BY KAREN BOSSICK
Learn about World Cup preparations on Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain when Riley Berman gives a behind-the-scenes look.
Berman, Sun Valley Resort’s competition services manager and chief of race course for the Alpine skiing World Cup Finals at Sun Valley, will offer his presentation at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, at Ketchum’s Community Library. He will be joined by Stacey Ehleringer, local organizing committee chair.
Riley, a Wood River Valley native who ran Rotarun ski area prior to taking on his new role, will discuss how Sun Valley Resort worked Bald Mountain this past summer to get a World Cup ski course ready for the top 25 skiers in the world. The work involved installing new snowmaking, erecting protective A-netting, recontouring runs and removing trees.
Ehleringer, executive director of Guest Engagement for Sun Valley Resort, will discuss the off-course work going on. A former ski racer in Utah, she is now in charge of organizing bib draw events at Sun Valley Resort’s outdoor ice rink, a skijoring competition in the newly renamed Champion Meadows (formerly known as Festival Meadows) and the revival of the Harriman Cup prizes given to the original prestigious ski races held by Sun Valley beginning in the 1930s.
This is the first in a series of three “Behind the Scenes” talks about the World Cup event being organized by the Wood River Museum of History and Culture. Others will deal with ski prep, skiers’ experiences and commentating.
The program is in-person only. To reserve a seat, visit https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/13749708.