In just 99 days, the world’s best alpine ski racers will descend on Beaver Creek, Colorado, for one of the most anticipated FIS Alpine World Cup stops of the 2026-27 season. The 2026 Stifel Birds of Prey World Cup will bring seven men’s and women’s races to Beaver Creek over two weekends, giving fans plenty of opportunity to be part of the action and soak up the incredible atmosphere.
From December 3-13, 2026, the legendary Birds of Prey course will host seven World Cup races, making this the biggest Birds of Prey FIS World Cup festival in the event’s history. For the first time, the event will feature four men’s races and three women’s races across two action-packed weekends. The expanded women’s program includes two downhill races and a super-G, while the men will contest two downhills, a super-G and giant slalom.
If you are a ski racing fan and planning to watch the races, you’ll be excited to hear that general admission to the races is free. Fans can watch the World Cup action without purchasing a traditional race ticket, while VIP packages are available for those looking for a more premium experience. VIP packages include amenities such as food and drinks, heated viewing areas and additional race-day perks.
RACE SCHEDULE
2026 Men’s Schedule
Men’s Downhill
Thursday, December 3
Men’s Downhill
Friday, December 4
Men’s Super-G
Saturday, December 5
Men’s Giant Slalom
Sunday, December 6
2026 Women’s Schedule
Women’s Downhill
Friday, December 11
Women’s Downhill
Saturday, December 12
Women’s Super-G
Sunday, December 13
The schedule represents a significant expansion for Birds of Prey. The men have long made Beaver Creek one of the most important speed-racing stops on the World Cup calendar, but the women are now becoming a much bigger part of the event after racing at the venue for the first time in 2024.
Who Will You See?
The final starting lists won’t be known until much closer to the races, but fans can expect many of the biggest names in alpine skiing to be fighting for the podium. On the men’s side, Marco Odermatt is an obvious name to watch. The Swiss superstar has dominated the technical and overall World Cup standings in recent seasons and is exceptionally dangerous on the Birds of Prey speed track.
American fans will have plenty of home-country racers to cheer for, too. Ryan Cochran-Siegle has repeatedly shown that he can contend on the world’s fastest downhill courses, while Bryce Bennett is one of the most accomplished American downhill racers of his generation. Colorado native River Radamus, who grew up in the Beaver Creek area, is another particularly compelling hometown athlete to watch.
The international field should include some of the biggest names in men’s speed skiing, including Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen, Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr, Italy’s Dominik Paris and other members of the world’s elite downhill and super-G field. The 2025 Birds of Prey downhill demonstrated the depth of the field, with Odermatt winning ahead of Cochran-Siegle and Norway’s Adrian Smiseth Sejersted.
The women’s races offer another opportunity to see the world’s best speed specialists on Birds of Prey. Beaver Creek will host the 2026-27 season’s first women’s speed races and will be an exciting opportunity to see everyone’s form for the season. Cornelia Hütter and Sofia Goggia immediately stand out. Hütter won the inaugural women’s Birds of Prey downhill in 2024, while Goggia won the super-G.
American fans can look forward to seeing Olympic Champion Breezy Johnson and, potentially, Lauren Macuga back on the World Cup circuit. Johnson won Olympic gold in downhill at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games and is sure to be a podium favorite at Birds of Prey. Macuga tore her ACL, medial and lateral root meniscus, and MCL during training at Copper Mountain in November 2025, forcing her to miss the entire 2025-26 season and the Milano Cortina Olympics. She has been targeting Beaver Creek for her return to World Cup racing, meaning Birds of Prey could mark her comeback to competition on home soil.
The women’s return to Beaver Creek is particularly significant because the 2026 event will be only the second time the women’s World Cup has raced on Birds of Prey — and this time they’ll have three races instead of two.
If you want to be even closer to the action, there’s another way to experience the World Cup. Birds of Prey is powered by a huge volunteer operation, and registration is opening soon for the 2026 event.
Volunteers are divided into two primary groups: Raptor Crew handles off-course positions, while the Talon Crew works on the course and helps make the racing itself possible. While ages for those two teams are 18+, the event also has a NextGen Raptor Volunteer Program for students ages 14-18, providing younger ski-racing fans with an opportunity to get involved behind the scenes.
Volunteer registration opens:
- September 11, 2026: Raptor Crew and Talon Crew
- September 15, 2026: NextGen Raptor volunteers, ages 14-18
Those interested can already fill out the event’s volunteer interest form to receive updates and be notified when registration opens. Please note that the interest form is not the official volunteer application.
Volunteering also comes with its own event experience, including volunteer gatherings and opportunities to spend time with the people working behind the scenes to put on the races.
The countdown is officially on: 99 days until the world’s fastest skiers return to Birds of Prey.
