin remains in third in the FIS season giant slalom standings, and holds a healthy lead in the overall standings. 

The race series in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia continues on Sunday, where the Stifel U.S. Ski Team women will compete in the slalom to wrap up the weekend.

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
3:30 a.m. EST - Women's slalom, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, run 1 - skiandsnowboard.live
6:30 a.m. EST - Women's slalom, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, run 2 - skiandsnowboard.live

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Director Patrick Riml announced that he is leaving his position as of February 1, 2024. He will remain with U.S. Ski & Snowboard in an advisory capacity.

Riml has been with U.S. Ski & Snowboard at various times throughout the last 20 years. He joined the alpine program as a coach in 2001 and rose to the head women’s coach from 2003-08. He returned to U.S. Ski & Snowboard (then the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association) in 2011-17 as alpine director, and again in 2022. He leaves to pursue other opportunities.

In his recent tenure, Riml restructured the alpine program, bringing in key hires, including Mark Tilston as the head men’s coach, Alex Hoedlmoser to lead women’s speed and Karin Harjo as head coach of Team Shiffrin. He created an evolved infrastructure to better support Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes in their elite-level progression, instilled increased accountability, drove a high performance culture, and ensured better access to training around the globe. 

“Patrick has been a wonderful alpine director for the organization over the years,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport Anouk Patty. “He has hired great leaders and coaches, set up the infrastructure for the team to be successful, moved the culture into a great place and solidified access to world class training venues. The results throughout his tenure have been terrific and we’ll miss him at the organization.”

“I’m so proud of the work I’ve done with the Sitfel U.S. Alpine Ski Team over the decades and know I’m leaving it in the right hands as I transition out of the organization,” said Riml. “This team is full of generational talent supported by the best in the business. While it’s time for me to move on from my full-time position, I’ll continue to support as an advisor and cheer all of the athletes on throughout their careers.”

Riml will travel with the team in Europe throughout January to assist in the transition. His advisory position will include continuing to help the team solidify the best training opportunities around the world. 

In what many would say was one of the most eventful races in World Cup cross country skiing history, the race could have been anyone’s up until the last kilometer. At the end of the day, two Americans were on the podium - Rosie Brennan in second and Jessie Diggins in third. Every single starting American  landed in the top 30. 

With snow accumulating quickly, it made for a complicated kick wax situation, but on the start line, all athletes pushed on the two-lap 20k course. With the high altitude of Davos and limited visibility because of the snow, it made for a fascinating race that kept the fans on the edge of their seat until the bitter end.

Racers were seeded at the start according to their qualifying times in Wednesday’s sprint – minus the bonus time accumulated from the final results, which meant Diggins was not leading off the line. Yet, fresh off a podium result in the skate sprint the night before, Diggins was once again back in the top three - notching her 54th career World Cup podium and fourth podium of the Tour de Ski in the process. Brennan was also back on the podium in second, putting a gutsy and tactical race together. It was Brennan's 11th career podium, and nearly remade the Tour de Ski race from a year ago when Brennan and Diggins were on the podium together in the 20k skate.

In the first lap, the pack was tight together through the long gradual climbs, with limited spots that allowed movement from the line. Due to the challenging wax conditions, all countries were trying something different - some using kick wax and some not - but in the end, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes put all the pieces together to make it work. At the finish, Brennan was just 0.8 seconds back with Diggins overcoming an early fall and pushing through the pain to cross the line in third.

Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe and Sammy Smith were also in the top 30, led by McCabe in 19th, Laukli in 25th and Smith in 28th, respectively.

For the men, the race seemed like it was on an entirely different day. With the sun shining, the temperatures consistently climbing, making it the Davos World Cup scene so many fans have come to love.

Scott Patterson and Zanden McMullen were the only ones to kick off the start line. Over the two laps, with endless movement and variable speeds, this race proved to be just as exciting as the women’s just an hour before. With strong double pole, tactical moves on the steep climbs, Patterson crossed the line first in 25th with McMullen not far behind in 28th.

Looking ahead to the last two stages in Val di Fiemme, Diggins continues to lead the overall, putting herself in a solid position going into the final two races, with Brennan back in the top 10.

The Tour de Ski now packs up for Val di Fiemme, Italy for two final races, starting with a 15k classic mass start.

RESULTS
Women
Men

TOUR DE SKI OVERALL STANDINGS
Women
Men

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is mourning the death of Greg Boester, an Olympic ski jumper and longtime sport governance leader. He passed on December 29, 2023 at the age of 55. 

Greg grew up in Denver, learning the sport of ski jumping as a boy on the jumps at Winter Park, Colorado, and later at Steamboat Springs. He was part of a burgeoning population of young ski jumping athletes coming out of Colorado in the 1980s. His perseverance highlighted his career, weathering dramatic evolutionary changes in the sport to a radically new jumping technique. He had an immense passion for the sport throughout his life, and spoke often about how ski jumping was like flying. 

He split his high school studies between home in Denver and the ski jumps at Steamboat Springs to keep up with his training. His steadfast determination earned him a spot in the 1994 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun, Sweden, and the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. 

After earning degrees from St. Lawrence University and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, his business career took off with senior leadership roles at JP Morgan Chase, Citadel, Barclays and his own firm, Praesagio Partners.

He joined the Board of Directors of U.S. Ski & Snowboard (then U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association) in 1996, later becoming vice chairman. He was named a trustee of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation in 2004 and became the Board of Trustees president in 2013. His keen insights, strategic acumen and tireless efforts were instrumental in guiding the organization through pivotal moments. He believed in the power of sport to transform lives and tirelessly advocated for initiatives aimed at creating opportunities for aspiring athletes. While he retired from those roles in 2018, he remained a Trustee and an active and passionate supporter of skiing and snowboarding.

As we mourn the loss of a remarkable leader, mentor and friend, U.S. Ski & Snowboard celebrates his legacy and sends its deepest condolences to Greg’s family, community and loved ones. We remember the joy he brought to many lives and the indelible mark he left on the ski and snowboard community.

In lieu of flowers, Greg's family has asked for donations in his honor to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation.

The Tour de Ski continued today with an exciting skate sprint in Davos, Switzerland. Jessie Diggins claimed her spot on the podium for the third time this tour, finishing in third place, while Gus Schumacher was just off the podium in fourth - a career-best result. Diggins maintains her lead in the overall standings, while Schumacher rose to fourth place overall.

The first stage in Davos and the fourth stage overall kicked off with more ski racing, featuring a lively skate sprint in the sunny mountain town with fans filling the sprint course to cheer. In the qualifier round, seven Americans, including Diggins, Sammy Smith, Julia Kern, Rosie Brennan, Zanden McMullen, Schumacher and Kevin Bolger, advanced to the heats. Notably, it was McMullen's first time qualifying for the heats in his World Cup career.

The challenging course included a long approach to a steep hill, a fast downhill stretch and a sharp, technical right-hand turn. The strategy was clear – go hard from the start and maintain the effort until crossing the finish line.

Into the quarterfinal heats, where to advance, athletes must be top two in their heat, or hold one of the two third fastest times (commonly referred to as the “lucky loser”), Diggins won her heat, Kern was second, and Schumacher became the lucky loser to secure a place in the semis. Brennan, Smith, Bolger and McMullen did not advance.

In the semifinals, Diggins once again won her heat and Schumacher put the hammer down to post a fast time to secure the lucky loser position again and punch his ticket to his first-ever final sprint round.

As the sun set over the mountains, the final race unfolded with USA staff lining the finish stretch with the stadium lights illuminating the course and flame-throwing pyrotechnics decorating the stadium. Diggins showcased tactical moves, up and down the course and ultimately finished third behind Sweden's Linn Svahn and Norway's Kristine Skistad. For the men, Schumacher finished fourth, securing his career-best result in the process. His previous top sprint result was 18th place. 

Smith and McMullen also had career-best results, finishing in 22nd and 25th, respectively.

The Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team continues to excel, thanks to the athletes' incredible efforts and the dedicated staff working behind the scenes. The team looks forward to the 20k classic pursuit Thursday in Davos before heading to Val di Fiemme, Italy for the final two stages of the 2024 Tour de Ski. Heading into stage five with a podium in every stage so far, the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team is establishing itself as the team to beat.

RESULTS
Women
Men

TOUR DE SKI OVERALL STANDINGS
Women
Men

New Hampshire’s Waterville Resort, the birthplace of freestyle skiing, has announced that tickets for the United Airlines Waterville Freestyle Cup presented by ID One USA are now available for purchase at waterville.com. On January 26-27, Waterville will host the best men’s and women’s moguls skiers in the world for a set of moguls and dual moguls events. Olympic silver medalist Jaelin Kauf and top-ranking American Nick Page are both set to compete alongside New England natives Olivia Giaccio and Hannah Soar, who have both found themselves on the podium this season. 

Festivities kick off Friday morning with the single moguls qualifications slated to begin at 9:10 am ET, followed by dual moguls on Saturday. The festival village will also be open during competition. 

The event will feature an athlete bib presentation and autograph signing on Friday night. No ticket is required for the Friday night activities, which are free to the public.

Spectator Ticket - $10 Fri / $20 Sat

• Admission to the World Cup arena, lift ticket not included

Foot Passenger Ticket - $20 Fri / $20 Sat

• Admission to the World Cup arena, Valley Run lift ticket included (access to the World Cup arena via Valley Run Quad). 
• Ride up Valley Run Quad as a foot passenger. From the top of Valley Run Quad, you can walk to the arena by following a short path. 
• Lift ticket is limited to Valley Run Quad and is not valid on any other aerial or surface lifts. 

VIP Ticket - $250 Fri / $250 Sat

• Admission to the World Cup VIP Tent, including premier viewing area, access to VIP cash bar, complimentary continental breakfast, lunch buffet and snacks.
• One (1) Priority Parking Pass
• Includes full mountain lift ticket for skiing/snowboarding. You also have the option to ride up and down the mountain on the Valley Run Quad as a foot passenger. 

BUY TICKETS HERE