Killington’s World Cup ski race will continue through 2020
"The Killington Cup has long been a highlight of mine."
Vermont’s Killington Resort has hosted an annual FIS World Cup skiing event for the last three years, enjoying large crowds and a hat-trick of slalom victories from American superstar Mikeala Shiffrin. Due to the event’s success, it’s been extended for two more years.
Killington announced on Monday that the officially recognized World Cup event — which has included women’s slalom and giant slalom — will continue in 2019 and 2020. The date of the 2019 event is Nov. 30-Dec. 1, Thanksgiving weekend.
“Establishing another multi-year World Cup schedule here at Killington is an incredible opportunity for the resort and the surrounding community,” Killington president and general manager Mike Solimano said in the ski area’s announcement. “I continue to be blown away by the sheer size of the crowds, and their enthusiasm leads me to believe that we’ll continue to see large numbers of spectators to watch the fastest female ski racers in the world take on the Superstar trail.”
Attendance for the event has been consistently impressive. In 2018, the third year that Killington hosted the competition, attendance was estimated at 39,000 over the two days of racing.
Local interest has been helped by Shiffrin’s participation. In each of the three years, Shiffrin — who has notable New England ties — has won the slalom competition.
“The Killington Cup has long been a highlight of mine on the World Cup tour the last three seasons,” Shiffrin said in the announcement. “In 2018 we — all of us together — set a new precedent for ski racing internationally, boasting the largest World Cup crowd for women on the entire circuit. To get that hat trick slalom victory in front of thousands of screaming fans at home is something I will never, ever forget. I’m looking forward to once again competing on home soil.”
Killington’s 2018-2019 season only just finished over the weekend, with the ski area’s “Superstar” trail — on which the World Cup race is held — staying open into June.
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