First World Cup Finals In U.S. Since 2017 Showcases The Best In Alpine
Sun Valley, Idaho played host to the world's best alpine ski racers for the 2025 Stifel Sun Valley Finals, marking the first time since 2017 that the season-ending event was held outside of Europe. Over seven days, fans gathered to witness world class alpine ski racing and immerse themselves in a festival atmosphere that spanned from the towns of Sun Valley and Ketchum to the race course.
“The Stifel Sun Valley Finals was a fabulous event and we are thrilled with how how the community came together for such an important week and we had some great performances from our athletes,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Sun Valley was an extraordinary host and we are so appreciative of all the work that went into pulling off such a successful event. The support from the local community and our partners elevated the entire week and showcased how passionate America is for ski racing.”
The event featured four races for the top 25-ranked racers in each event: downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom. While the downhill was canceled due to weather, the sun came out the following days with spring-like conditions for the rest of the week. The races also included hotly contested fights for the FIS Crystal Globes and the Nations Cups, which are awarded to the best racers and teams of the 2024-25 season.
Highlighting the week’s results and thrilling the packed U.S. crowd, there were two podium results for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. In the super-G, Lindsey Vonn made her historic return to the podium, finishing second. At 40 years old, Vonn became the oldest woman to podium in a World Cup race, 2,565 days after her last World Cup podium in 2018. And then, to cap off a historic season, Mikaela Shiffrin won her 101st World Cup in the slalom, continuing to reset records with every World Cup win.
Other notable results include Ben Ritchie snagging seventh place in the men’s slalom, AJ Hurt securing a top 10 finish in eighth place in the women’s super-G and Lauren Macuga scoring giant slalom points in her debut in the event, alongside her fourth overall ranking in the downhill standings.
A highlight of the week was the presentation of the Stifel HERoic Cup, a $50,000 award from Stifel U.S. Ski Team partner Stifel Financial, created to celebrate and support women in alpine skiing. Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland claimed the honor by accumulating the most World Cup points across the three domestic World Cup stops—Killington, Beaver Creek and Sun Valley—further solidifying her dominance this season. Gut-Behrami also swept her events this weekend, winning both the giant slalom and super-G events.
Beyond the racing, Sun Valley embraced the World Cup Finals as a community-wide celebration of ski culture. Fans filled the venue each day, creating an electric atmosphere that extended into town with concerts, a Picabo Street statue unveiling, skijoring and other festivities. The Stifel Sun Valley Finals underscored the deep ties between the western U.S. community and the sport of skiing, with local businesses, volunteers and fans coming together to celebrate the culture of skiing.
"We are incredibly proud of the success of this event and the overwhelming support from athletes, fans and partners who made it possible,” said Stacey Ehleringer, Stifel Sun Valley Finals local lorganizing chair. “Sun Valley has a deep-rooted passion for the sport, and we hope to build on this momentum with the goal of bringing the Finals back in 2027. The legacy of this competition will continue to inspire younger generations, and we look forward to welcoming the world’s best skiers back to our slopes in the near future."
“The Stifel Sun Valley Finals is a testament to how our community has come together, celebrating both the achievements of our athletes and the enduring legacy of Sun Valley as a premier ski destination,” said Pete Sonntag, COO of Sun Valley Resort. “With resoundingly positive feedback on the course features and construction and a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich history, this event marks an exciting chapter for the future of alpine skiing. It’s an opportunity to honor our past while uniting athletes, fans and the entire ski community in a shared passion for the sport.”
As the first American venue to host the FIS Alpine World Cup Finals in seven years, Sun Valley delivered an event that reignited the alpine ski community in the U.S. The town’s storied skiing history, combined with an outstanding venue and community support, created an unforgettable experience for athletes, families and fans. Now, the athletes will all travel back home as the 2024-25 World Cup season has officially come to an end.
