Val Thorens Confirmed To Host FIS Ski Cross World Cup

Val Thorens, the highest ski resort in Europe, announces today that it is hosting two stages of the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup competition on December 19 & 20, 2020.

Thanks to a favourable decision from the Savoie prefecture and the International Ski Federation, and after extensive consultation given the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, strict social distancing and health protocols will be implemented and the long-awaited event is confirmed.

The competition, however, will now take place behind closed doors but will be broadcast on both Eurosport and L’Equipe TV channels so fans won’t miss out on any of the action. The packed programme will include wild turns, jumps and speed which will really test the skills and technique of all competitors. Excitement is guaranteed!

For safety reasons, everyone involved – including both organisers and the athletes themselves - will be tested for COVID-19 the day before racing starts. And all of the resort’s services will be mobilized to guarantee safety and ensure everyone follows the social distancing and health measures in place. 

The event will be held on the dedicated ski cross slope called Jean-Fred Chapuis - named after the local Val Thorens athlete and Olympic champion. It one of the most spectacular and technical runs in the resort – 1,250 metres long with the fastest taking just 1 min 1o seconds to get down. 

All the big international names in the world of ski cross will be present, with more than 100 athletes expected to compete.

Ski cross is a timed racing event often considered part of freestyle skiing because it incorporates similar terrain such as big-air jumps and high-banked turns. It was created at the end of the 1990s in the USA - where the first Winter X Games were held - and recognized by the International Ski Federation as a discipline in 2003. It became an official Olympic sport in 2010 at the Winter Games in Vancouver.

The idea behind ski cross was to bring the excitement of motocross to skiing to make races more exhilarating for spectators.  What sets it apart from other alpine disciplines is that  groups of four skiers race each other at the same time. 

Only the first two competitors of each run qualify for the next stage with various qualification heats organised before the finals. 

Ski cross courses are themselves impressive comprising a run of over 600m, at least a 33% slope, with various different natural or artificial elements used such as bumps, raised curves or springboards to challenge the athletes who put on a real show as they blast down as fast as possible.